by Kathleen LeGrys | Jul 18, 2017 | Coaching Tips, Growing Your Business, Marketing Ideas, Online Coaching, Social Media
If adding online coaching to your service offerings has been on your to-do list, this post is for you.
The good news is that it’s probably easier to do than you think. Part of the problem is that there are so many options on how to do it that it can seem confusing and overwhelming.
If you know me, you know that I’m all about keeping things as SIMPLE as possible. There’s absolutely no point in spending thousands of dollars to have a custom membership platform created when there are plenty of other great options that are much easier (and much more cost-effective). Ask yourself “What is the easiest way I can get started, so I can share my gifts and experience to help people” instead of fixating your time, energy and money on the ‘latest greatest’ platform out there.
The first time you launch your program online, it will all be a test to see what works best, what you want to change next time, and get feedback and testimonials for your next launch. Don’t get hung up on thinking everything has to be perfect. When you consider your first (and maybe even second) round a beta group, it takes some of the pressure off, so you can deliver an amazing program without worrying about adding any bells and whistles.
NOTE: I think it’s important to work with clients one-on-one before you launch an online program. You want to test your program with clients, so you can get immediate feedback, get testimonials, and test your systems and approach.
There are just 4 things you want to have in place to take your coaching online:
1. Your program – This can be in the form of recorded PowerPoint presentations and/or face-to-camera video. You can do a combination of both if you want. Decide how long your program will be. You may want to offer a short-term program (30 days) that leads to a longer-term program (90 days). If you don’t already have a program all set and ready to go, check out the Coach with Confidence program which has 12 comprehensive health coaching sessions all done for you (this includes the PowerPoints you would narrate for your sessions). This program can be configured to be used as any length program you’d like (up to 6 months).
NOTE: You can record your PowerPoints using Camtasia (for PC) or ScreenFlow (for Mac) or use a program like Zoom (Zoom has a free version that would be perfect for this type of project, and I use it all the time). You also want to have the proper disclaimers, and agreement in place to protect yourself from liability. If you don’t already have the documents you need, Lisa Fraley is a great resource for this.
2. A platform to host your content – I think this is where most coaches get stuck (understandably so) because there are so many dang choices out there. Keeping in mind that our goal is simplicity, I recommend using a platform like Thinkific. I like Thinkific because it’s simple to set up and it allows you to drip your content (release sessions at a pre-determined date or time frame) rather than members being allowed to access all the content at once. You can upload your content (videos, PDFs, PowerPoints) right into the platform – easy breezy. Teachable is another option, but at this time, Teachable does not have a drip content feature.
NOTE: Having a membership site is completely optional. You can run your program by simply sending your participants a link to the content. If you aren’t going to use a platform like Thinkific, you’ll need to host your videos somewhere (YouTube or Vimeo are good options) and keep the links private, so only your members can access them.
3. Email – You’ll need an email service provider that includes automation. Automation is important to have, so that a welcome email can go out as soon as someone registers. It can also automate your emails if you’d like to set it up as an evergreen program (people can join at any time). I recommend Aweber, GetResponse, or MailerLite for this.
4. Facebook group for support & community – One of the most appealing aspects of an online coaching program is the community of support the members get inside of a private (closed) or secret Facebook group. Great program content is important, but people really want to be a part of the journey with others who are in the same place. This way they can share their struggles and successes along the way. As the group’s leader, you can provide support and have members get to know you. Doing live streams in the group is also a wonderful way to build rapport and trust. For a great post on how to run a Facebook group for your coaching business, check out this blog post.
With online coaching, the sky is the limit. You can deliver one new topic each week, or you can alternate weeks and use the off week to host a group call to answer questions and review the content from the previous week.
If you plan to do group calls, I recommend using Zoom or FreeConferenceCalling.com. These both allow you to record calls and send them out to those that couldn’t join you live or for those that want to listen again.
For more information on online coaching, including pricing and promotion, check out this step-by-step post right HERE.
Okay, so there you have it! Four steps to taking your coaching program online with ease. Remember, it’s always a test to see what works best, and it will continue to evolve over time.
Need more ideas? Be sure to join our FREE Facebook Mastermind Group for Health Coaches and Fitness Professionals HERE.
You’ve got this!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may receive compensation. I only recommend products and services that I either use myself or highly recommend, but do your own research to find out what’s best for you.
by Kathleen LeGrys | Jun 20, 2017 | Building Your Confidence, Growing Your Business, Marketing Ideas
Chances are, you have a website for your health coaching business, but maybe you’re not sure it has what it needs so that it stands out and attracts the right clients. Your website should evolve as you evolve in your business, so that means occasional updates to your website copy to keep it fresh and current.
But, how do you do this, and what should you include?
My guest today is a wellness copywriter who specializes in helping wellness professionals create website copy that translates into sales.
Her name is Margo Caroll, and think you’re going to find her tips incredibly helpful.
Here’s Margo…
Whether you’re new to coaching or you’ve been in the industry for decades, an outstanding website is definitely at the top of your must-have list for marketing your business.
If you’re allowing social media to be the only place clients can learn who you are and what you offer—or you have an outdated website that desperately needs to be reorganized—it’s time for you to put a plan in place for writing a website that will convert visitors into clients.
But how should you know which pages to include, how to format them, and what to say on each page?
