Coaches: 21 Quick Marketing Ideas for 2021

We can all do with a little inspiration when it comes to marketing our coaching practice or consulting practice. This list is not an entire to-do list for you. Instead, it’s a starting place. Some of you are seasoned marketers so it could be a time to review what you’re doing. Others are new and may need to just pick two or three from the list to get started. Here we go!

1. Review your Email Signature – Does your existing email signature help you to market your services or enhance your credibility? Consider adding your qualification, professional membership, one liners from testimonials, a short list of services or inspirational quotes. Clients and potential clients see if every time they exchange emails with you. Don’t let it slip away.
2. Develop a Buyer Persona – This is key. Think about the demographics of your ideal client. Age, location, level of seniority, education history, family circumstances, financial commitments, their friends, colleagues, pets. You get the picture. When you do this, you will be amazed at how much inspiration is in there for content that will really speak directly to them.
3. Design / Re-Design your Logo – If you don’t have a logo, get one. If you have one, is it time for essential maintenance? Does it still stand the test of time? Could it use even a subtle refresh to connect better with your ideal client? Make sure you use it everywhere you can, such as email signature, website, Zoom profile picture.
4. Create Video Content for your Website – Long form content can be a great way of displaying yourself as an expert in your space. It also helps new visitors (a.k.a. potential clients) get to know you a little before they meet you for the first time.
5. Create Video Content for your Social Media Channels – Social media like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn all love video content because it keeps their users on the platform for longer. Therefore it shows users video content first. If you are new to video creation, just start paying attention to what you are seeing in your own news feed and make a list of ideas from that.
6. Start an Email List – From all your clients in the past, to all those who have contacted you about your services, add them to an email list. This is a great way to communication with people who already know (of) you. A caveat on this one would be to be aware of the GDPR guidelines. Have a search on google for GDPR, in particular “consent”, “legitimate interest” and “reasonable expectation” to get a sense of how to avoid being considered spam. Use it sparingly and strategically.
7. Write for a Newspaper – I know that you are already writing great content for your website in the form of articles (or else this rhetorical line has prompted you to do so!). With a few small tweaks it could be a column for a newspaper. Think about your ideal client, or those who influence your ideal client. What local/national newspaper(s) might they pick up?
8. Be a Contributor on a Radio Station – While the national radio stations are ideal, they are also saturated with people offering to be a contributor. However, there are lots of regional and local radio stations that would welcome a contributor. It could be a call-in segment on career advice, or coaching teenagers, or home schooling. It gets your name out on the airwaves. You never know who is listening so be sure to align the subject matter with your ideal client.
9. Try Social Media Advertising – A simple start to this would be to find a post that really worked for you on Facebook. One that organically reached a lot of people and had some good comments and likes. Then simply hit the “Boost” option to help it reach people who are not your followers (yet!)

10. Create an Offer – It can be tiring for clients to be in a constant decision mode about the next session(s). Help them out by bundling your services together and create an offer.
11. Develop your own Coaching Model – If you have experience working with a particular type of client you may have tweaked an existing coaching model, or you may have developed your own. Let the world know how much of an expert you are!
12. Co-Market with another Coach – Is there another coach from your class or from alumni who is practicing in the same space or a complementing space? Have a conversation about how you could co-market.
13. Upgrade your Zoom Studio! – During early lockdowns and working from home we could get away with bad camera and lighting- not to mention bad backgrounds. Not any more. We need to be professional.Watch my video How to Look like a Pro on Zoom.
14. Create Quotes – A simple and effective visual for social media. A square image with some text as a quotation from you or a favourite author. It could be like this one from Henry Forde…

15. Plan a Photoshoot – We are visual creatures. Who likes visiting a website that has really pleasing visuals? All of us! So think ahead for your website and social media, your brochures, your media pack for your next speaking event. Plan a photoshoot now by listing the type of photos you need and gather the props.
16. Develop a Case Study – Sometimes clients need Inspiration. Have you worked with a client in the past who would make a great case study? If your just starting, how about working pro-bono with a client/organisation in return for permission to use the experience (even anonymously) as a case study?
17. Get 5 Testimonials – Your website, brochure or social media feed will really benefit from evidence of a positive client experience. For a full article on how to ask for a testimonial, click here
18. Increase your fee by 20% – With inflation, you are going to need to increase it by 5% per year anyway, so let’s get a few years out of the way now. Also, for a full article on how to have the money conversation with a client click here
19. Share content from reputable sources – If you are busy and you cannot create your own original content, do a quick google search and find a report, a survey, an article etc that would be interesting to your ideal client. Then, add a few lines in the post itself telling them why you think they should read it.
20. Review your Website – Are there any references to dates or years that need to change? Is your homepage cluttered with text that is not important to your ideal client? Time for an objective website review.
21. Create a Premium Product – Go crazy! If your usual coaching fee is €250, create a premium offering for 10x that amount. What would you include in a coaching offering at €2,500? A retreat? A workshop? Psychometric testing?

Too many ideas to just stop at 21 so here are two more… 🙂

22. Brand your Slides – This is an easy one if you have already had your logo designed. Add it to the corner of each slide. Also, add your website or social media handles. This should be done neatly and in a subtle way.
23. Volunteer – I would add another word to this. Volunteer Strategically. Think about your ideal client; how could you meet them in a less commercial setting? Could it be volunteering at a homeless shelter or a sports club? Sports clubs are quite interesting – people involved in committees etc are often people of influence in their workplace.

What other ideas are you going to try during 2021? What has worked for you in the past? What are you stuck on? 

By Alan Brereton