Author: Ruta Barlote

marketing

The ultimate guide to content marketing for coaches and consultants: A/B Testing part VI

April 28, 2023 (updated February 21, 2024) Published by

How A/B Testing Can Benefit Your Marketing Strategy

  • Understand your target audience. When you see what types of emails, headlines, and other features your audience responds to best, you better understand who your audience is and what they want.
  • Higher conversion rates. A/B testing is the single most effective way to increase your conversion rates. It gives you actionable data that can help you streamline the conversion process.
  • Stay on top of emerging trends. Predicting what type of content, images, or other features people will respond to is complex. Conducting regular A/B tests helps you stay ahead of the ever-changing consumer behaviour.
  • Reduce bounce rates. A/B testing in marketing allows testing different variations of websites or marketing elements to identify which ones resonate with the audience and reduce bounce rates by improving engagement.

 

One version will be your «control» group—the version you already use (A). The second version changes a single element, emphasising the amount—SINGLE (B).

 

How Do You Plan an A/B Test?

A/B testing is a whole process, so first, you must decide what you want to be A/B testing.

You can test:

  • headlines
  • CTA text
  • CTA location
  • pop-up’s
  • featured images
  • copy
  • the number of fields in a form
  • buttons

 

The next step is deciding whether to do an Onsite or Offsite test. Onsite tests look at the sales-related aspects of your website for weaknesses. With the offsite test, you’re examining elements such as advertising or sales emails.

 

Pro tip: Once you know your test subject, it’s time to assign variables. Once you understand what marketing material you want to A/B test, list all the variables. If you’ve decided to test your CTA, it’s worth testing:

  • the location
  • the exact text used
  • the button colour or surrounding space

 

After figuring out what and how you will A/B test and picking one of running an onsite or offsite test, it’s time to make a Checklist.

 

A/B Testing Checklist.

Before you start testing, make sure you have a clear idea of the results you’re looking for. You should already know your expected result, which is the results you’re currently getting. You want to know that whichever one does better in the test is also doing better than your current results.

Alternatively, you can use A as your control (leaving whatever you’re currently using) and then use something new for B.

A/B tests must be run simultaneously so there are no variations caused by different timing. You can’t test one variation today and the other tomorrow because you can’t factor in any variables that might have changed between now and then. The results would then be inconclusive and not viable.

Here’s your A/B testing checklist for your first test:

  1. Decide what feature you want to test.
  2. Create two versions of the same ad, landing page, app, etc.
  3. Decide how long your test will run.
  4. Choose a testing tool to help you run your test (more on that later).
  5. Launch A/B test!
  6. After your chosen period has passed, compare the results.
  7. Repeat. A/B testing is most effective when done continually.

 

Top Elements to Test Using A/B Testing

You can test virtually anything in your marketing materials or website: headlines, CTAs, body copy, images, navigation bar placement, etc. If you can change it, you can test it!

On your website, this likely includes:

  • the headline
  • your CTA
  • any graphic you use in direct correlation to your sales efforts
  • the sales copy or product descriptions
  • featured image
  • button size and placement

In an email, you can test the title, images, links, CTAs, or segmenting options.

In a paid ad, especially a text ad (like a search ad), you have fewer things to change, so you can test the main headline, the offer, the image, or the targeting.

 

Can I Test More than One Thing at a Time?

There are two approaches to this question.

Say you want to test your headline but have three possible variations. In that case, running a single test and splitting your visitors (or recipients in the case of an email) into three groups instead of two is reasonable and would still be considered an A/B test.

This is more efficient than running three tests (A vs. B, B vs. C, and A vs. C). It would be best to give your test an extra couple of days to run so you have enough results to see what works.

Testing more than one thing at a time, such as headlines and calls to action, is called a multi-variate test and is more complicated to run.

You’ll also need to consider how your systems can handle split tests and have staff on hand who can analyse multiple results and compile the data into digestible amounts.

Multi-variate testing puts much more on your plate at once: but you shouldn’t necessarily avoid it. If you have the proper procedures to handle the extra workload, go ahead – but if you want a more straightforward approach, one A/B test at a time is just fine.

 

Summary

A/B testing is a powerful tool that can help businesses understand their target audience and increase conversion rates by changing a single element in their marketing materials. To plan an A/B test, you should first decide what you want to test, such as headlines, CTAs, featured images, or copy. You must then choose whether to conduct an onsite or offsite test and create a checklist to ensure that the test is run simultaneously and the results are reliable.

You can test virtually anything in your marketing materials or website, including headlines, body copy, images, and navigation bar placement. Testing more than one thing at a time is possible but requires extra effort and resources. Overall, A/B testing is a continuous process that can help businesses stay on top of emerging trends and consumer behaviour. Good luck with your testing!

Our marketing and coaching professionals community can help you take your marketing to the next level. Sign up for Expert Circle today to learn more about marketing and get expert content creation and promotion tips. Join now and start connecting with like-minded individuals and learning from the best.

 

marketing

The ultimate guide to content marketing for coaches and consultants: How to choose the right Call-To-Action part V

April 27, 2023 (updated February 21, 2024) Published by

Here are the key points we will discuss today:

  • Purpose of CTA’s
  • Effective use of CTA’s for your offer
  • How to choose the correct CTA based on your audience’s needs
  • Where to direct your audience with your CTA’s

Now that you know your offer and the keywords you’d like to rank for that relate to that offer, it’s time to determine the Calls To Action (CTA) you’ll share in your content.

CTAs and content marketing

Regarding content marketing, the ultimate goal is to drive traffic to your offer and ultimately make a sale. However, it can be overwhelming to determine the best way to get your audience to take action. That’s where CTA’s come in.

A CTA is a short piece of content that directs your audience to a specific next step. This step could be anything from visiting a sales page to signing up for a webinar. A CTA aims to increase engagement and position your offer as the solution to a problem your audience already knows they have.

To effectively use CTAs, it’s essential to identify the right keywords relevant to your offer. People use these words or phrases when searching for products or services related to what you offer. Once you have identified these keywords, you can choose the suitable CTA to drive traffic to your offer.

When marketing an offer in your content, you can:

  • Send your audience straight to a sales page;
  • Direct them to a landing page that allows them to opt-in to a webinar/newsletter, etc.;
  • Add a link that leads them to an application process, opt-in;
  • Have them download something valuable for free that leads to → an email sequence → that leads to a sales page and, ultimately →, a sale.
  • Send them to a Facebook group or Instagram where you do live videos—promote yourself with valuable content.

We will discuss the points above in more depth in just a minute.

Regardless of the CTA you choose, know that the purpose of a call to action is increased engagement and to position you and your offer as the next step to something your audience already knows they want and need.

During this time, it’s important to remind your audience of THEIR fears, objections, and myths to ease their mindset and show them why your offer answers their problems.

 

Below are some of the most impactful CTAs that have been proven to yield the best results and can be incorporated into your content marketing plan

 

Send your audience straight to a sales page

This is the most direct way to drive traffic to your offer. Ensure your sales page is compelling and highlights the benefits of your offer. Use the relevant keywords in your sales page so that it appears in the search results when people search for those keywords.

 

Direct them to a landing page that allows them to opt-in to a webinar or newsletter

This is a great way to build your email list and establish yourself as an authority in your niche. Use the relevant keywords in your landing page so that it appears in the search results when people search for those keywords.