I’m Margo, and I’m a professional copywriter for wellness business owners. I help health coaches and other wellness business owners launch authentic, profitable websites and I’m here to share with you the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
In this article you’ll learn:
- The essential elements of a highly effective website from a copywriting perspective
- How to write your website copy in a way that feels authentic (not sales-y or demanding)
- How providing value first—before asking for anything in return—will draw your ideal clients to you.
Oh, and be sure you stick with me to the end of the article, where I’ll be sharing a free resource I’ve created for you to help you get your website copy written the right way!
Think of Your Website as a Fine Dining Experience
From the moment you first walk into a new restaurant, you’re already judging whether you’ll spend your money there based on the sights, smells, and sounds around you.
When you look over the menu in the lobby, the offerings need to be immediately clear or you’ll walk right back out without even asking for a table.
This is because as a customer at a restaurant, you expect a certain level of quality and consistency from your buying experience.
And just like a dining experience, your well-crafted website will draw readers in from the moment they begin reading if you do it right.
I’ve whipped up a delicious meal for you to explain the essential elements of a highly effective health coach website, so let’s dive right in for the first course!
The Menu: Website Navigation + Design
From the moment a reader opens your site in their browser, they need to have their focus directed to the action you want them to take, and to direct their focus it’s important to keep your navigation (the listing of the various pages on your site) streamlined and minimal.
1. Website Navigation + Design
On your website, your site navigation is your “menu”, and the design and layout of your website are like the first sights and smells walking into a restaurant.
Your call to action (a “Book Now” or “Schedule a Call” button, for example) needs to be completely obvious to visitors, and then the rest of your site navigation should stay simple and organized so it doesn’t distract from that action you’re guiding them to take.
The Appetizers: The Home Page + About Page
Now that your website visitor has warmed up their appetite with a review of the menu (your elegantly simple site navigation!), it’s time to start feeding them some of your best morsels.
Every business will require a slightly different website organization, but it’s safe to say that just about everyone will need both a Home and About page.
2. Home Page
The Home Page (or Landing Page, depending on the layout of your site) offers the first few bites of the appetizer that your readers are going to chew on in order to decide if they like your style and approach.
Remember that we’re playing the long game here, so try to make your homepage a resource, not a sales pitch.
Your Home page needs to be thoughtfully created, easy to navigate, and incredibly valuable.
Above all, don’t be stingy!
Any way that you can offer valuable free content to your reader before asking them to book a call with you or check out your packages is a great way to build trust and be authentic with them.
You know the crunchy difference between lettuce chopped by hand and the wilted pre-bagged stuff, right? Well your readers have a built-in “authenticity” radar as well, so make it clear when you write your homepage copy that you’re here to give value, instead of trying to close the deal with them the moment they arrive.
3. About Page
Considering that the About page is one of the most visited pages on websites, you’ll need to pull out all the stops to make this course one they’ll want to tell all their friends about!
One of my favorite soulful copywriters, Marian Schembari, once said that an About page should make readers want to open up a million tabs to read everything you’ve written, because they “feel like they’ve just stumbled across the internet’s best kept secret.”
That’s why I use a very specific strategy for organizing the copy, bio, and testimonials for my client’s About pages, because these pages truly can make or break the relationship you’re building with a potential client!
Think of the About Page as your “Aunt Suzy’s Secret Sauce” that you always slip into your best recipe, and that all your friends are dying to know about after they taste it.
This is what makes your recipe for success stand out from all your competitors.
The Entrée: Services/Products Page + Blog Page
Now we’re finally getting into the main course!
4. Services/Products Page
Whether you offer 1-on-1 coaching services or pre-packaged programs, this page is the one you’re probably most nervous about getting right.
After all, if you truly care about your clients (and I know you do!), you know that they’ve worked hard to earn the money you’re asking them to exchange for your offerings, and you want to ask them to invest in a way that feels authentic.
The Services (or Products) page is the one I spend the most time on in my Wellness Websites 101 copywriting course, because there are so many emotions tied to asking clients to invest in you that can block you from getting it written.
Your Services page is the centerpiece of your whole site, and you want to be sure that each word tastes good to your reader’s palate.
5. Blog Page
If you’ve been doing your research, you know that publishing regular blog content on your website is a great way to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) over time.
Writing great blog posts ties back into what I shared earlier about being a resource instead of a sales pitch.
If you choose to include one, your blog is the place you’ll share articles, information, and resources that will help your clients to succeed.
Remember, just like a delicious meal, what you write needs to appeal to your audience (the dinner guest!), not just to you. So write about what they want you to write about!
The Dessert: Lead Magnet
Mmmm, dessert! My favorite part of any meal!
This tasty treat feels like the icing on the cake of value and trust that you’ve just built in the reader’s mind as they explored your website.
6. Lead Magnet
A lead magnet (also called an opt-in freebie or content upgrade) is a great way to grow your email list by offering a valuable tool in exchange for the reader’s email address.
Whether it’s a checklist, e-book, 5-day Juice Cleanse, or any other type of valuable downloadable content, make sure that you take the time to finish your website off right with a helpful opt-in that grows your email list.
Closing Thoughts
I hope this breakdown of a highly effective health coach website made you hungry for the deliciously organized, simple website copy your wellness business deserves.
Please share any of your own copywriting tips or questions in the comments!
Need more help writing your website copy?
Join the FREE, beginner-friendly email course Wellness Websites 101 to swipe a wellness copywriter’s step-by-step guide to writing your website the right way.
JOIN YOUR FELLOW WELLNESS ENTREPRENEURS IN THE COURSE RIGHT HERE.
