When was the last time you conducted some search engine research on your coaching niche? How many coaches are listed on the first two pages of Google? Are you one of them? Now do the same search but use your hometown or state. Did you find yourself in those searches?
This basic research is key to your success because if you did not find yourself in those search engine listings, that means no one else is finding you, either. Even if you have a strong social media presence, achieving those high search engine results is imperative to growing your client base. Now you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd of coaches in your niche; you need to perfect your personal brand.
What is Personal Branding?
When it comes to personal branding for coaches, consider yourself the product. Your experience, personality, core beliefs, and mission in life will be the center point of a person’s decision whether or not to hire you. No matter what, how to come across online – either on social media, in your blog posts, or in your videos – better match up to how you come across in person or via phone with your coaching clients. This image is also known as your personal brand and people want to trust that who they see interacting online is who they are hiring to give them guidance in real life.
3 Steps to Personal Branding Success
First, answer these questions about your brand: WHO are you; WHAT do you do; WHY do you do it; and who do you do it FOR. What is your promise to your clients? What do your clients expect when they hire you? While logos and color combinations are part of your brand, the more important parts are the answers to these questions.
Secondly, do some more research. Of those other coaches you found in your previous searches, who are your biggest competitors and how have they branded themselves? Don’t worry about Search Engine Optimization of their websites; go to each of their sites and LOOK at the way they present themselves. Now go to their social media pages; is the brand image consistent? Are there lessons here you can learn from – either good or bad – about their efforts to brand themselves?
Thirdly, turn the focus on to yourself. How can you set yourself apart from your competitors? What adjectives do you want people to use when they hear your name? What message do you want your personal brand to convey?
Now that you’ve answered these preliminary questions, it’s time to implement some changes to make your brand image consistent across all platforms. Create an action plan and proactively manage your brand online. Or hand off that task to a social media manager once your coaching calendar fills up.
Need More Branding Guidance? Try Our Beautiful Brands for Coaches Workshop
Our latest workshop package is all about branding for coaches and we get deep down into the nitty gritty of answering those tough questions about what you want to give to your coaching clients. Our workshop includes 4 lesson modules, complete with Action Plans, plus a webinar script so you can teach others in your tribe about the importance of personal branding. We’ve done the bulk of the work for you. All you need to do is add your own tips, case studies, or graphics to the modules and present it as your own.
