As a solopreneur, you feel the pressure to get new clients and connect with current ones every day – it’s the foundation of your business growing and thriving. But between the stress of dealing with competitors to the urgency of reaching potential clients, to the need to have a strong online presence and to be seen as a thought leader the entire lead generation and retainment process can get overwhelming.
This is why content marketing is so powerful for professional coaches.
Content marketing can help you:
- Reach new clients
- Engage current ones
- Stand out from the competition
- Establish yourself as an industry leader
This kind of marketing is not primarily about broadcasting your services; it’s about sharing valuable insights that resonate with your target audience and building trust and credibility.
But, we get it, telling you to “just start” content marketing is easier said than done. Let’s take a look at 7 simple and helpful content marketing ideas for professional coaches just like you.
1. Start a Blog to Share Expertise
Blogging is still one of the most effective strategies for content marketing, particularly for professional coaches. If you already have a website, it’s an easy addition. Not only does consistent long-form content help improve your website’s SEO, drawing more organic traffic, but it also keeps your audience engaged and reinforces your position as an authority in your field. As a coach, there are so many topics, stories, advice, practices, methods, and opinions you could share.
However, maintaining a blog requires a commitment to consistency and frequency. Aim to publish as often as you can, but start with at least once a month to keep your audience engaged. This also aids in signaling search engines that your website is regularly updated with fresh content, improving your SEO.
Depending on the type of coach you are and the relationship that you tend to have with clients, you can emulate the same tone in your blogs. In most cases, a friendly, conversational tone that reflects your coaching style will work great. Also, include actionable advice that readers can apply in their own lives, even if they aren’t working with you. That’s the beauty of content marketing. You can easily connect with people who aren’t your customers, and maybe even help them out in some way. Even if you’re not immediately getting a return on that investment, it can eventually turn those strangers into customers.
2. Utilize Social Media to Build a Community
Building a community is a key component of a coach’s online presence. Whether you’re an executive coach, life coach, or leadership coach, posting value content to your social media channels, can help build a community and credibility around you. Setting yourself up to be a thought leader opens up a lot of doors, one of them being a community that looks to you for advice and guidance. If you clearly and consistently share your insights and expertise that targets your audience in the right way, people just might flock to you.
For coaches, platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram are great platforms to grow these meaningful connections. LinkedIn is particularly valuable for establishing professional credibility and networking with other industry professionals while Instagram can be used to share more personal stories and behind-the-scenes content that makes your coaching style relatable. Which platform you prioritize is dependent on your personal brand and the audience you’re trying to target.
Remember that it’s crucial to tailor your content to each platform and engage regularly with your followers. Post consistently, reply to comments and participate in relevant conversations to keep your audience engaged.
3. Create a Podcast for Deeper Engagement
Moving on to podcasts, which are another effective way to share your expertise and authenticity. Podcasts are an excellent medium for deep dives into complex topics that require more than a blog or social media post. Even better, they really establish a voice for your brand.
Podcasts allow you to reach your audience during parts of their day when reading isn’t possible, such as during commutes or workouts. It’s a creative way to enter other areas of their lives in a subtle and helpful way.
Similar to blogs, there’s truly a never-ending realm of topics you can discuss. Some common themes you could choose from include overcoming personal obstacles, example stories, answering common questions, or even interviews that provide varied perspectives on subjects relevant to your coaching focus.
We know it may seem like it, but starting a podcast doesn’t have to be complicated. Grab a decent-quality microphone, ring light, and set up in a nice background and you’re good to go. You can keep improving and mastering the aesthetics and quality over time. Focus on starting and delivering great information.
4. Develop Case Studies or Success Stories
Sharing success stories and detailed case studies can be incredibly persuasive, showcasing your effectiveness as a coach and the proven benefits clients can expect. Think about it…do you trust a product that has proven success through real trials or a product that just says it’s great? We’re guessing it’s the first one.