About Margo:
Margo Carroll is a wellness copywriter and licensed massage therapist from Seattle, WA. She runs the show at Your Wellness Website Blueprint and Remedy Writing, helping wellness professionals write profitable website copy that sells their services while still feeling like they’re writing a note to a friend.
Margo enjoys trail running, spending time with family, and sampling new tea flavors on the weekends.
by Kathleen LeGrys | Apr 23, 2017 | Building Your Confidence, Getting New Clients, Growing Your Business, Marketing Ideas, Organization, Social Media
As a health coach, Facebook groups can be an amazing way to create a loyal, close-knit online community of raving fans. Unlike your Facebook business page, all of the members of your group can potentially see all of your posts. Today, I’m going to share 10 ways to boost engagement in your facebook group, because I know this can be a tricky thing.
[If you’re wondering why you would want to host your own Facebook group for your business, I created a detailed post about it HERE (including tips for promoting and growing your group), so be sure to check it out if you need more information.]
After you have your group up and running, you want to keep your members engaged and active, so they can get the most out of it, and get to know you. Your group is going to be a lot more fun for everyone (including you) when people are commenting, asking questions and getting involved.
In this post, I’m sharing my top 10 tips to help boost engagement in your Facebook group (and help keep it from becoming a ghost town).
You can also get a copy of this checklist with 10 Tips HERE, so you’ll have it handy to refer back to later.
Before we dive in to the nitty gritty here, I want to point out that it’s very important to set your group apart, so you want to figure out why people should join YOUR group, and what makes it different from other groups. In most cases, the more ‘nichey’ you can be, the better. For example, if the focus of your coaching business is geared to a paleo, vegan or vegetarian approach, that may be a good place to start to determine the theme of your group. Think about what spin you can put on it to make your group unique, and appeal to your ideal clients. If you’re too general, you may not get as much interest or engagement long term, so take that into consideration before you launch your group (or revisit this suggestion if your existing group has fizzled a bit).
NOTE: These 10 tips are geared for a free Facebook group, but most are applicable if you have a Facebook group that is part of one of your paid programs.
1. Tag people with a welcome message.
People love to be welcomed! I recommend doing this once a week so that your group newsfeed isn’t full of separate welcome messages on a daily basis. Tag the people that joined over the course of the week to welcome them. You can ask them where they’re from, or just ask them to introduce themselves.
To do this, you’ll click on ‘member’s in your group, and then sort by date (instead of choosing default or alphabetical), then you’ll see a list of the members that have joined within that time frame.
IMPORTANT: Remind members to add your group to their favorites/shortcuts and turn on notifications so they don’t miss anything. You can do this at the bottom of your welcome post.
If people don’t add your group to their favorites/shortcuts, and they belong to several groups, they may not see your posts, so this is key.
2. Set your group to closed (not public) and don’t add people without their permission.
People will feel more comfortable posting in your group when it’s closed vs. public. In a public group, members’ comments show up in their friend’s newsfeeds too, so people are wary about posting.
Do not just add people to your group because you want to grow it as quickly as you can. If your group is full of people that don’t care about being there, they won’t interact, so what’s the point, right?
3. Post your rules.
You can do this in the description section (after a welcome sentence or two, and what the group is about). Rules will help reduce sales posts, as well as any other types of posts you want to prevent. Screen people as best you can before you add them to make sure it’s not a spam account (you can outsource this to your VA if you have one).
4. Set an example
Be in the group at least 5 days a week to interact, answer questions and get conversations going. People are going to follow your lead, so if you aren’t involved in the group, they won’t be either.
TIME SAVING TIP: You can set up your posts ahead of time with a social media scheduling tool like Buffer, Hootsuite or PostPlanner. Another scheduling tool is Edgar. I use Edgar and I love because it recycles through my library of posts automatically (set up a post once and it lives on, and you just keep adding content that rotates through the queue – pricing starts at $49 per month, but it’s amazing).
Don’t schedule the same posts each week because that gets really boring for your members. I create 12 posts for 3 days each week (M-W-F) so I have 4-months worth of posts that I can reuse. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I post other things like maybe one of my blog posts, a question, a poll, a motivational message or something else. I don’t have all 5 days planned out in advance, but that may appeal to you.
On occasion, I will share a special offer, flash sale or other offer that I think my group would be interested in.
5. Make it fun
Show your personality, don’t be perfect – be real. Let people get a glimpse into what you’re really like. It doesn’t all have to be serious.
6. Offer free goodies
Pin an opt-in to the top of your group as part of your welcome message. New members will appreciate this and it’s a great way to build your email list. Change out your free offer a few times a year. I prefer for this freebie to not lead to a sales pitch, but more of an opportunity for people to get to know you. Once they’re on your email list, they’ll know about any promotions or special offers you have throughout the year.
7. Provide free trainings or demos
Facebook live is great for this, but you can also add any recorded videos you already have. I like Facebook Live because it gives people a chance to see you live, and you can answer their questions right there on the spot.
8. Use graphics in your posts
Eye-catching graphics will grab people’s attention in the news feed. This is easy (and free) to do. You can use stock photo sites like pexels.com and pixabay.com and use picmonkey.com to add text. Easy breezy! Canva.com is another option for creating graphics.
9. Don’t talk at people
Since the goal of your group is to get people involved, and familiar with you, involve them, ask for feedback and ask questions. Do a poll from time to time to find out what people want to learn about the most or what they struggle with about certain topics.