 

Add a link that leads them to an application process or opt-in

This is a good option if you have a high-ticket offer and want to pre-qualify potential buyers. Use the relevant keywords in your application process or opt-in so that it appears in the search results when people search for those keywords.

Have them download something valuable for free that leads to an email sequence

This can be a lead magnet such as an eBook or a checklist. Use the relevant keywords in your lead magnet so that it appears in the search results when people search for those keywords. Once they opt in, you can send them a series of emails that ultimately lead to a sales page.

Direct them to a Facebook group or Instagram where you do live videos

This is a great way to build a community and establish yourself as an authority. Make sure to use the relevant keywords in your social media posts to appear in the search results when people search for those keywords.

Whatever CTA you select, it’s important to remind your audience of their fears, objections, and myths to ease their mindset and show them why your offer answers their problems. You can do this through storytelling, social proof, and highlighting the benefits of your offer.

Summary

It’s essential to identify the right keywords relevant to your offer and choose the suitable CTA based on your audience’s needs. The article also provides examples of effective CTAs, including sending your audience straight to a sales page, directing them to a landing page that allows them to opt-in to a webinar or newsletter, or directing them to a Facebook group or Instagram where you do live videos. By following these strategies, you can effectively use CTAs to drive traffic to your offer and ultimately make a sale.

 

content marketing

The ultimate guide to content marketing for coaches and consultants: Core principles of keyword importance in marketing and coaching part IV

April 19, 2023 (updated February 21, 2024) Published by

Keywords play a crucial role in any marketing and coaching strategy. They are the words and phrases people use to search for products or services related to your offer. By identifying the right keywords and incorporating them into your content, you can increase your visibility in search engine results and attract more potential customers.

Let’s examine the core principles of keyword importance in marketing and coaching below:

  1. Relevance: An essential principle of keyword selection is relevance. You want to choose keywords that accurately reflect what you offer and that people are actually searching for. Using relevant keywords increases your chances of attracting the right audience and driving traffic to your website.
  2. Search Volume: You want to choose keywords with a high search volume, meaning that many people are searching for those keywords. This increases your visibility in search engine results and can lead to more traffic to your website.
  3. Competition: You want to choose keywords with low competition, meaning few other websites are targeting those keywords. This makes it easier for your website to rank higher in search engine results and attract more traffic.
  4. Long-Tail Keywords: The fourth principle of keyword selection is using long-tail keywords. People use longer, more specific phrases to search for particular products or services. While they may have a lower search volume, they often have lower competition and can attract more targeted traffic to your website.
  5. Continual Research and Optimization: The final principle of keyword importance is continual research and optimization. Keyword trends and search habits can change over time, so it’s essential to regularly review and update your keyword strategy to ensure that it’s still effective.

 

Researching for the best keywords for SEO involves a few essential steps.

Here’s a guide to help you get started:
  • Brainstorm Potential Keywords: Start by brainstorming a list of keywords that are relevant to your business, product, or service. This could include industry-specific terms, product names, or common search phrases. Consider what your potential customers might search for when looking for your product or service.
  • Use Keyword Research Tools: Once you have a list of potential keywords, use keyword research tools to gather data on their search volume, competition, and relevance. Many free and paid tools are available, such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz Keyword Explorer. These tools can help you find related keywords, suggest variations, and know how often people search for each term.
  • Analyze Competitor Keywords: Look at the keywords your competitors use in their content and website metadata. This can give you insight into what is working for them and where there may be opportunities for your keyword strategy.
  • Consider Long-Tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases people use to search for particular products or services. While they may have a lower search volume, they often have lower competition and can attract more targeted traffic to your website. Consider adding long-tail keywords to your list to capture more specific search intent.
  • Refine Your List: After gathering data and analyzing your competitors, refine your list of keywords to focus on the most relevant, high-volume, and low-competition terms. Prioritize those most likely to drive traffic and conversions for your business.
  • Monitor and Adjust: Remember that keyword trends and search habits can change over time. It’s crucial to monitor your keyword strategy regularly and adjust as needed. Pay attention to changes in search volume, competition, and your website’s search engine rankings to determine if your keyword strategy needs tweaking.

 

It’s crucial to prioritize relevance, search volume, competition, and long-tail keywords when refining your list. By adhering to these principles, you can conduct thorough keyword research to optimize your website for search engine visibility and attract your ideal audience. Remember to regularly update your strategy to stay on top of changes in search habits and ensure optimal results.

Our marketing and coaching professionals community can help you take your marketing to the next level. Sign up for Expert Circle today to learn more about marketing and get expert content creation and promotion tips. Join now and start connecting with like-minded individuals and learning from the best.

 

content marketing

The ultimate guide to content marketing for coaches and consultants: Marketing Strategies part III

April 13, 2023 (updated February 21, 2024) Published by

In today’s digital landscape, where search engines are pivotal in connecting businesses with their ideal clients, understanding how to choose and utilize keywords effectively is crucial. By leveraging the right keywords, companies can optimize their content to appear in search results and attract their target audience.

There are six main media search engines: LinkedIn, Google, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram — each with its unique audience and content consumption patterns. This article will explore the importance of keyword research, repurposing content across different platforms, and the value of long-form blog posts in improving search engine rankings. Choose Your Keywords

 

Search Engines

There are six major media search engines in today’s digital landscape, each distinct from the others:

  • LinkedIn
  • Google
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Every day your ideal client goes to one of these search engines trying to find answers to their questions and solutions to their problems.

The text they put in the search bar is called keywords or long-tail keywords, and once they hit enter, content comes up.

YOU WANT TO BE THAT CONTENT!

To begin, you must look at the end result of your offer promises. Brainstorm all the different concepts and topics your ideal client must know to achieve the result you promise to deliver. Then start finding keywords and creating content. Utilize these keywords in your content.

Searchable content

Simply put, you can use the same script and upload it to two or more platforms in different formats. Add in some graphics where possible.
Why? Because the people who are reading a Tweet and watching a YouTube video or scrolling through their LinkedIn are typically different audiences who like to consume their content differently. That way, you’ll be hitting “two birds with one stone” by repurposing the same script on different platforms.

Pay attention to good keywords. A little research goes a long way. Just Google: keyword research tool — it will come back with millions of hits, and choose the one you prefer.

Long-form blog posts

Type any keyword in Google for your industry. Chances are the results are long-form posts, cornerstone, or epic posts; meaning they are at over 1,500 words at least. Long and informative posts rank highest because they help Google understand what you do, and your audience understands the topic you’re an expert on.

Although to rank in search engines, you need to blog regularly; you also need to make sure that the vital content on your website is:

  • Written content. As advanced as AI is today, most search engines still need help understanding other media accurately.
  • Write guides and step-by-step posts that help your audience understand who you are and what you do and help Google explore all the aspects of your industry that you deal with.
  • Search engines track the amount of time people spend on your site. The longer they stay—the better it will rank. Investing in engaging visuals or infographics that turn scanners into readers via visual stimulation is crucial.

Summary

Target keywords: Keywords are critical for your content creation efforts. Research and use relevant and high-performing keywords that your potential clients are searching for on platforms like LinkedIn, Google, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Repurpose your content: Different audiences prefer different content formats. Repurpose your content across platforms using the same script to reach a wider audience and increase engagement.

Create long-form blog posts: Long-form blog posts with in-depth information over 1,500 words can improve your search engine rankings and establish your expertise in your field.

