Social Media and Your Coaching Business

With so many platforms to choose from, social media can feel overwhelming. Most websites these days have built-in buttons so that users can be easily directed toward their social media pages. Through social media you can communicate with potential and established clients, get your message across and maybe even convert passive readers into paying clients. With paid advertisements on Facebook you can already target your potential client base, but a well-crafted post that gets shared can also have a huge impact.

To use social media effectively in your coaching business, you will want to avoid some common pitfalls.

Being Everywhere

There is a range of social media platforms out there, but that does not mean that your coaching business has to be on all of them. Taking care of these accounts, even with the help of a scheduling app like Hootsuite, can take a lot of time and effort. Instead, identify the channels where you’re most likely to find your target clients, and put your energy there.

Lacking a Strategy for Social

You might have a carefully planned marketing strategy, but if you haven’t posted anything on your Facebook page in weeks, then it will look neglected. Social media has to be a part of your overall marketing strategy, especially if the people you want to reach are active on social media.

Failing to Manage Your Brand Identity

Posting a holiday greeting from the beach could make your coaching practice appear friendly and personal but only if that suits your brand identity. If you have been following a strict corporate coaching identity, it might not fit. Before sharing family photos, ask yourself, ”Does this fit with the message I’m trying to get across?” It all depends on how you present your coaching business as a brand in front of the world.

Posting the Same Content Across Your Channels

If you write a great blog post on your website, you should share it on social media. However, the content, tone and style of your social posts should vary from channel to channel. The way you address your followers on Facebook is different from Twitter—not only because of the number of characters but also because the audience is different. If you post on Facebook and then link the same post to Twitter, it appears that you did not put a lot of effort into it. Find out what each audience enjoys by listening and joining conversations on social media so that you can publish content that adds value.

The following tips can help you enhance your social media success.

Set Clear Goals

What is the outcome that you want to achieve through social media? You need to decide before you launch into it. Are you hoping to convert followers into clients? Do you want to become the go-to health coach for first-time mothers? You can have different goals and address these in different messages through social media, but you should know what you are working toward.

Reward Your Loyal Fans

Do you have people who follow your business, comment on your posts and even spread the word about you? Great! Reciprocate and reward them! Get in touch with them, and thank them for their support. If these are past clients, give them a special holiday one-off coaching session. If these are people who don’t know you or your services yet, invite them to your next webinar or give them a free introductory coaching session.

Leverage Others’ Creativity

People love to give opinions, and if it is something they feel passionate about, they love to contribute in any way they can. Social media can give you a great opportunity to get involved with people are interested in your coaching business. From designing your new company logo to coming up with a slogan, social media is about community. It is about sharing and exchanging and a great way for people to bond with your business.

Stay Positive and Engaged

Maybe you crafted a great post but the reaction to it isn’t quite what you expected. Don’t shut down or lash out. It is important for you to stay transparent and open to suggestions, responding to both positive and negative criticism frankly and quickly. There are different ways to handle negative comments. Assuming that they are not abusive, it could be a great opportunity to demonstrate the integrity behind your coaching business by not deleting or ignoring them but engaging with them. Social media can be an amazing platform to promote and expand your coaching business, create awareness, and attract potential new clients. To make the most of it, incorporate social media strategy into your overall marketing strategy, implement it thoughtfully and correctly, keep up with changes, and adapt!