Doing polls can also help you know what to include in your paid programs, as well as how to market your programs (what language to use, etc.)
10. Do a 5-7 day challenge
Free challenges work incredibly well to kick off a brand new group and get an influx of new members, and it’s very effective for breathing new life into an existing group. You just want your challenge topic to be relevant to the theme of your group.
If you need your own 7-Day Challenge, you can check out the 7-Day Healthy Habits Challenge here.
Don’t be afraid to test things to see what works best. I’ve been running Facebook groups for over 6 years, and it’s one of my absolute favorite things to do. I’ve learned by trial and error what works and what does not, so don’t be afraid to do the same with your own group. It’s always good to experiment from time to time.
Wishing you much success with your Facebook group.
CLICK HERE to grab your copy of this checklist so you can refer back to it any time.
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by Kathleen LeGrys | Mar 18, 2017 | Getting New Clients, Growing Your Business, Marketing Ideas
I’m thrilled to have a fantastic guest post today by Amber Dugger. Amber is a Money Mindset and Wellness Coach, and I love how she has combined these two areas because they often go hand in hand for all of us.
Amber and I connected a few months ago, and I knew she would be able to share some great tips with you because we all know that income as a health coach isn’t always steady or predictable.
I hope you find this post helpful!
Here’s Amber..
{Disclaimer: Please make sure you talk to your accountant before you make any tax or investment decisions as I’m not familiar with your business or personal financial situation.}
As a health coach, you start off wearing so many hats. You are nose deep in learning about digital marketing, how to get more clients, creating blog posts and opt-ins and trying to figure out how to get that opt-in to connect to your email service. One thing that is less talked about is how to manage the cash as it starts to flow into your business. When it does start to flow in, it can be a bit exciting and confusing all at the same time. Where should I deposit this? What about taxes? Can I cover my bills with this income?
These questions are completely normal. It is also normal to want to put the task off on figuring out what to do with your money. The exciting news is that there is an easy and simple solution to helping you handle this new variable income even when you still have your normal monthly expenses. Curious? Read on, my friend.
Do you feel like creating a money plan will just make you feel restricted and put your freedom in jeopardy? Imagine me jumping up and down for a moment, grabbing you by the shoulders and looking you in the eyes. Hear this – a plan gives you freedom and flexibility.
Saving money successfully and running a financially sustainable business requires two things:
- Clarity of what your money is doing for you
- Awareness of where and when that money is going in and out of your business (this is what I like to call a money plan – it has a better ring to it than the often-dreaded word budget)
To have a successful money plan depends on two things: determining your desired end result and regular income. Screeeeeech. Regular income you ask? As a health coach, you may be thinking to yourself, well, this article is not for me. I don’t have regular income. But I sure do have regular expenses! (Email marketing service, living expenses, social media tools, Facebook ads, etc.)
Regular income is possible for a health coach. You can create this regularity of income in your own business. It just means that when you make a lot of money one month, you don’t pay yourself all of it. You create what many people call a “drip account.” On months where you don’t make as much money, you will use money from previous months where you made more than you needed.
Having a budget is even more important for someone with variable income vs. someone with a regular paycheck. A budget gives you a really clear picture of what your money is doing for you and how long it will last in times where your revenue is lower than your average.
Ready to jump on the exciting budget (money plan) train? Trust me, you will start smiling about your numbers soon. I can share that with experience….just hold on for the ride!
Step 1: Get clear on how much money you need to make to support your lifestyle (not what Facebook ads tell you…i.e., $5K months).
How do you do this?
- Take out a piece of paper (or open a new Google Sheet – my preference).
- List your fixed costs to live – rent, insurance, groceries, utilities, health insurance, car or transportation expenses.
- List any incidentals that you are currently spending money on that are more flexible (Amazon purchases, subscription services, dining, entertainment, gifts, electronics, organic powders, essential oils, supplements etc).
- Take a highlighter and mark all that are absolutely essential.
- Circle (or use a different color) the remaining expenses. We will revisit these numbers later.
Step 2: Get clear on how much money your business is costing you per month to run.
- Take a separate piece of paper (or new tab on your Google Sheet) and list out all of your monthly and annual costs. Email marketing, hosting services, website costs, virtual assistant, Facebook ads etc.
- Highlight the expenses that are absolutely essential. Do you see anything that is overlapping (ConvertKit and Leadpages for example? ConvertKit has landing page options so asking yourself if Leadpages is absolutely necessary is helpful to analyze).
Step 3: Finalize a monthly revenue goal that realistically covers your lifestyle goals and your business expenses.
Determine how much you want to set aside for taxes. There are several ways to do this. You can choose to just put aside 30% and know that most likely you will have money left over to reimburse yourself. You can also use an online tax withholdings calculator to estimate what you will owe or you can ask your accountant to determine your estimated taxes owed. Remember, you will need to make more than just enough to cover your personal expenses. You will need to also make enough to pay tax on the money that you are bringing into your business.
Step 4: When coming up with your monthly revenue goal, it is helpful to look at your specific needs and situation.
Do you have income coming in from other sources? Do you have a partner that is contributing to the household? Do you have freelance jobs or are you still working a day job and coaching in the evenings and weekends? Assess how much money is coming into your life and see how much you need to come up with. Once you have that number, you can see if you are currently averaging that amount (look at the last 3-6 months of income if possible.) Are you currently making that on average? If not, now is a good time to ask yourself how you will come up with the difference so that you can reach immediate sustainability (so you don’t incur or increase debt).