Use written content and visuals: Written content, such as guides and step-by-step posts, is crucial for search engines to understand your content. Enhance user engagement with visually stimulating elements like infographics.

Keep visitors engaged: Keeping visitors on your website for longer can positively impact your search engine rankings. Use exciting visuals or infographics to convert scanners into readers and potential clients.

 

By effectively choosing and utilizing keywords, repurposing content, creating long-form blog posts, and incorporating visually stimulating elements, you can optimize your content for search engines and improve your chances of attracting your ideal clients. Act now and watch your online presence soar!

Our marketing and coaching professionals community can help you take your marketing to the next level. Sign up for Expert Circle today to learn more about marketing and get expert content creation and promotion tips. Join now and start connecting with like-minded individuals and learning from the best.

content marketing

The ultimate guide to content marketing for coaches and consultants: Marketing Strategies part II

April 6, 2023 (updated February 21, 2024) Published by

When it comes to promoting your products or services, Audience Engagement Strategies and building relationships with your target audience is key. One effective way to do this is through various interactive strategies that encourage participation and interaction. In this article, we will explore seven different strategies that can help you connect with your audience and promote your coaching services or products.

  1. Questions

Ask your audience questions related to what you do. You can also touch on topics that are connected to your target audience. Make it simple to answer.

 For example: what’s the hardest thing about staying true to a healthy regimen? [my love for deep-fried food] or [being too lazy to exercise regularly] 

Questions like this will help you to break the ice easier and start a conversation. More importantly, you will build relationships in a fun and honest, get-to-know-you way.

  1. Surveys

  • Regularly Ask your audience Yes/No questions about what you do. 
  • For example: Did you ever wish to be a personal trainer: [Yes/No]
  • Regularly Ask them to enter your area-related polls. 
  • Stay consistent!

  1. Freebie giveaways

When I say freebies, it doesn’t necessarily have to be material things.

People you engage with over Messenger and Stories feel like they have a relationship with you. They are not simply another one of your followers or clients.

  1. Hold a masterclass

People are looking for programs that can help them make significant changes, and a masterclass specifically targeting a large problem they are having is just what they are craving. A masterclass is also the perfect way to filter potential clients for your 1-on-1 or group coaching services. 

Be sure to record any class so that it is ready to go if you send replays and put them on Evergreen later!

 Pro tip: Make sure to offer deals and promote your coaching services so they know where to go when the masterclass ends. 

  1. Offer free training on your social media platforms

Now, first things first, remember, this isn’t just a gift you’re posting in your Facebook group and forgetting about. 

Any freebie is meant to serve as a lead magnet, a product or service that helps nurture your client and guide them towards some of your more extensive, paid programs.

Providing free training on your expertise is a marketing strategy that will always be around. Offering simple training sessions that give potential clients an idea of your value and how they can work with you will help grow your brand visibility.

You can afford to give this info out for free because you’re confident it will attract more paid clients to your products. To do this, you want to make sure there’s a clear call to action (CTA) at the end of the training and that the info ties back to the program you want to promote

  1. Collaborate with other people in your field

Don’t limit yourself to doing training in your backyard. Presenting on other people’s platforms is a great way to broaden your exposure to potential clients and extend your reach.

Lean into other business owners with thriving Facebook groups and online communities to see if they’d be willing to host your training session on their Facebook or IG live.

Frequently, it’s best to offer to host that business owner on your social channels as well so that both parties feel the deal is worth it. Collaboration over competition.

This is also a fantastic way to make some great connections by having the courage to bring partnership proposals and affiliate partnerships, and find like-minded peers in your business community! 

While we’re on the collaboration topic, I would also like to touch on doing giveaways. This combines two things people love: free stuff and the thrill of winning! 

You can either do a straightforward giveaway with a simple mode of entry — like following you on Instagram, tagging a friend, and commenting — or you can make it into a collaboration with a fellow business owner. 

Pro tip: Be vigilant that you’re teaming up with a non-competitive person, so sure that your programs and offerings and theirs won’t collide. 

  1. Create a referral program

One of the best ways to promote your products is to get others to do it for you. By setting up a rewards-based referral program, you can have your clients spread the word about your products & services for you, and you don’t even have to lift a finger!

  • A rewards-based referral program means your audience is rewarded when they refer a paying customer to your products. The reward part is super important because that’s what the people are doing it for.
    Discounting a program or service is the most common reward because it helps make your programs more accessible and will people who might not otherwise enrol in the program or service. 
  • Scalable Reward: if a client brings in 5 people, they get 20% off; if they bring in 10 people, they get 30% off, etc. 

 

Summary

Questions: Asking your audience questions related to your niche or target audience can help break the ice and start a conversation. Simple questions that are easy to answer can help you get to know your audience better and build relationships in a fun and honest way.

Surveys: Regularly asking your audience Yes/No questions or conducting polls related to your expertise can help you gather valuable insights and engage with your audience. Staying consistent with surveys can help you understand your audience’s preferences and needs.

Freebie Giveaways: Offering freebies, which can be material or non-material items, can create a sense of relationship and engagement with your audience. Providing value through freebies can help nurture your audience and guide them towards your paid products or services.

Hold a Masterclass: Hosting a masterclass that addresses a specific problem or challenge your audience may have is a great way to provide value and filter potential clients for your coaching services. Recording the masterclass can also allow you to repurpose the content in the future.

Offer Free Training on Social Media: Providing free training sessions on your expertise via social media platforms can increase your brand visibility and showcase the value you have to offer. Including a clear call to action (CTA) at the end of the training can guide potential clients towards your paid programs.

Collaborate with Peers: Collaborating with other business owners in your field, such as hosting each other’s training sessions or doing giveaways together, can expand your reach and help you connect with like-minded peers. Just be sure to collaborate with non-competitive partners to avoid conflicting programs or offerings.

Create a Referral Program: Setting up a rewards-based referral program can incentivize your audience to spread the word about your products or services. Offering discounts or scalable rewards can encourage your clients to refer paying customers to your programs or services.

 

By implementing these strategies, you can engage with your audience, provide value, and promote your coaching services or products in a meaningful and effective way.

If you want to learn more about marketing and get expert content creation and promotion tips, sign up for Expert Circle today. Our community of marketing professionals can help you take your marketing to the next level. Join now and start connecting with like-minded individuals and learning from the best.

content marketing

The ultimate guide to content marketing for coaches and consultants: Marketing Strategies part I

April 5, 2023 (updated February 21, 2024) Published by

Introduction to series

Content marketing can be a powerful tool in your arsenal if you’re a coach or consultant looking to attract and retain clients. By creating and promoting valuable content, you can position yourself as an expert in your field, build trust with your audience, and drive profitable customer action. However, getting started with content marketing can be daunting, especially if you’re new to the field. That’s why we’ve put together this blog series to help you get started with content marketing and take your business to the next level. Over the course of this series, we’ll cover a range of topics, including identifying your target audience, choosing the suitable content format, developing a content strategy, promoting your content, and measuring your results. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, there’s something here for everyone. So, buckle up, and let’s dive into the world of content marketing for coaches and consultants.

This article series will discuss marketing strategies for content marketing, which is defined as creating and promoting valuable content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience. The series will provide you with insights on how to focus on specific topics that provide value to the audience, such as careers, health, money, relationships, or survival. 

Before we dive into our strategies, for those who are new, let me pull out the definition of content marketing.

