2011: A Year for Coaches, Part 3

Marketing a coaching business in 2011 is all about networking – online and in person. Marketing yourself as a coach does include several components: demonstrate your expertise, make it easy to find you, offer information (content is king,) and build relationships.

So let’s make this easy for coaches and consider options for each.
* Demonstrate your expertise:
o Write articles and publish them online.
o Submit guest columns to publications that your target market reads.
o Blog – as a guest on other blogs or start your own.
o Write white papers, eBooks, a chapter in a book, or write a book.

* Make it easy to find you
o Websites are a basic must – optimize it for search engines with page titles, keywords, meta descriptions, and content that matches and is unique for each page
o Business cards and brochures for networking and speaking to professional membership groups
o Create a profile on LinkedIn, link with your contacts, join discussion groups that interest your target market, and participate.
o Open a Facebook page and friend people – post ideas regularly.
o Start a twitter account and follow your contacts, people you know, colleagues, and potential clients. Send tweets that provide value.

* Offer Information
o Provide great content on your website that offers value to prospective clients.
o Produce a free newsletter with information your target market values.
o Link your articles and blog posts to your website and social media accounts.
o Speak to professional membership groups.
o Give webinars or workshops.
o Consider offering a free 30-minute coaching session for the experience.

* Build Relationships
o Connect with your colleagues and contacts regularly.
o Email your online connections and start a personal conversation.
o Volunteer.
o Find out how you can help others and do it.

Make your marketing easy with great strategies and reminders to yourself of what to do when – click here for information and to register for a FREE webinar, Results Based Marketing, on Thursday, Jan. 13, with Marketing Consultant Kimberly Deas.