Step 5: From the work above, determine the amount of money that you will be paying yourself from your business account.
This is the amount of money that you will transfer to your personal account once (or twice) a month. This is the amount that you will be budgeting with when it comes to your personal finances. What about the extra that you made? Leave it in your business account for future months when your income is less OR set up a separate savings account so you can accumulate the “extras” and not be tempted to spend them on an impulse (“oh, I need that new camera!”).
*Here are some tips if you have discovered that you are spending more money than what you are currently bringing in and how to correct it:
- Revisit steps 1 and 2 – have you cut down your expenses to those that you truly need? I find that when I do this process with my clients, we continue to find expenses that are not necessary even after the 3rd or 4th review of the same information! Trust me, you will save yourself quite a bit of money – keep reviewing this.
- Look at your package prices and evaluate what your business revenue would look like if you were fully booked at your current prices. Does this amount satisfy your income needs? If it doesn’t, it is time to reevaluate your package prices and increase them so that you can run a sustainable business.
- Is the difference too great? If your expenses are too great and your income is still coming in bits and pieces and not covering your basic costs, administer some tough love and consider other temporary sources of income such as freelance jobs, side jobs or a part time job. Let me clear – this is a decision that many hold off on and regret not taking action sooner. This does NOT mean that you are failing in your business. It is quite the opposite. You are allowing yourself the ability to have additional energy (money) flow into your life so that you can continue to build your business while easing financial stress, increasing peace of mind and creating habits that will lead to building a thriving, impactful health coaching business.
Remember, profitability equals sustainability.
Profit earned authentically and sustainably is the lifeblood of your business. There is nothing wrong with earning a profit. It simply means that you are managing your expenses and being efficient with your business. Profit has little to do with the value of your services and so much more to do with the management of your cash. And by doing the action steps above, you will be well on your way to managing your cash with ease and give yourself the beautiful clarity and awareness of what your money is doing for you and your business.
Remember this – crowding out behavior doesn’t just apply to health, we can do it with our financial behaviors as well. Easing into financial freedom is key for sustainable success. Just take this process one day at a time, and grant yourself a lot of grace and love.
You got this!
Amber Dugger helps health coaches and service-based entrepreneurs sort their money headaches and increase their profit potential.
Learn more about Amber HERE and check out her incredibly helpful tips and resources.
OH, and be sure to join our incredible FREE Mastermind Group for Certified Health Coaches and Fitness Professionals.
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by Kathleen LeGrys | Feb 28, 2017 | Getting New Clients, Growing Your Business, Marketing Ideas
What if there was a way that you could dramatically boost your visibility so you could stand out in a sea of thousands of other health coaches, help more people, and earn more money?
There IS a way to set yourself apart from your competition.
This, my friend, is the beauty of niche marketing – and today I have an amazing line up of experts that are going to share some of their best tips with you so you can get clear on exactly who you want to serve, so you can start filling your practice.
I know this is a confusing and frustrating process for many health coaches, so we are going to break it down for you right here, right now.
I reached out to a few of my all-time favorite people that have a ton of experience with online marketing in the health and fitness space. I know you are going to find this incredibly helpful for figuring out how to attract your ideal clients, and earn more revenue.
Get ready for an awesome mini training that’s going to rock your world (and your business)!
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment at the end of the post!
Can you build a business without figuring out a niche market? Perhaps, but it will take you much longer. You also won’t be able to help as many people and likely won’t earn as much money.
We know it’s not all about money. You want to do what you’re passionate about. But for it to be a truly rewarding and viable career, you need and deserve to make a living from it. There are MILLIONS of people that need help, but maybe just a few hundred or even a few thousand of them are perfect for YOU.
What if you could reach that group of people, get their attention, and bring them into your world? People are eager to learn about your solution to their problem – they just have to be able to find you.
If your niche isn’t clear and specific, it is as though you are shouting from the mountain tops but no one can hear or see you.
You’ll be like that little fish in a huge pond – trying to compete with everyone else. Instead, think big fish in a small pond. A lot less competition, much more visibility.
When you begin as a brand new wellness professional, you probably won’t know exactly who it is that you want to serve. The most important thing you can do is start working with clients, get some practice, then figure out your niche as soon as you can. Don’t stress over it. You may discover your perfect niche once you start coaching, and it may end up being something very different than you first imagined. Be excited, and be open to the possibilities!
Now, let’s hear from our experts so that you can bring some of these ideas to life and start getting a dramatically better response from your marketing efforts, and reach the people you want to serve.
Get Clarity
First, let’s get clear about the purpose of a target market.
A target market defines who you market to, not who you work with!
If you meet a potential customer who is outside your target market, but you want to work with her – go right ahead! The role of marketing isn’t to limit who can buy your products and services.
Also, your target market isn’t forever. It’s simply a starting point to get traction and revenue in your business.
You want to start with one target market and commit to it for at least 6 months so you can build up some momentum. Then, once you’re established in that market, you can decide to expand to helping with other problems in that market, or you can add a new market as well. But if you try to be everything to everyone from the beginning, you’ll most likely dilute your efforts and not earn the kind of revenue you need to grow your practice.
So I recommend first getting really clear about the type of client you like to work with. Just do a brainstorm and think about types or groups of people. Who are you excited about helping? What have you had personal experience with? Where do you know people already? Then step away from the list for at least 30 min and come back with fresh eyes, to revisit the groups and see if one jumps out at you – the one you’re most motivated to work with. A good niche is one where the people know they have a specific problem, they have money to pay for a solution and you have access to them. Once you have an idea of the type of person you’d like to work with, you want to start talking to them to really uncover their problems, struggles and dreams. That combination of knowing the specific type of person and the specific problems she’s having that you can help with is a key to a great niche!