«Content Marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating, distributing, and promoting valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience – ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.»

Topics

Sitting down and pulling together ideas, words, images, and videos into articles, blogs, or posts that people will enjoy is often tricky, especially for first-timers (I found it very difficult initially to get my “thought flow”). 

Think of it as sharing valuable, insightful, and inspirational content or giving good, fact-based advice to a close friend, thus creating impact and transformation in people’s lives through that message. 

If you’re thinking about writing on any general topic, heed the warning—it will be challenging because you can end up writing endlessly. You get overloaded with ideas and lost in the never-ending jumble of information and connections topics make. The content is fantastic, but too much going on-and-on about the same thing, which is not good. Get clear about the exact problem! 

Make sure your content always comes back to value for the client. Make it worth their while reading your content.

In case you’re just starting, or you’re struggling with choosing what to write about, significant value for clients includes areas such as:

  • Careers, work, leadership.
  • Health, wellness.
  • Money, finances, and security.
  • Relationships, dating, love.
  • Survival, meaning, fulfilment.

Whichever area you practice or choose to practice in, remember that consistency is the gateway to successful content marketing.

Your Offer

Determine The Offer You Plan to Drive Traffic to and Sell.  

Think about what offer you want to interact with your clients. Are you looking to:

  • Enrol 1-on-1 clients. 
  • Give a paid online course broken down into multiple series.
  • Host a group coaching program.

Choosing an offer to focus on is crucial because it will affect your calls to action (CTA; more on that later) and what your content will be leading up to. It sets the tone for the entire structure.

Once you know which offer you’re focusing on driving traffic to, you can work backwards and develop content topics and themes that relate to your offer. 

The idea behind this is to start planting that thought of your upcoming offer in potential clients’ minds and positioning yourself as your audience’s coach. Your content and education will become the bridge between their fears. And whatever you have is the solution to their problems. So, by the time they’re ready to act, they know whom to turn to.

Summary

Choose an offer to focus on, such as enrolling clients or hosting a coaching program and developing content topics and themes related to the offer. The goal is to plant the idea of the upcoming offer in potential clients’ minds and position oneself as their coach, with the content serving as the bridge between their fears and the solution to their problems.

 

coach

Content as a lead magnet for Coaches

March 30, 2023 (updated February 21, 2024) Published by

While we touched on this in my last article, «How to position yourself as a coach?» it bears repeating. As you’ve probably already noticed, there are countless coaches and consultants out there, all trying to sell their services.

So many coaches, not just yourself, feel that growing their business with content creation and marketing is like tilting at windmills. You start to feel like no matter how much content you produce, more is needed, and it’s never good enough. This article will help you avoid fear, doubt, procrastination, and disappointment later down the line if you get stuck, uncertain, and frustrated about content creation.

Find your ACE

Your prerogative is to find what sets you apart and makes you a valuable find for your potential clients. And when you hit on the correct difference, even if it’s a minor thing, it might be THE difference that makes you stand out in the sea of other coaches and consultants.

Once you land on what makes you different, it’s time to create content that highlights that distinction, emphasises your expertise and inspires you to create content that sparks conversation.

You want the content to speak to your audience, immediately addressing their most pressing problems. Your ideal customer wants solid results that sound obtainable and desirable.

Think about your content as a service to your audience. So, every bit of content you put out needs to have just one goal—service! Put your ego, brand and self-promotion aside, and think of it as sharing valuable, insightful, and inspirational content with others and how you will create impact and transformation in people’s lives through that message.

Rock solid, unique and compelling title

Some experts say you should spend as much time choosing a title as you do writing the piece. The title determines whether anyone even reads what you wrote in the first place.

Start off strong

Make the first sentence or two of every podcast, article, post or blog powerful and engaging. They won’t keep reading if it doesn’t grab their attention—it’s as simple as that. This is where you want to use controversy or say something unexpected because it’s a proven fact that you have 3 seconds to convince them with this one sentence that it will be worth their time. 

Since it’s so easy to get overwhelmed and lose consistency in using any media platform, or if you are suffering from “writer’s block” about what to share with your audience, consider these quick and simple content ideas to help you speed up content creation and start connecting with your followers faster. 

Easy-to-digest list of topics

I have compiled an easy-to-digest list of topics that are relatively easy-breezy to assemble from some unpublished draft content you already most likely have lying around that you can talk about on your content platform:

  • Share who your ideal client is and how you can help them;
  • Share your story;
  • Share a client testimonial or transformation;
  • Share your credentials or accomplishments;
  • Share what makes you unique or an expert in your industry;
  • Share your high-value lead magnet;
  • Share your industry-related statistic;
  • Highlight a problem and a quick tip to solve it;
  • Share your signature coaching program;
  • Share who (as a client) is not a good fit for your program;
  • Share a mindset shift to help your ideal client;
  • Share your unique take on a current event or trend;
  • Share the #1 mistake your perfect client is making;
  • Share the #1 FAQ you receive and your answer;
  • Address the #1 sales objection of your ideal client;
  • Share your signature coaching framework, formula, or strategy;
  • Share a list of positive habits or daily tasks (people want to get to know you);
  • Share a list of helpful books, tools, or resources (with personalised review); 
  • Share a list of things your ideal client should start or stop doing;
  • Share or encourage user-generated content;
  • Share a powerful and relatable quote;
  • Share a quick how-to guide or strategy;
  • Call out what’s holding your client back;
  • Share your vision of success for your ideal client;
  • Share an encouraging message for your ideal client;
  • Mention a thought leader you admire;
  • Share the causes or nonprofits you care about;
  • Ask your ideal client a powerful question or share a statement to fill in the blanks;
  • Create a challenge or series;
  • Share a relevant reminder with action steps.

    Share behind-the-scenes or unique content: 

  • How you structure your day plus your habits and routines.
  • A peek at upcoming projects you’re working on.
  • Who each member of your team is and what they do.
  • Your friends, family members, or pets.
  • Your hobbies and interests.
  • Personal goals, milestones, or accomplishments.
  • How you celebrate different occasions or holidays.
  • Fun facts about you that only a few people know about.
  • An event you attended.
  • Things that inspire you.
  • Things you’re grateful for.
  • Things you couldn’t live without.
  • Your favourite everyday personal or business tools.
  • Something you’re struggling with and how you’re working on it.
  • Something that recently made you smile, laugh, cry, or feel excited.

Summary

In conclusion, content creation for coaches and consultants can be simple. But doing your research and positioning your content well can go a long way in establishing your brand and connecting with the right audience. So take the time to seriously consider the points we’ve discussed here. Go through each one and see how it fits into your brand. 

You should decide this week which kind of content you would be most comfortable starting with. If you write a blog, you can start sharing your content here with the Expert Circle community. It’s the perfect, safe space for you to ask your questions and post your content, articles, and stories about your progress, pains, obstacles and overcoming them. 

Sign up today, it’s free, and give yourself the benefit of being a click away from professional individuals who are always here to support you along the way, whatever the journey is!

And be sure to let us know how it goes!

 

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How to Write Case Studies as a Coach

March 30, 2023 (updated March 8, 2024) Published by

What is a Case Study? A Powerful Tool to Showcase Your Coaching Success

A case study serves as concrete evidence that your coaching product works and yields tangible results. These real-world success stories are an excellent way to attract more business and can mean the difference between a lost opportunity and a successful end-of-quarter. Whether your product consists of coaching courses in the form of books or one-on-one coaching services, a case study will enable you to spotlight the remarkable outcomes your clients have achieved.

