8 Ways To Get Coaching Clients
Get Coaching Clients Using Internet Technologies
You have the training. You have the desire. But what you don't have is a big client list! It is a battle all coaches face at some point in their career.
Luckily, these 8 internet resources can help every coach maximize their exposure and grow their client base:
- Twitter:
Tweet Now or Tweet Later. If you haven't heard of Twitter yet, welcome
to 2009! The basic idea of Twitter is that you follow others (Tweople) some of whom follow you back. You build up a base of loyal readers and tweet-cred.
You can offer your expertise and engage in online conversations with
your followers. If you are not sure what the meaning is of some
Twitter word (tword?), check out http://twittonary.com/ for all the
latest lingo!
- Facebook: Fan Pages, Friends and Ads.
Leverage your current group of friends by starting a fan page for them
to join. Encourage them to invite their extended circle with an
original contest or interactive survey. If you have the budget, Ads on
Facebook offer some of the most targeted segments of people anywhere on
the internet. But be prepared to bring your wallet!
- Write
Killer Articles: Here is your chance to show your potential client
base that you are on the top of the coaching game! Submit your
articles to high-traffic sites like Squidoo, Hubpages and Ezine. You
can even generate some revenue by getting your readers to click on ads on your articles (hint!).
- Hang Out In Known
Locations: Join discussion groups and forums related to coaching.
Great places to get started are LinkedIn and Yahoo Groups. You can
also get connected on cutting-edge coaching webpage Noomii. The
important part is that potential clients will know where to go looking
for you because you are a part of a larger community.
- Search
Engine Optimization: The gift that keeps on giving! Assuming you have your own page, you need to
optimize the on-page factors and write content that gets linked to and
referenced. If you do not have your own page, join a larger network of
professionals that have someone else handling the task. SEO is a
tricky game. If you don't know the rules you are better off joining
someone who does. Although the SEO effort is front-loaded, the results can come on the back-end for years to come. SEO can be a huge long-term win!
- Paid Search: On Google, Yahoo and
Bing. If you can't organically get to the top of search results, in
the short term you can always buy your way onto the first page. Google
has about 60-70% of the search market share with Yahoo and Bing
splitting the majority of the remainder. The Yahoo/Bing Merger will
bring a credible alternative to Google. Advertising on Google can be
expensive, so start with low bids and a small amount of money until you
get your feet wet. This might be the biggest tip of this article:
Advertising on Bing can be a huge win. Most Bing users are using the
search engine because it is the default on Internet Explorer (those who
know better, use Google!). Bing users are not very internet savvy and
will be less likely to do an extensive search before settling on a
coach. Get to them first and there is no chance for your competition!
- Join Your Local ICF: Every major city
in North America has an International Coach Federation branch. Most
branches are active with monthly meetings that will keep you abreast of
the latest coaching techniques, trends and coach training. With an ICF membership you
also get a listing in the main directory. However, you will probably
have to pay extra to get into the local ICF listing. Both of these
directories carry large degrees of credibility with potential clients.
Whether or not you actually get clients directly through this listing,
potential clients may research you before selecting you as a coach.
- Directory
Listings: Here is where you can get some real traction. Directory
listings get you found through optimized SEO. But you can also get a
link back to your personal page from a credible source that will boost
the performance of your page in the search rankings, a double score.
Getting clients can be difficult for coaches. Following these simple tips will ensure that you have the upper hand on your competition and maximize your client base.
Are you a life coach? Noomii.com revolutionizes client acquisition and management!