Choose a Niche that Resonates with You
Often it can be difficult to settle on a niche, because it feels like there’s a lot riding on the decision. You may feel that this decision will make or break your success.
It is an important decision, but it doesn’t have to be difficult to figure out.
One of the pitfalls that’s easy to make is choosing a niche that’s popular, but doesn’t really resonate with you. Choosing a niche that doesn’t resonate with you can make it more difficult to stay motivated in your business and feel comfortable promoting yourself.
To avoid this, start by answering these 5 key questions…
- Who do you love working with? These are the people who you find easy and fun to work with AND get great results.
- Why do your most successful clients come to you? If you’re currently working with clients or have worked with clients in the past, look back at Health History forms, intake forms, and/or your notes from initial consultations. (If you haven’t yet started working with clients, no worries… you can skip this question.)Notice any themes you see repeated over and over. (Try not to go on memory and be sure to look at your notes and forms.) Focus on looking at the files for clients who were “ideal” clients to work with who experienced great results.What was/is their biggest pain – their main motivation for coming to see you and work with you?I recall from my health coaching days that often people had many areas they wanted support with, but there was usually one main reason they decided to work with me. This main reason is something that was causing them enough frustration that they were willing to invest in working with me.)
- What do people continually ask you about? Think about your friends, co-workers, and people you meet networking and in the community and the questions that often come up. Pro Tip: Only take into account the questions that come up from people who are similar to people you want to work with.
- What message or information do you want to get out in the world? Think about areas YOU feel passionately about.
- What is your story? Often our niche is related to something we struggled with and overcame.
Putting it all Together
The answers to these questions are like puzzle pieces, that you can fit together to determine your niche. After you write out your answers to these questions, highlight where there’s overlap.
By combining these different elements, you’ll be able to determine an area of focus that…
- Is fun and comes naturally to you, so work is a pleasure
- Taps into what people want, so you can easily enroll clients, and
- Draws upon your passion and/or compelling story, which is what will keep you motivated and driven as you build your business
What If You’re Still Stuck?
After going through the process above, you might still feel stuck. There are two main reasons this may be happening…
- What clients come to you for, or what people ask you about, is completely different than what YOU are passionate about.
- You’re a new coach and you really don’t know what you want to help people with. You may have a few different things you’re passionate about.
If this is the case, I want to share a different way to think about niching, which is to start by choosing a niche for one program. This could be a short cleanse or detox… or it could be for a longer group or private coaching program.
To give you an example, one of my clients was interested in working with women who are having difficulty conceiving. So, she offered a program called “Jump Start Your Fertility – A 21 day Cleanse to Promote Conception.”
Choosing a niche for a single program allows you to test it out. You can determine whether you like working with the niche and gauge the level of interest from your audience and community.
Become a Specialist
Don’t find customers for your products; find products for your customers.” – Seth Godin
Let me ask you a quick question…
How well do you know your ideal client? I mean really know them.
Not just what their goals are, but what drives them. What is their life like every day? What is the story they keep telling themselves? What do they struggle with on a deep level? What fires them up inside and what is their underlying motivation?
Knowing (not guessing) the answers to these questions will help you to get inside the mind of your ideal clients and prospects.
When you specialize in KNOWING how to solve the problems for certain types of people, you create the opportunity to have an INCREDIBLE impact on someone’s life.
Not a “brushing the surface” kind of impact….but the kind of impact that can shift someone’s life forever.
If you look around at the majority of all fitness pros, nearly every single one helps people “lose weight, gain energy, and feel better”…. so what makes YOU different?
When you commit to specialize in helping people with a very specific kind of problem, you separate yourself from everyone else out there. You go from being a generalist to a specialist.
And when you’re a specialist, you have your own niche within the market. You begin to differentiate yourself as the go-to expert in your market, and you begin to be able to CREATE clients. (insert sun shining through the clouds here)
Having a niche will allow you to:
- Get exponentially BETTER RESULTS for your clients
- Work with clients that you LOVE to work with
- Make a LOT more money
- Become the GO-TO EXPERT in your field
When you create your products and services, you know EXACTLY what problem needs to be solved- down to the very last detail.
The more time you spend on understanding who your ideal clients are, the more effectively you’ll be able to create programs and services that solve their specific problems.
You’ll become the GO-TO expert for your niche.
Take a look at some of the greats in our industry. If you want to learn how to be a better baseball player, you’re going to Eric Cressey. If you want better glutes, you’re going to Brett Contreras. If you want to become a natural body builder, you’re heading to Nicole Wilkins.
You get the point. Each of these specialists know EXACTLY who they serve, and they UNDERSTAND what their clients need at a deep level.
HOWEVER- before you select the niche market that you’re going to specialize in, you want to pay attention to 3 things:
- Do you LOVE working with these people?
- Is your niche market able to afford your services at the prices you want to charge?
- Is your niche “big enough?” (are there enough people with this problem for you to be able to help to reach your goals.)
If you answer no to the first one, you need to pick a different niche. If you answer no to #2 or #3, spend some time thinking about if that uphill road is worth taking.
Now it’s your turn… what do YOU specialize in? Who do you serve? What is YOUR NICHE?