Short and concise case studies play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between coaching research and practice for your potential clients.

Case studies have long been cherished in various fields, including psychotherapy, B2B, and management research, among others. While they are occasionally criticized for their limited generalizability, case studies provide invaluable insights into integrating fundamental research into applied work at the individual or organizational level.

In short, what they do is:

  • Case studies help elucidate your coaching process, ensuring potential customers gain a better understanding of your methods.
  • Case studies enable you to address the precise challenges your target audience faces and demonstrate how you can effectively resolve them.
  • Case studies elevate your brand’s credibility and establish your authority in the coaching market.

Carefully Select The Focus of Your Case Study

The key to crafting a compelling and impactful case study is to start with selecting a perfect candidate or customer you’ve had (a coachee).

How to choose a case study candidate:

  • Take your time to evaluate your candidates—inevitably, potential customers may (and some 100% will) reach out to your case study subjects to fact-check, so make sure your candidate is someone you have a strong relationship with and who will give you the best recommendation possible and make your case study credible.
  • Choose a candidate who is enthusiastic about your services; you want the subject of your case study to LOVE what you do, live for it, and talk about you and the success they have had with you at parties.
  • Make sure they have a solid understanding of your product and service. In addition to the initial evaluation, you should ensure the candidate knows what you do precisely. Think about the big picture stuff. While it’s great that they love you, they also need to understand what you did specifically for them and other talents you possess.
  • Solid results—if you promote a scenario as a model for others to follow, you need to make sure you have the results and the stats to back it up. I recommend always being 100% honest in your case studies, including fallbacks and obstacles you have overcome.
  • Choose a story to present that your target audience will relate to at the given time. It would be best to have your case studies speak to your audience and make an emotional connection to ensure they resonate with your current and potential future customers.

Tell your Story From Beginning to End

Everyone relates to a good story. Taking it back to the basics, you need to ensure that whatever story you are telling has a beginning, middle, and end, along with supporting facts, or what I like to call “hooks” along the way. A hook can be something funny, interesting, or unique and personal that will keep the reader engaged.

Some key things to include with your story are:

  • Identify the customer (coachee) and their role.
  • Highlight the need that brought you and your customer together.
  • Discuss the customer’s goals, and if they evolved, explain how and where they stand today.
  • Detail how you guided the customer toward their goals, illustrating the journey along the way.

Compose Your Case Study in an Easy-to-Follow Format

A good case study isn’t simply engaging content; it must be well-written. Content that is presented in a clear, concise manner.

Let’s be honest; as much as you enjoy writing and reading, only some have time or the energy to go through sizeable novel-like case studies.

In reality, most readers will skim your case study to find essential parts that relate to them. So, to make it easier for the masses, I have listed some formatting elements to keep in mind while writing your case study:

  • Use headers to organize information.
  • Incorporate images, infographics, GIFs, or videos to enhance understanding.
  • Utilize bulleted lists for clarity.
  • Highlight critical points with bold or italicised text.

In addition to formatting, your content needs a structure that flows smoothly—again, focus on the engagement factor.

You can follow this “Step-by-Step beginners guide” I compiled to get you going with your first case study:

1. Start with the essentials:

  • Introduction, this should clearly state the context of your case study and outline the approach taken to coaching based on evidence, with selected text references. 
  • What industry are you in?
  • How did your customers find you? Or did you find them?
  • How long have they been a coachee?

2. Illustrate the problem you addressed:

  • What was their need or the problem that you helped them address?
  • What was the coachee doing before they brought you on board?
  • What were the results of their efforts?
  • How did the problem affect their business? This is a great place to add a little hook, like a quote and image; you can even include a video interview snippet.

3. Define how the problem was solved:

  • What did you do to solve the problem? 
  • The coaching objectives and how the process worked towards these should be clearly stated.
  • Break it down so the reader can genuinely understand what exactly you did. State the expected outcomes clearly, and how progress against these was measured and benchmarked. 
  • Include actual numbers, statistics and facts to back this up. 
  • Such progress can, but does not necessarily have to, be measured statistically.

4. Describe the impact on candidates:

  • Data speaks volumes! 
  • Make sure to include both the qualitative and quantitative points of information. The individual approach must be fully transparent and defended.
  • The Coachee’s Perspective. 
  • Include the perspective of the coachee as detailed as possible.  
  • References. 
  • Case studies usually require a minimum of five but at most 15 references.

5. Feature a call to action (CTA):

After reading the case study, keep the potential customer engaged with a call-to-action (we touched on this in my previous article). This is what will make it easy for them to connect with someone in your sales team (or directly with yourself), to ask questions, or to continue consuming your content and keep visiting your socials, website, your blog etc  

Promote Your Case Studies

Your work continues once you have written a great case study; now, people have to be able to find it. 

This means that your case studies should not only be easily accessible on your website, but you should also post them on your social channels. You can also make them printable pieces to take to networking events and conferences (if your budget allows). 

Don’t Forget About Your Case Studies

No one likes old, stale content that appears to be out of date. Make sure to revisit your case studies every now and then, especially the ones that gained much attraction for you.

Follow up with the coachees 3-6 months after the initial case study, update the post with what they are up to now, add a new quote, and edit statistics, goals or success points.

This will illustrate continued success and, most notably, that your relationship with your clients remains strong and focused even after the initial goals were met. It will speak volumes to your potential customers!

Conclusions

To wrap up, always remember that Case Studies are there to prove that YOUR business produces good results for its CLIENTS and that you are an authority in your industry. Case Studies are an effective tool for a coach to share information on their processes and proven results, especially for clients who may be new to the coaching process or someone who needs clarification on its ultimate purpose and value in the future.

To maximise the effectiveness of your case study for sharing with potential coaching clients, you need to be strategic in choosing which success stories you’ll emphasise and the current relevance and invest time in adequately structuring them. 

This article will highlight which cases will prove the most persuasive for you and benefit your first or future case studies!

Here at Expert Circle, we have a large following of coaches from different industries. We regularly share tips and advice from their perspective and articles about topics that concern coaching subjects. 

We invite you to join our professional, knowledgeable and friendly community where you can share your opinion and stories, ask questions and acquire the exposure you seek. Research information on topics you struggle with or are interested in, gain leads, and so much more! We will be there for you at every step along the way and be honoured to host and promote your coaching business!

Sign up and start building connections and credibility in your coaching journey Today!

 

blogging for coaches

Blogging for coaches: the DO’s and DON’Ts

October 27, 2022 (updated February 19, 2024) Published by

First thing I want you to remember from here on is: You Are a Coach With a Blog, Not a Blogger Who Sometimes Coaches!

Obviously, blogging is essential for growing your coaching business; that’s why you are here. But don’t let blogging distract you far too long from your coaching goals.

If you blog too often, then this will make your audience comfortable with that style of content—as a blogger, not as a coach. Over time you risk your readers forgetting all about coaching and your coaching services, and you will become yet another pinned tab they save in their browser ‘’for later’’.

Whenever your blog, always remind your audience about the services you offer.

You need to consistently remind your readers that you can work one-on-one with them for extra support. So your blog acts as a path to take your readers to the target: one-on-one coaching session. 

Often people assume that blogging is dead. I assure you that is not the case!

