How do you sort through all the disparate advice leveled at coaches and creatives about marketing your business?
If you look at the marketing advice for coaches out there, there is a huge amount of noise.
Here are some headlines I recently pulled:
“Blogs are Dead in 2018!”
“If You’re Not Marketing Online, You’re Missing Out!”
“Facebook Lives Are All the Rage!”
And just for fun…
”The #1 Most Overlooked Marketing Strategy? Do More of What Works”
All this disparate advice can lead to overwhelm, start and stop marketing efforts and not knowing where to focus.
This is even more true for coaches just starting out and building their coaching practice. There are so many marketing channels, how do you know where to target your marketing? Should you do blogs? Videoblogs? FB lives? FB ads? Instagram posts? Ads? What about Pinterest? Or Snapchat? Direct email marketing? The list is endless.
Blindly following what everyone else is saying you should be doing rarely works. A much better strategy is to start what I’m calling Strengths Based Marketing.
Simply put, Strengths Based Marketing is choosing marketing channels that highlight your own unique strengths.
If you are energized by working with others and your passion comes through when talking with others, consider giving a free class where you coach people live so people can see you at your best.
If you are a fantastic writer, and you love connecting through words, consider blog posts or deep Facebook posts where you can share your beautiful words.
If you love deep one on one connections, you could offer some free one on one coaching sessions to generate interest.
The possibilities are endless.
To start Strengths Based Marketing, follow this simple five-step process:
Step 1: Start with a Strong Program
This is foundational. If you don’t have a strong program to sell your coaching services (link to soul program design), you are actually going to struggle to market your business at all.
Step 2: Spot Your Strengths
Your strengths are what make you YOU. They are unique to you! No one else has your exact combination of gifts and talents.
Step 3: Find Your Folks
Know where your ideal clients are. You can choose a marketing channel based on one of your strengths, but if your people aren’t there you’ll miss the mark.
Step 4: Choose Your Channels
This is where the magic happens. Take a look at your program, your strengths, and keeping in mind where your people are, choose a couple of channels where you are going to focus your marketing efforts.
Step 5: Be You & Be Consistent
Whatever channel you choose, be authentically you. What makes you different, makes you YOU and it’s an automatic marketing differentiator. I don’t believe there’s a magic number how often you show up to your market, so pick what feels right to you initially, and stick with it. Consistency counts when you are building a business.
The best thing about Strengths Based Marketing is you are choosing marketing channels that highlight your strengths, let you shine and help your ideal clients find you.
And because we are drawn to what we are good at, your marketing can feel fun and light instead of something dreaded and heavy.
Doesn’t that sound like a perfect fit?
I recently hosted a free webinar on Strengths Based Marketing where I dove in deep on each of the five steps and shared stories about coaches using this marketing technique. If you are a coach and want to learn more, you can check out the One Size Fits One: Marketing to Your Strengths as part of the Confident Coach Connection Facebook group.
You can access the recording here.
If you would like help creating a unique coaching program that distills your essence and helps your ideal clients see you're the one to help them, contact me for a free, no obligation consultation call. We can chat to see how I could help you bring your work into the world and create a tangible product or service that’s fully in alignment with who you are and that you’ll love to market.