If you want to get more clients online, there are 3 keys you must have in your marketing. In this article, learn the main differences between offline and online marketing for coaches so you can start attracting more high-paying clients.
Online marketing is different from traditional “offline” marketing. As a result, many coaches leave coaching school with a desire to attract national or global clients, but they have no idea how to do so. The result? Their website becomes an online brochure that does not bring them clients.
So how do you get started marketing your coaching services online? Here are 3 keys to get you started on the road to success.
Key #1 – Follow up Marketing
When you are marketing in person, such as having conversations with potential clients or presentations to groups, you have a much greater chance of someone hiring you on the spot. However, if you are advertising and don’t have personal contact, people need to see your marketing message 5-12 times (on average) before they will buy from you.
With online marketing, people do not have personal contact with you. For this reason, it’s essential that you have an automated follow up marketing plan if you want to get more clients. For most coaches this will include email messages using an autoresponder, social media postings, and your newsletter. It may also include automated online notification services, such as YouTube Channel subscriptions or RSS feeds of your blog posts.
Bottom line: If you want to get more clients with your website and online marketing, you MUST follow up.
Key #2 – Establish Credibility
How do you establish your credibility online, even when you’re just getting started as a coach? It’s similar to traditional offline marketing but done a little differently.
Before the days of the Internet, we rated the credibility of a business by how long they had been in business, personal or professional referrals, or Better Business Bureau feedback.
Now that we have the Internet at our fingertips, we can check a business’s website, read online product reviews, or get recommendations from Facebook.
So how can you use this to your advantage when marketing your coaching services online?
Here are two surefire ways to get instant credibility online:
- Give away irresistible content online, including your newsletter and site articles. Your ideal client will find it very valuable and want more. They are more concerned with getting valuable information and solutions than they are with how long you’ve been in business.
- Include great testimonials, especially on the first page of your website and in your newsletter. Make the testimonials easy to find and interesting to read. Include case studies, client success stories, or testimonials in all your online marketing when you can do so authentically. People need to know what you can do for them. And good testimonials are a perfect way to do that.
Key #3 – Set Yourself Apart
This is a major difference between offline marketing and online marketing for coaches. When you are marketing your coaching offline, there’s usually no ready way for someone to check out your competition. So they are more likely to consider your services and make a decision.
For instance, if you are proposing career coaching services to an upper management professional to help them find the position of their dreams, what are the chances that they know three other career coaches who can offer them similar services? Not likely.
But when someone hears or sees your marketing message online, they are seconds away from checking out your competition – and not just locally. Google will list all your competitors in the entire world.
Set yourself apart from everyone else online with an irresistible, unique marketing message. Your ideal client will be so excited to read what you have to say, they probably won’t even think about searching for the competition. And even if they do search online, chances are no other coach will compare because you are unique!
Summary
There are many similarities between traditional marketing for coaches (offline marketing) and online marketing: you still need a great niche and a unique marketing message (I call it branding). You still need irresistible programs and packages that transform people’s lives.
But when marketing online, you need to tweak your offline marketing strategies in a specific way because the Internet is a different environment. Start using the 3 keys above in your online marketing, and you’ll start easily attracting high-paying clients who are excited to be working with a brilliant coach like you.
This is a good common sense Blog. Very helpful to one who is just finding the resources about this part. It will certainly help educate me.
I totally agree with you with key#2. Credibility is certainly a factor to determine in any business. And yes, with the innovation of technology today, it can certainly be a great avenue to establish your credibility. Thanks for the share!