There are so many ways your readers can engage with you through your blog: They can read posts from your co-writers (if you choose to do a collaboration session), and connect with other followers of the blog. They can comment on posts to show their opinion, share their own experiences, or ask the writer questions. Request topics to be covered that are of interest to them. 

A coaching blog is a must for your coaching business as it is the perfect way to give your prospective clients an inside look at your expertise. But there are some differences to pay attention to compared to other blogging purposes that are not necessarily connected to coaching. Your blog has to show them exactly what they can expect with helpful advice and insightful tips on self-growth.
So let’s dive into the Do’s and Don’ts of blogging as a coach.

The DO’s

Speed writing

Start off by writing your blog post in 10 to 20 minutes without stopping to edit anything. Just keep the momentum going (you’ll edit it later).

Once your fast, ugly draft is ready, go over it and improve it.

And finally, read it out loud (ideally to a friend). This step is very crucial because reading it out loud will help you make sure it sounds like something you would actually say. Edit the parts that sound unnatural to you.

Eventually, your writing will need less and less editing—until it will be barely necessary at all and will come as second nature.

Build Credibility

Your coaching blog is the prime tool that will build your authority. When people read your blog, they should realise that you have a strong command and inside-out understanding of your niche. Your blog must convince your readers that you understand their problems and have a clear roadmap to overcome them. 

Nothing works without email marketing

What I have learned from the “big” bloggers is that you definitely should not start your blog without a newsletter.

Every visitor who has no opportunity to do anything on your blog—even if it is “just” to subscribe to your newsletter—is a lost visitor.

Search engine optimization for findability

Once you have visitors on your blog, then, of course, you want to keep them. Here are 5 simple things anyone can do to rank their blog high in search engines:

  1. Organise your content

    Organising your content logically so that search engines can understand what you do and who you do it for is very important. It’s also easy when you’re a coach because you’re not dealing with thousands of e-commerce products, and your topics are going to be pretty consistent.

  2. Share on social media

    You’ve probably heard about backlinks. Backlinks help your blog get found and gain authority. The simplest type of backlink you can get is a link back to your site from your social media platforms.

  3. Write evergreen content

    Evergreen content is content that never goes out of context or ‘fashion’. Meaning writing a blog that contains information that will stay relevant and keep helping people in the long term. Some examples of evergreen content:

    – Beginner’s guide…
    – How to…
    – Top tips to…
    – Questions and answers…
    – Best practices…

  4.  Quality Content EAT algorithm

    Writing quality content is key. Google released an algorithm update called EAT in 2021. Thanks to this update, Google has shifted to preferring high-quality content and the customer experience above all.
    To create content preferred by the EAT updates, provide content that can be actioned, that shows a step-by-step system, that has its sources clearly quoted and is easy to read and navigate.

  5. Add visual media

    Adding imagery to your blogs might sound basic, however, it is very important both for your readers and for Google. Adding visual elements gives you an opportunity to add tags to your content and also helps you break up the text visually for your users. You can also use it to add ‘mood’ to your content. For instance, using serious imagery will make you come across as a serious coach, whereas lighter, metaphorical, or comical imagery will lighten up the mood. Animated gifs will also entertain your readers. Just keep true to your style.

Use paragraph subtitles

Subtitles are great because people can skim or scan your article before reading it (most people will) if you don’t incorporate subtitles, people will find it hard to skim your content and might give up reading before even starting. On the other hand, if your sub-titles promise what they were looking for when they clicked your post, then they will go ahead and read it all.

Optimise Your Articles with: Calls To Action (CTA’s)

The last step in creating your coaching articles focuses on how to get conversions—which is the key part to creating an effective coaching blog strategy that helps you get new clients.

Without a clear direction for your readers to follow to keep working down the path towards resolution and growth, they end your article sitting there, thinking, “Okay, what do I do next?”

Show them the next step to take.

The most common calls to action at the end of a coaching article include:

  • Signing up for a resource download
  • Signing up for a consultation or discovery call
  • Sharing on social media
  • Following on social media
  • Signing up for blog updates
  • Leaving a comment
  • Clicking a link to read another article

The best call-to-action and conversion is using a resource download that has the potential to convert readers into clients. If your resource aligns well with the reason why someone reads your post, you’ll grow your email list and get potential clients in your email funnel.

Optimising your coaching blog posts for conversions comes down to matching your content to your download or sign-up, so you’ll want to not only keep that in mind when deciding which topics to write about but also when you’re creating your resource.

Repurpose and Promote Your Coaching Articles

For each blog post, try following these actions to get the most value from your articles:

  • Create multiple graphics for your post and add them to your scheduler;
  • Create 10-12 social media posts about your blog articles and reshare the posts after 6-8 months;
  • Use the blog post as content in your email marketing funnel;
  • Record an audio version for a solo podcast episode;
  • Record a video version;
  • Do an IG or Facebook Live version;
  • Do IG or Facebook Stories version and add it to your highlights;
  • Combine a series of blog posts into an ebook;
  • Pull quotes from your blog posts to make shareable quote graphics;
  • Turn the content into a webinar;
  • Find places to share your blog post to answer questions, like Expert Circle, Quora or message boards;
  • Share your blog content in interviews and ask for links on episode pages;
  • Link to your content in guest posts.

There are other ways to repurpose content that isn’t included here—but these are the ones that have proven to work well.

If you focus on creating 1-2 blog posts a week, you’ll have finished content creation for your coaching blog in a short time and may not have to create new content again in the future. By using the above repurposing actions, you’ll have plenty of ways to get the full value out of your posts, boost your visibility, and gain clients in less time.

The Don’ts of Blogging

Don’t ramble with run-on sentences that just keep on dragging or lengthy texts.

Keep your blogs short. You can incorporate images, lists, graphics, or quotes into your blog to break things up. It is best to have your paragraphs short. Your paragraphs should stay under 3 or 4 sentences. Also, make sure you have white space for your readers. This will give their eyes a short break.

Don’t try to cover too many topics at once. 

Also, break up content into multiple entries if needed. Write with your audience in mind but always write for yourself! Who is your target audience? Find out what types of topics your audience likes to read.

Don’t use profanities or unprofessional language.

While showing your personality and creating openness with your readers is important, remember to never criticise, judge others, or use profanity in your blog. This also applies when you comment or reply to others on your blog posts.

Don’t combine too many style effects

like bold, italic, or underline. Things become hard to read. Keep the layout simple and well-organised so that it instead focuses on the content and does not distract readers. You don’t want to make your blog difficult to read, so consider fonts and colours that are legible.

Don’t write purely for search engines.

Too many keywords and a passive tone in your blog posts are not good. Try to use words and a tone that is more persuasive and descriptive.
Write for the reader, and your SEO will do just fine.

Don’t use your blog for third-party advertising content

career events, internships, job adverts, surveys (thesis related), surveys (asking for student preferences/opinions), etc. Keep your blog conversational and friendly as if you were having a face-to-face meeting. You can, however, give your readers the option to share something if they want.

Don’t Give up!

Building a blog takes time. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. If you can’t post daily, make a goal to post once a week. The more consistent you are with posting, the more likely you will build followers for your blog. Your audience will come to expect posts by a certain time.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to experiment with your blog.

Blogging takes time to build an audience and traffic. You shouldn’t be discouraged when you don’t gain a following overnight. Remember to find your voice and have fun.