For case studies, conduct your trial with your own clients, document everything, and then create an incredibly in-depth media source presenting it. It doesn’t have to be boring, you can implement graphics, charts, and other media to make it more enjoyable and easy to understand.
When sharing success stories, focus on the client’s initial challenges, the coaching process, and the outcomes. Use actual data and client testimonials to back up your claims, ensuring potential clients see the real-world application of your coaching. Reviews from other customers are one of the most popular ways for people to determine if something is worth purchasing. Make sure you have your own version of these reviews.
To gather this success story content, encourage your clients to share their experiences. You can create a template or questionnaire to help them articulate their journey, making the process easier and more consistent. These success stories not only serve as compelling content for your website and social media but also enhance your promotional materials and pitches.
5. Offer Free Webinars or Workshops
Hosting free webinars or workshops is an effective way to showcase your expertise, attract new leads, and build trust with potential clients. These events provide immediate value and can address common challenges or hot topics in your industry.
Webinars are a great opportunity to reach a lot of people at once or even free group training as a trial run.
Then after your workshop or webinar, follow up with those who attended, provide them with additional resources, and consider offering an exclusive opportunity to enroll in your coaching services due to how they found out about you.
6. Create an Email Newsletter to Stay Connected
Through all of these methods from blogs to workshops, encourage people to sign up for your email newsletter. An email newsletter is a direct line to your audience, allowing you to share insights, updates, and special offers in a personalized format. Emails are sent to one of their inboxes, meaning you have a straightforward connection to them.
These types of newsletters keep your audience engaged between blog posts or social media updates and help maintain top-of-mind awareness. You can use it to share tips, rich subject-matter expertise, or personal anecdotes that reinforce your connection with your subscribers. Plus, it’s a way to give them exclusive deals to encourage them to sign up for your services.
7. Leverage Video Content for Personalization
We’ve covered a lot of areas, but let’s jump back to social media for a moment. The best type of content to post on essentially any social media platform is video content. Video content is one of the most engaging forms of digital media, and allows you to speak “face-to-face” with your audience. This personalized medium makes for better connections.
Whether you post detailed explanatory videos, Q&A sessions, personal stories, or just random causal content, videos are an excellent medium for boosting authenticity, connection, trust, and credibility. They are particularly effective on social media, where they can increase engagement and shareability.
For creating compelling video content, ensure your videos are not only informative but also visually well-made. Keep your audience’s attention span in mind and aim for videos of various lengths. Test out 30, 60, and 90-second videos as well as longer ones that are still considered short form like 2-3 minutes. You can also test out longer-form videos for YouTube that might include in-depth tutorials or discussions. Remember to be friendly and approachable in a manner that mirrors a one-on-one coaching session. Videos are a way to show potential customers what they can look forward to if they book with you.
Professional Coaches Need Content Marketing
These 7 content marketing ideas only scratch the surface of what is possible. Implementing these content strategies into your marketing plan can significantly elevate your presence and success as a professional coach.
By expanding your approach and engaging with your audience across multiple platforms, you can grow your reach, attract more clients, and establish your reputation as an authority in your field.
As always, if you need help with any of these strategies, we are your go-to team. You’re a coach, so you shouldn’t have to focus on anything but your clients. Let us handle your content marketing–it’s kind of our thing.
We’ll write your blogs, make your social media content, and establish you as a thought leader. If you’re interested, we’d love to chat with you. Click here.
Ready to Launch a Content Marketing Plan for Your Small Business?
We know that carving out the time, resources, and energy to create ongoing content for your brand or business is a full-time job. That’s why we created Breezy – your instant content marketing team.
You don’t need to hire multiple full-time employees to handle all of the strategy, planning, writing, designing, and publishing of content. You also don’t have time to wrangle tons of different freelancers to get this all completed. You need one expert team that can help get all of the amazing thought-leadership and subject matter expertise out of your head and into formalized, engaging content that keeps you top of mind with your audience.
We’re that team!
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