Find a Niche That’s Marketable
Narrowing your niche to a single ideal client can feel incredibly intimidating.
When you niche’ down it feels like you are eliminating so many potential new clients when, in fact, the opposite is true.
Let’s just say, for the sake of getting more clients, you bite the bullet, declare a niche’ and move forward in marketing your business.
Then the worst possible thing happens.
You don’t get any clients.
Now you’re asking yourself…
… did I pick the wrong niche’?
… is my niche’ too specific?
… is my niche’ not specific enough?
The truth is the problem may not be a reflection of your niche’ being too specific or not specific enough.
It’s more than likely a result of your niche’ not being marketable.
Let me give you an example.
Let’s say you’re a health coach that has chosen a niche’ of helping female career women/moms reduce stress and find time to put themselves first for a healthier, happier lifestyle.
That feels like a pretty good niche, don’t you think?
Your cause is noble, definitely needed and could help women navigate the extraordinarily busy life of motherhood and a career.
And yet, this incredibly perfect niche’ doesn’t seem to be attracting new clients.
What gives?
The reason is because it isn’t a ‘marketable niche’.
A marketable niche’ means you can target that audience with advertising, get your marketing materials in front of them on a consistent basis and can reach your target audience anytime you want.
So for the sake of our example how would you…
… target career moms in your advertising?
… target women that feel stress in your advertising?
… target women/moms that want to put themselves first in your advertising?
The fact is… you can’t.
Why?
Because there isn’t a place online, (my preference is Facebook), where these career moms are hanging out telling the world that they are stressed and want to put themselves first.
See why this niche is unreachable in terms of marketing?
Ideal clients that are chosen based on non-targetable attributes are always a source of frustration and disappointment when it comes to making sales.
So, how do you fix it?
Get more specific!!!
Declare a niche that offers you the opportunity to market your programs and services.
Let’s go back to our original niche’.
- ORIGINAL (Non-Marketable) NICHE’: Female career women/moms who want to reduce stress and find time to put themselves first for a healthier, happier lifestyle.
- Updated (Marketable) NICHE’: Women who want to conquer emotional eating and lose 25 pounds in 90 days.
- SUPER TARGETED (Marketable) NICHE’: Women attorneys that emotionally eat due to stress and want to lost 25 pounds in 90 days.
This niche’ can be marketed to in multiple ways.
- Target: Women attorneys
- Target: Emotional eating
- Target: Weight Loss
Facebook is THE BEST place to test your niche’ for marketing options.
Use the Facebook Audience Insights tool to test target options to learn if there are dedicated pages and groups where you are able to use paid advertising to directly market to your ideal client.
The bottom line: Verify that your niche’ is marketable and specific first.
Go Pro
There are plenty of suggestions about niching down by gender, hobby and even sport.
Here’s another idea…
Niche down by profession or industry.
I know. I know. Healthy eating for an accountant, attorney or CEO will all be the same, but that’s not the point. We’re talking about the marketing and speaking directly to a specific niche.
The biggest benefit of niching down by profession is they are EASY TO REACH. And the ability to reach your niche is the most difficult part of marketing.
But each industry has trade associations. Events. Industry-specific websites. Facebook groups. Newsletters. Magazines. Certification. Equipment companies.
You can reach out to the influencers and quickly become the go-to person for all things health-related in that industry!
Solving a Specific Problem
When it comes to narrowing down your niche and choosing an ideal client to focus on, the first thing I always suggest is to think about one single topic you are obsessed with.
If you were stranded on a desert island and had to learn about only one thing for the next 5 years straight what would it be?
Keep in mind you’ll be saved, and that one topic might morph into different things over time but start off by putting yourself on that island with a whole bunch of blogs and books on one single topic. What would it be?
You’ve got to love what is it that you’re doing and if you’re not totally obsessed with it, if it’s not fun for you to learn about, you’ll get bored and annoyed. When that happens, you won’t want to work on your business anymore. So pick something you’re obsessed with.
The next tip I have to narrow down your niche to become more visible and profitable is to focus on solving a very specific problem. This is so much more than just picking a niche. Let’s say your niche is digestion. That’s fine but what’s the actual problem you’re solving?
It’s highly unlikely that clients even know they have a digestive system problem; they have acid reflux. So they will be searching out articles and programs to get rid of acid reflux, not fix their digestion. Decide what narrow and specific problem you are solving and then create loads of free content and a paid program to solve that specific problem.
When you solve the acid reflux problem, instead of trying to promote a digestion program, you’ll become the expert in acid reflux, and you’ll attract the exact type of clients you want… clients who have digestive system problems.
Lori Kennedy
CEO, Lori Kennedy Inc.
thewellnessbusinesshub.com
We hope this post gave you some inspiration and great ideas for figuring out a profitable niche you love.
Before you go, be sure to grab your FREE GIFT Below!
by Kathleen LeGrys | Feb 23, 2017 | Email marketing, Growing Your Business, Marketing Ideas
Do you ever wonder how to boost engagement with the emails you’re sending (getting more opens, clicks and sales)?
Maybe you’re emailing your subscribers but not getting the results you hoped for, or maybe this whole email marketing thing seems a bit confusing.
No matter where you are in the email marketing process, this post will give you some great insights.
My guest today is my friend and online marketing expert, Amanda Cook. In this post, she’s sharing some of her top email marketing strategies to help you stay in touch with your subscribers in a meaningful way so you can turn them into ravings fans that look forward to hearing from you week after week.