A good place to start is Expert Circle. In our professional, knowledgeable and friendly community, you can acquire the exposure you seek and research information on topics you struggle with or are interested in. Ask questions, give advice, gain leads, and so much more! Sign up: https://www.expertcircle.uk/join/ and get a head start at building connections and credibility in your coaching journey Today! We will be there with you at every step along the way. 

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How to position yourself as a coach?

September 14, 2022 (updated March 8, 2024) Published by

We all know that people have to: know, like and trust you before they’ll buy your products and services as a coach. So there is a high cost to not getting your position clearly communicated in the mind of your prospects. That high cost is no work or not enough work, and it snowballs from there: not enough work means not enough money. Not enough money means you struggle to build your coaching business.

Below I have identified 5 main types of coaching to make it easier for you to decide where your strengths lie. As I have observed, coaches often confuse whom they’re serving and with what. They don’t know their purpose; besides that, in the past, they certainly wanted to be a coach. Then I will move on to explain how to position yourself best.
(If you already are confident in what type of coach you are, feel free to skip down)

 

  1. Executive Coaching 

Those in leadership positions seek executive coaching, such as senior managers and directors, where performance development is a crucial concern. Sometimes it’s also referred to as leadership or performance coaching.

The focus of Executive Coaching is:

  • Enhancing their existing performance;
  • Taking their existing talents and abilities to a new level;
  • To help them to adjust to new situations or a significant transition shift.

99% of the time, it’s done in one-on-one sessions, where clients are allowed to reflect and develop a personal awareness of their strengths and work on weaknesses or specific issues they find challenging. 

 

  1. Career Coaching 

Career coaching is for anyone just starting a career or years into one who wants to advance or change their job.

The focus of Career Coaching is:

  • Person skills assessment;
  • Understanding the job market;
  • Understanding organisational processes;
  • Identifying opportunities and career-based roles that are “good fits”;
  • Developing career transition plans.

The career coaching process helps clients understand the world of work and their personal development. Within this space, coaches assist clients in establishing a career-action place to enhance employability.

 

  1. Skills Coaching 

Aiding the enhancement of existing performance through attaining set deliverables and goals, Skills Coaching focuses on:

  • Identifying and refining personal career goals;
  • Flagging objectives within existing roles;
  • Recognising individual and career development needs;
  • Upskilling to enable better performance.

Skills coaching sessions involve one-on-one programmes tailored to a specific individual’s knowledge, experience, maturity and ambition. The focus is on achieving both individual and company objectives. The coaches who run these programmes typically possess qualifications and experience in the areas in which the skills-transfer coaching is offered.

 

  1. Relationship Coaching 

Relationship coaching aims to assist individuals, couples and groups build healthier and more fulfilling relationships.

The focus is to address existing or potential challenges in relationships by:

  • Identifying behavioural patterns;
  • Setting clear and healthy relationship boundaries;
  • Uncovering new listening mechanisms;
  • Assisting with ways to better express feelings and views

Those embarking on this type of coaching will work through conflict resolution, effective communication techniques, stress management, and ways to augment their emotional wellness.

 

  1. Personal Life Coaching

This type of coaching intends to support individuals who wish to make some form of significant change happen in their lives.

Personal Life coaches help clients to:

  • Explore and understand what they want in life;
  • Define attainable dreams and aspirations;
  • Find answers and ways to achieve their goals;
  • Highlight and understand their own potential, skills and talents so as to not give them unrealistic expectations of the end result.

 

Positioning yourself as a Coach, in short, means how you are uniquely qualified to be a leader in something that an identified group of people cares about.

Weak positioning will drag down the performance of everything marketing, and sales are trying to accomplish. Positioning at its heart begins with listening to your clients (or potential clients) and getting a deeper understanding of what they value in you, and then pairing the unique benefits you offer to meet their needs within the framework of the particular market you’ve chosen.

 

Now that you have decided what type of coach you want to become, you must determine your Who, What, and Why.

These three words are crucial to help you to develop your positioning statement. This statement is how you will communicate your value to your market and highlight what distinguishes YOU from the plethora of other coaches wooing your ideal client, offering the same results.

 

I want you to ask yourself…

Whom do you serve? How would you describe your perfect client?

What problems do your clients face, and what specific solutions can you offer?

Why should prospective clients hire you vs your competitors? What sets you apart?

Write down your answers to these questions. I have found that seeing them in handwritten notes or printed and pinned to your board will help you to assemble the pieces of your positioning statement easier.

 

Now, knowing the who, what and why is relatively easy. The hard nut to crack is the How. So, let me explain to you how you can position your coaching business to succeed in your market:

  1. Know where your business is right now.

With not having a board of directors or shareholders breathing on your neck for results, you and only you are accountable for the results. So you must evaluate your business yourself, don’t exaggerate or downplay anything as it is what it is, and you want to stay true to yourself.

To evaluate your business, the key things you want to outline are:

  • The perceived value of your services by ideal clients.
  • The effectiveness of your marketing.
  • Your sales performance = conversion rate.

Are you getting as many clients as you desire? Are leads leaving your sales funnel too often? What is your conversion rate like?

The correct answers to these questions will help you understand where your business stands regarding marketing and sales. Regardless if the current state of your business is good or bad, you must know it. Knowing where you are, prepares you to take steps to where you want to be.

 

  1. Envision where you want your business to be.

Envisioning is where you specify what success means to you. We all know that success means different things to different people.

Whatever angle you look at it, success in the coaching business is a value function. It’s about having clients that you get results for consistently. So you have to see it to achieve it.

You must have a clear picture of where you want to take your business. It is that vision that will determine the actions to take. With a clear picture, you can always refer back to it and know if you are on the right track to success.

 

  1. Implement strategies that position your business to succeed!

Positioning your business for success means that you have to take the necessary actions that guarantee success. Success requires work.

Everything you will do to succeed as a coach revolves around 3 significant things:

  • The value you are offering;
  • Your marketing strategies;
  • Researching your competitors and leveraging on the deficiencies they have.

 

To wrap up: Know what to do. But, doing what you know is what will lead you to success!

 

Positioning will go a long way when establishing your brand and connecting with your audience as a coach; to stand out from the noise and create a platform where you are heard and valued. It is the critical cornerstone that all of your marketing and business efforts must lead from.

When done correctly, the positioning will connect you with the people who are desperate for what you do, making selling your services much easier.

So take the time to consider the points I’ve discussed here. Go through each one and fit them to your brand.

 

If you are keen on the idea of nailing your positioning to increase your leads and sales but you feel that you need someone to walk you through these steps and provide guidance Expert Circle community is the right place for you to ask your questions. Post your articles about your progress, pains, obstacles you come across and how you’ve overcome them. 

Sign up today; it’s free and will give you the benefit of surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals: https://www.expertcircle.uk/join/

 

And be sure to let us know how it goes!

social media

10 tips on how to write engaging social media posts

November 11, 2021 (updated February 16, 2024) Published by

When writing a post, documentation, marketing content, or training materials, keeping the Social Media Content Writing audience in mind is an important step in producing effective content. By writing engaging posts, you can build trust and brand loyalty. Readers want to be entertained, but they also want to be educated. Statistically, people want to benefit from what they do, read, and consume. It is important to provide them with content that brings them Audience Engagement value! Having a Content Strategy and action plan based on your business goals, resources, and time is essential to any business success. You need to create social media posts and content that speak to your target audience and inspire them to take a Call to Action (CTA).

