Who Should Run Online Marketing for Your Coaching Business?
You probably already know that I’ve been running my own coaching business for awhile now (just over seven years). But did you know that for almost as many years, I was on the hunt for the perfect online marketing guru/partner to help me grow?
My reasoning was simple, I’m a coach not a marketing person.
Sound familiar?!
If so, this is an article you need to read…
The Ideal Online Marketing Partner
I’m going to hazard a guess that as coaches, we want pretty similar things in our online marketing person. Things like:
- Trust
- Understands our coaching approach
- Cares deeply about the success of our business and our clients
- Is personable
- Can help us gain new customers in an authentic way
- Doesn’t squeeze us into a one-size fits all approach, is flexible
- Knows lots about things we don’t want to spend our precious time on (e.g. websites, SEO, email lists, Twitter, Facebook and Teleseminars, Webinars, guest-posting, etc.)
(Anything else?)
Looking in the Right Place
After years of looking, meeting several marketing gurus who seemed to have all the answers, and trying out a few of their marketing systems, I never felt wholly good about the relationship. As it turned out this had more to do with me than with them.
What I eventually discovered is really quite silly (because I wasted so much time when the answer was staring me in the face the whole time) and wonderful (because thing is that after all these years of looking outside of myself for the answer, my best marketer turned out to be within). It’s me!
Time to Step Up
Because I couldn’t find the dream marketing person I was looking for, I finally threw in the towel and decided to actually learn some fundamentals of online marketing myself. When I did that, new and better things started happening in my coaching business:
- I started talking like the boss with a vision (no longer the lost lamb looking for someone to tell me how to run my business).
- Now, I clearly articulate my wishes to people I hire. I am comfortable to ask them for advice, but at the end of the day, I feel confident to call the shots.
- I get it! I see the potential of the online marketing machine and can leverage it to supercharge my coaching business.
I’m so grateful that I finally took the step and got educated!
For further reading check out:
9 Essential Technologies for Your Online Coaching Business
18 Comments
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Thank you very much, Benay, for your wonderful articles. I didn’t see it coming that you decided to do it yourself. As a new Relationship Coach I love your advice and business tools. I too had to step up and become a web designer for Matters of the Heart as I was not happy with the website I had had designed by a professional company. I also downloaded software that I could use to design ebook covers and facebook covers and I am doing the social media marketing for my own business. I love the web designing part and it gave me renewed motivation to go after what I wanted – not just leaving it to someone else.
Hi Deirdre. Thanks for sharing your experience. I recon if you keep going like this, you’ll eventually have to hand over to someone else becuse you’ll be too busy! But by then you’ll be so far down the path of what you want from your brand that you can easily call the shots.
Nice site and ebook cover too. Did you use Wix for your website? Any recommendations on software for designing covers?
-B
Hi Benay,
I too have been struggling with the marketing side of my coaching practice having just set up my company recently. This article was really helpful and timely as I had just begun to consider hiring someone to do it for me! There are so many advertising and marketing tools out there it’s difficult to know which ones will be effective for you! I can’t wait to hear about the lessons you have learnt and your advice on the basics and concepts!
Hi Lora – Very glad to hear this is timely for you. I’ll be covering high-level, must-haves in the series but if you have any specific questions realeted to your business, please feel free to email me! -B
Dear Benay,
Thank you for this timely topic and with your open manner and humility – it is refreshing.
I have recently sold one business and been training to become a certified coach and now starting the process of launching my own coaching business. My 3 main lines of delivery are seminars (to big audiences) groups and one to one.
I am right at the front end which means I am yet to have a web site. Client acquisition is obviously a key facet and I am currently looking at the outsourcing options such as a Guru mentor.
What do you say then to someone like me, whom knows precisely what my strengths are, what I excel in and so does not want to learn or do the items which are the tasks of the whole marketing and selling process of acquiring new clients?
I am deliberately distinguishing marketing from selling.
I want to outsource the ‘doing’ of the marketing via the use of internet strategies – the process for acquiring clients.
If I am left (as the best option) having to do it all myself will your ‘training’ be pointing me to the software required, the best place to get my web site and all the other steps necessary to be successful?
Thank you.
Hi John – Congrats on your sale and good luck with your new venture. In your position, as long as you understand and appreciate the high-level concepts behind Online Marketing, you can certainly outsource the doing. Be sure to get those foundations though. I’ve seen so many coaches give away money to people who promise the world but who know less than I do about online marketing (and I just know the basics). My series will certainly help you get your head around the concepts and like Lorna (above) if you have any specific questions, feel free to email me. Look forward to watching your success! B
One more thing for John… we are putting together a basic website package that will give a coach all they need for their online marketing (best systems etc). If you’re on our email list you’ll hear more about that in the new year but feel free to get in touch sooner if you’re interested. – B
Benay
Thank you so much for this. I AM a marketer and still have found that I was challenged with the same issues. Funny, I was like a dog with a bone for my clients, but not myself. You’ve just provided me the impetus to move forward on the changes my marketing needs now!
Thanks for that.
RoseAnn
I can so relate to your comment! Let’s move ahead!
RoseAnn – That is so good to hear. Look forward to seeing what action you decide to take as a result of your renewed inspiration! – B
Hi Benay, I love my marriage coaching business and I love marketing. I have learned that we must not only be a business owner, but that we must take our marketing in our own hands. It is a process that is the life of our online businesses. I, too searched for the perfect partner to help grow me and my business and I found that the one I could count on was me. I am self motivated and willing and ready to market my business. I spent a lot of money and most of what I got from that was what not to do! Experiences in business growth are vital to learning. I am looking forward to learning from your experiences for you are so relateable to us as business owner coaches. Thank you Benay for being a great model for us!
Thanks for sharing a bit of your story Debbie. We really do need to learn the basics. I bet you are familiar with this idea – Everything is easy… once you know how to do it! -B 😉
Thank you Benay. I am totally lost about marketing. I am new coach so all of this is new to me. Your articles and advice have saved me a lot of headaches and probably painful mistakes. Bless you for being willing to share. I am a Spiritual Coach, Grief/Loss, and Life Purpose Expert. Your material have been a life saver and I have purchased all your products except the office software which I plan to invest into next year.
Hi Aurora – Thank you for the kind words. I’m so greatful to be able to help coaches like you do the work you are doing! Keep spreading the positive energy! Look forward to seeing you on Life Coach Office Next year. – B
Hi Benay,
I’ve come to realize that I need branding and started out doing just that but am not sure of how to discuss ‘money’ telephonically when people respond to my advertisement.
As it is my goal to get the majority of callers across me eyeball to eyeball, It is my belief that I will either gain or lose a client if the telephone part is not perfect. Any suggestions as to how I can perfect that part
Kind regards
Bets
Hi Bets. Thank you for sharing.
Have you tried the ‘Prospect to Client Script’ in our Coaching Starter Kit?
It’s based on the idea that you need to help the client to identify what is missing in his/her life, realize that you have the solution to the problem and then ask for the business – that’s the abridged version, of course. 😉
Mix that with your own confidence in your ability to guide the client to a solution and your conversion (to paying customers) should be wonderful.
Keep me posted! -B
I recommend Benay’s Coaching Starter Kit. It was the perfect template and teaching that I needed to be able to close a sale Every time a client calls me, I close the sale. Love the simplicity of the teaching and the rewards that followed putting the teaching into action.
That is a really nice idea. I’ve been thinking about the same stuff and I’m glad I am not the only person who has the idea.