The mistake most coaches make when they first start marketing online is trying to do too much online. You have been told that you need to be in all the social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube. But it’s really not necessary and only leads to overwhelm. Most of the successful coaches focus on one area to market in, and they master marketing in that one area. And so can you.
I recommend that you build your social media platform gradually, so you don’t spend more time on this than you need to. Try out the different ones. Then when you see where most of your business comes from, you can spend more time on that site.
Let’s take LinkedIn. I get almost all of my business from LinkedIn. Here are some tips for using LinkedIn to get more than enough clients:
1) Create an attractive profile page: Carefully crafting your LI profile will ensure better rankings in the system and better results from your marketing efforts. When you fill in your profile, instead of using the default of “owner”, under title, type in keywords that describe you, such as “Success Business Coach, Best Selling Author,” or “Mentor to Holistic Health Coaches.”
In the description area, include the benefits of working with you and results people will see. You can include your keywords in this section. In the summary section, you can create a much longer version of your description but it still has a word limit. You can give a short bio and use keyword phrases when describing your services. Be sure to include a blurb about your opt-in gift and the link to it here.
2) Make connections: The beauty of connections in LinkedIn is that you have more connections possibilities because of the tiered structure. You make connections on the first tier by directly contacting people you know. People on the second tier are the connections of the people on your first tier. And those on your third tier are the connections of the people on your second tier. Can you see how your contacts can grow exponentially?
You’re allowed up to 3000 invitations to send out to potential contacts. You can search by names or search by keywords to find people to invite to connect with you. First check out their profile to make sure it’s a good match, then click on “Send Invitation.” Be sure to write a personal message in the box instead of using the default one. This is about building relationships not just gathering numbers.
You can go to your contacts’ profile and see who they are connected to—that’s your second tier. Then you can ask your first tier contacts to introduce you to your second tier contacts; and your second tier contacts to introduce you to your third tier contacts.
You will also be receiving invitations to connect from other people in LinkedIn. It’s best to check them out to make sure they are relevant to your business. Otherwise you may get contacts who just spam you with irrelevant posts. You also want to think about whether they are people who will benefit from your own posts.
3) Establish a presence: The best way to establish a presence is through LinkedIn groups. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50. The benefits of being in a LinkedIn group are that you can find more people to connect with, join in discussions, show your expertise by answering questions, and post content that encourages discussion and interaction to build your own network of colleagues, potential joint venture partners, and potential clients.
To find groups to join, search by keywords in the search box. LinkedIn will also have a section on the right side bar called “Groups you may like” is based on your preferences and profile information. I found most of my groups that way.
Then join in discussions and start building relationships. You can also promote your own events, like teleseminars, or launches to the entire group, but be sure to check the group rules first. And please note that group managers don’t like members who just post things and never contribute to the discussions.
Once you have a good number of connections, you can start your own group. As a group leader, you are seen as an authority, and this adds to your credibility. Positioning yourself as a leader enables you to drive more traffic to your site and your group can serve as a lead-generator. Most of the first members of my association came from my LinkedIn group.
With over 260 million LinkedIn users in over 200 countries, and over 2 million LinkedIn groups chances are very good that there are enough potential coaching clients for you just on that site. And the best part about using LinkedIn is that it’s all free.
So don’t make the mistake of trying to do too much online, especially in the social media sites. Pick one to start and get thoroughly comfortable with it before you add others.