Be sure to scroll all the way to the end of the post so you can sign up to get a free copy of Amanda’s upcoming book: Wellpreneur: The Ultimate Guide for Wellness Entrepreneurs to Nail Your Niche and Find Clients Online.
Here’s Amanda…
You’ve probably heard that you must have an email newsletter if you want to find health coaching clients online, but you may not realize that there is more than one way to establish trust and rapport (and get paying clients) using email.
First, let’s understand why it’s critical to keep in touch with your email subscribers, if you want to turn them into clients.
Think about a recent shopping experience. There are different types of shopping trips, right? Sometimes you’re just shopping for fun, wandering around stores and “just looking.” You might take this kind of shopping trip for a lot of reasons. You could be bored, you could have time to kill before an appointment, you might want inspiration and ideas, you might be doing some research for a future purchase — but whatever the reason, on this kind of shopping trip you’re not really motivated to buy. You’re just looking.
On other shopping trips you’ve got a goal in mind. Maybe that summer wedding is just a few weeks away and you need an outfit, or all your socks have holes, or your air conditioner broke during a heat wave, or you need something to cook for dinner tonight. In times like these, you’re shopping with the intention of buying — and on these kind of trips there’s a much higher probability that you’ll leave the store having made a purchase.
It’s the same situation with your email subscribers. People visit your website, read your content, and join your email list for a ton of different reasons — usually NOT because they want to buy health coaching services right now.
Something about your content and your opt-in gift caught their attention. It hit on their needs and aspirations, so they joined your email list, but they’re not necessarily ready to buy at this exact moment. That’s where email comes in. Your job is to keep in touch with them, offer value and connection, and make offers on your products and services. Then when they’re ready to buy, they’ll think of you first!
You don’t only have to keep in touch by a weekly email newsletter! I often recommend creating a simple email autoresponder as a way to keep in touch and make offers.
Here’s the difference between the two approaches:
Email newsletters are sent out to your entire email list at the same time. An email newsletter often includes a little note from you, your latest blog post or content, upcoming events, and an offer for your products and services. The key point is that you’ll be writing your email newsletter once per week, and when you send it, that’s it. Email newsletters are one-time-only. If someone joins your list the next day, they’ll have to wait until the following week to get your next email newsletter. Your email newsletter can also be something very simple (not a lengthy newsletter that takes hours to put together) where you share a simple tip, maybe a recipe and call to action on how they can work with you (either in the body of the newsletter or included in the P.S.).
Autoresponders are an automated sequence of emails that start whenever someone subscribes to your email list. This means that every new subscriber gets the same introductory experience to your business. It doesn’t matter when they join — Tuesday or Friday, at 3PM or 3AM — when they join your list, they’ll get a welcome email, and then they’ll get a specific series of emails dripped out to them over the coming days and weeks.
There are three huge benefits of autoresponders:
- Thoughtful Experience: You’ll know that new subscribers are seeing your very best content first, and you’re providing maximum value, because everyone is getting the same email sequence when they join.
- More Engagement: People love autoresponders (when they’re done ethically) because they receive an immediate piece of content when they join, followed by regular, valuable content that helps them — it’s a strange experience to sign up for an email list and then not hear anything for a month! A new subscriber is motivated and wants to learn about the topic, so an autoresponder lets you deliver on that immediately, regardless of when they sign up.
- Less Effort: You set up the autoresponder sequence once, and people get it whenever they subscribe! You can send email newsletters less frequently (focusing around timely information like events), because you know new subscribers are hearing from you automatically.
You usually have to pay for an email marketing service to use autoresponders (as opposed to email newsletters which are sometimes free, depending on the service). But for a small list, this cost is usually very affordable, and it can easily more than pay for itself.
How to Create a Simple Welcome Sequence
Create your first simple email autoresponder to welcome new subscribers into your business. Think about how people are joining your email list. Often it’s by downloading an eBook or other freebie. So start there.
Here’s an example of how a welcome sequence might look for a health coach offering a free eBook.
Sample Welcome Sequence (for an eBook):
- Day 0 — Subscriber receives link to download eBook.
- Day 1 — Subscriber receives a question: Did you read the eBook? Mention one part that is especially relevant and share a story about it from your own life.
- Day 2 — Tell a story about how to apply what they’ve learned to their life and offer a free strategy session.
- Day 5 — Keep the momentum going with another tip on how they can go further using this information, and offer a free strategy session.
That’s it! Keep it simple and easy. Just think about the experience of a new subscriber joining your list. What will they want to know? What are your best content and resources that can help them with their problem? What can you offer them?
You can make the welcome sequence as long as you want. You could stop after these few emails, or you could setup 6 months of weekly emails for each new subscriber – it’s totally up to you.
When you create your autoresponder welcome sequence, you just want to set it up so that the new subscribers don’t receive your weekly newsletter emails until they have finished this first sequence.
The most important consideration is that you stay in touch with your new subscribers, offer value and offer your services. You can do this in an email newsletter, as well as with an autoresponder in advance. Stay front of mind with your email subscribers, and make occasional offers, so you can convert some subscribers into paying clients.
About the Author
Amanda Cook is a digital marketer, health coach, host of The Wellpreneur Podcast, and author of Wellpreneur: The Ultimate Guide for Wellness Entrepreneurs to Nail Your Niche and Find Clients Online.
You can sign up to get notified about getting a FREE copy once it’s released: WellpreneurBook.com
I read an advance copy of the book, and believe me when I say you’re going to want to get your hands on it!
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