In this article, I’ll share my social media content writing tips for creating posts that will get the attention of your potential clients and inspire more Audience Engagement.

1. Do your Research

You need to take the time to truly understand your audience and make your posts highly relevant to your target group. The best place to start is by understanding what needs, obstacles, or challenges they have. Pick a need or challenge that might be a high priority for them right now, then develop content and social media posts that provide them with a solution to said issue. Also, it is beneficial to share success stories from your satisfied customers via case studies, interviews, or reviews. This will help your target audience to envision their own success as a result of using your product or solution and already put them in a positive mindset about what you offer.

2. Use appropriate lingo

Understand and learn what language your ideal clients use to communicate their needs or challenges. Use this language when writing your posts to ensure your content resonates with your audience. This will help to show them that you truly understand them and their challenges thus you will be able to cater to their needs. For example, a post you write on LinkedIn for senior-level executives will read very differently from a post you would write on Facebook for new moms. These two groups of people have different challenges and points of view, also their language. The exact phrasing they use to speak about their needs and challenges varies significantly.

3. Get to the point

In short—keep it short! Write your posts in a way that is simple and quick to read. I came across an interesting study about writing at an eighth-grade level. What this means is that you should reduce the complexity of your writing as much as possible. Not to worry, you won’t lose credibility by doing so, and your readers will comprehend and retain your ideas more reliably. As a result, you have a higher likelihood of reaching more people. Another great way is to use captions, bullets, and lists where possible to make your content easier to take in and try to keep the paragraphs to two or three sentences.

4. Headline

Studies show that you have on average 8 seconds to catch your readers’ attention. Many people don’t generally read beyond the headlines, so it’s extremely important that your headline draws attention and makes readers want to know more. They should be short and hit the sweet spot with carefully selected wording. To write a clickable headline, try this:

A/B test your headlines

The value of doing this is that you learn very quickly what headline formats work well for your target audience. Use numbers. Numbers work, and big obscure numbers work the best. Why? Because it promises more value, and hopefully delivers on that promise. Note that using digits outperforms the use of words. Structure your headline by placing the number at the start. Create a sense of urgency by adding the words ‘now’ or ‘today’ at the end of your headline. Alternatively, you could increase urgency by implying the effects of ignorance, for example, «10 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make When Writing a Post». Use interesting adjectives to add emotions. Ask a question. Our brains are programmed in a way that we are left unsatisfied when we see a question mark but don’t know the answer. The instinctive reaction to seeing a question mark is to find the answer, this often results in the reader clicking.

5. Call to action (CTA)

At the end of your content, consider encouraging your audience with what action you’d like them to take next by including a Call to Action (CTA). Without one, most people won’t take any action after reading your content, even if they enjoyed it and gained value from it. CTAs come in different forms and have different purposes, use one that fits your desired results most:

  • Send them to a landing page
  • Direct them to your website
  • Get them to subscribe to your newsletter
  • Subscribe to a free trial
  • Download content
  • Ask them to connect with you on other social media channels
  • Ask them to like or share your social media posts
  • Ask a question they can answer in the comments
  • Direct them to another piece of content

6. Keep it positive

Don’t be afraid to share your opinion or take a stand on something important to you and your brand. But there’s a difference between taking a stand and attacking or criticizing others. Whatever you do, avoid finding fault with anyone or any business publicly. Criticizing others is not only unprofessional but such actions can hurt any trust or credibility you’ve built with your existing followers and will damage your brand reputation.

7. Promote your posts

You can write the most engaging blog post in the world, but it won’t matter if people don’t see it. Try these tactics to reach your audience:

  • The most obvious way if you have a strong email and social media following is to share your posts on all your platforms
  • Take advantage of, for example: Facebook, Google Plus communities, and LinkedIn Groups to promote your posts among your peers. Being active within those groups will help generate activity in your post-outreach
  • Use web tools to get the word out and increase Audience Engagement
  • You can also pay to promote a post on Facebook sponsor a tweet, or a LinkedIn post

8. Write on different topics

You want people to value what you have to offer and trust you as an expert in your field, so writing about your industry is vital, but if you only cover topics related to your products or services, you’ll miss out on opportunities to connect. Share tips that will be useful to your target audience, post about valuable lessons you’ve learned and take advantage of the news of (non-controversial) current events. You can creatively personalize your story, so it loops its way back to your brand or industry.

9. Use images, infographics, or videos

It is a fact that visual content is more engaging, no wonder there’s a saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. An image or video can often stand alone in social media posts while still delivering the full message to your audience. For best results, customize each piece of Visual Content for the platform you’re posting it on to ensure your message is being shared.

10. Flow

Make every sentence count as you work toward creating flow in your posts. Try to change smoothly from one section to the next, working in crucial keywords and phrases naturally. The best way to test your flow is to read your post aloud when it’s done. If anything feels distracting to you, it probably will be distracting to your readers as well.

The most important piece of advice when it comes to social media is to be authentic. That is the key that will help your content connect with your Social Media Content Writing audience. When in doubt, remember that ‘short and sweet’ tends to perform better than long-form content on most platforms. Experiment with your posts to find what your audience responds to best. Try posting different lengths and forms of content at different times of the day and with persistence and a methodical approach, you’ll find what works the best.

marketing

Introduction to Account Based Marketing and simple overview how to implement it in your business

October 19, 2021 (updated February 16, 2024) Published by

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a business-to-business (B2B) marketing strategy that focuses on identifying your “ideal customer profile” (ICP) and then targeting companies that match your created ICP.

By engaging with decision-makers at different levels (be that the CEO, Financial Director or Group Commercial Director etc.) across your ICP with personalized messaging that will match their problems and goals, you can engage with each account to best support them and their future growth by helping to resolve their issues.

Work closely with the Sales team to understand your ideal customer profile. It is so critical to this form of B2B outreach. Once you’ve defined your ICP and their problems and goals, you can begin researching which accounts match up with your ICP the most.

Rather than launching a broad marketing campaign that targets thousands to take care of only the few that express their interest, ABM targets specific companies in an offer to engage with key decision-makers and then build on that relationship to open new sales opportunities in the future (also known as “land and expand”).

Although account-based marketing has been used as a strategy for more than 15 years, it’s only now that businesses are starting to realize the huge potential for delivering highly personalized and relevant campaigns to their target audience.

With ABM, the goal is to close a single account, which means both teams (sales and marketing aka The Taskforce) stay focused and work towards the same business goal. Account-based marketing is about tailoring campaigns to specific accounts, here’s a simplified breakdown of steps to take as a part of your Account-Based Marketing campaign:

  1. Identify a list of key accounts.

  2. Research each account by:

  • Market: industry, company size, competitors
  • Company: revenue, marketing share, history
  • People: management, buying power, key roles, influencers
  • Relationships: organizational structure, reporting, buying teams

  1. Create personalized and relevant content.

  2. Distribute content to the right people.

  3. Measure your campaign success

    • Look at sales cycle length, deal size and total revenue from any new sale that resulted from your ABM campaign, and then you can compare these figures with the customers you acquired from your non-ABM activities. (It is important to keep track of campaign success for tracking your ROI, to see if your campaigns have had the desired impact).

 

The bottom line is to understand issues your customers face, even predict issues they may come across in the future, address them and offer appropriate solutions to support their and your own growth forming healthy relationships along the way for further successful collaborations.

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