In fact, I’d argue that social media is a huge distraction unless it’s used in conjunction with other marketing strategies we teach here at The ConnectedCoach Academy.
TL;DR? Social media is just part of the story.
You don’t need to be a social media master or influencer to grow your coaching business.
What you really need is to master the art of being consistent.
Collect emails, make compelling offers, convert your email list, and deliver an amazing experience within CoachNow to keep people coming back.
Do you want a Social Media presence? Yes.
But I’m consistently surprised by how many coaches pour inordinate effort into social media in lieu of even having a basic functioning marketing website. That’s a huge mistake.
It’s much more important to have a website, basic email list, and a simple “lead magnet.” If you have to choose to spend time on these basic marketing functions OR social media, I’d take the former any day.
In the Level 1 ConnectedCoach Blueprint, we cover exactly how you can quickly set these marketing engines up. If you haven’t taken the course, please check it out. It’s actually included with all CoachNow PRO memberships (as will Level 2 when it releases later this year), so there’s no excuse.
The TL;DR of that course is instilling a deep understanding and actionable path to crafting a compelling “hook, story, and offer.” You can read more on this topic at this link. To summarize: you need to clearly showcase who you are and who you help in a place that potential athletes can find at any time.
Don’t get me wrong. Social media can play a helpful part in all of this. But social media should only mirror what you’ve already said in your website, YouTube channel, or email messaging.
Use social media to connect with new people and get them to act. Your goal should be to take them off of social media as quickly as possible.
How do you do that? Get their email address.
How do you get their email address? Give them something they value in exchange. In fancy marketing lingo, this is called a “lead magnet.”
This could be an eBook, a free video, a consulting call, a curated weekly newsletter… It honestly could be whatever fits your business best. The key is offering something your ideal prospective clients find valuable.
The trick here is to get their email so you can bring them into your universe… and keep them there. Because then YOU control the relationship and you can keep your brand top of mind, away from the endless distractions of social feeds and ads.
Because let’s face it. The odds of someone seeing your content in a curated fashion is incredibly low if you are competing with the world on an algorithmic social feed.
Social media algorithms are a brutal beas. These feeds are outrageously competitive and pricey to keep up with.
You’ll get buried in no time.
But with an email database? You have a direct line to them. You can control HOW you message them and exactly WHEN to deliver what you want them to see.
Of course, they always have the ability to unsubscribe… But I promise that before they do that they’ll, at minimum, have a very good sense of what you’re doing. You’ll still be someone they think of when the time is right for them to invest in a coach.
Industry standards for open rates hover between 10-20%. From there you just do some simple math. Run a consistent weekly newsletter (like ours), throw in a few limited time sales, and see what happens.
I encourage you to try building and engaging with your email list for a few months and see how much you can grow your coaching business. The results might surprise you.
Ok.
So far we’ve covered the importance of using social media to get potential customers off social media and into your wheelhouse via email. What’s next?
Uplevel your communication within CoachNow. Get as many people as possible into a CoachNow Space to follow what you do.
The more educational content you deliver in CoachNow, the better your relationship is going to be. Remember, if you are a CoachNow+ or PRO member, you have the ability to add an unlimited number of people to an unlimited number of Spaces and/or Groups.
Use this to your advantage.
When someone is added to your email list, set up a simple automated message that confirms their enrollment. And in that message, provide the link to access your e.g. “Free Content” Group in CoachNow.
Set up the group to your liking (using advanced Group Controls of CoachNow PRO), add some killer content, and you’re off to the races.
And CoachNow is a huge step up from email because it’s completely algorithm free (no more distractions), and allows you to display all types of rich media in a way that you simply can’t in email.
Specifically, VIDEO CONTENT is much easier to view and interact with in CoachNow. Email is still incredibly archaic in this way: most of the time video files are too big and require you to upload to YouTube or some other external link which takes time and creates unnecessary distractions.
And the best part about using CoachNow? You’re now in their pocket. You have the ability to send them push notifications directly.
I could go on and on. But I’ll keep this relatively short.
You opened this article because you wanted to know where to begin with Social Media. The direction I took might of surprised you, but here’s my advice, boiled down to 3 easy steps:
- You don't have to be a social media guru, but you do need a presence. In my experience, coaches vastly overestimate the importance of social media.. Use it for organic content (NOT ads), and stick to platforms where your content doesn’t disappear overnight (e.g. YouTube, Instagram).
- All Social Media should act as a funnel to an email list. Get their email address in exchange for something they value.
- Once you’ve got their email, consistently deliver valuable content so they build a relationship with you and your brand. Then, when the time is right, make them a compelling offer and get them into CoachNow.
Then it's just a matter of iterating and dialing in on your messaging until it’s perfect.
And that’s that! Hope this was helpful.
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Talk soon.
P.S. Like this content? Hate this content? Think we’re missing a topic in our growing content library? Submit any and all feedback at this link. We read every submission – don’t be shy!
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