How Coaches Can Be Social Media Superstars Without Feeling Overwhelmed
Being visible on social media is essential for coaches who want to stay connected with their target audience and grow their pipeline of new clients. Social media is the most powerful tool for building a business — when you know how to use it. It’s so important to the success of your practice that one-third of the ICF Business Development Series 2024: Core course is focused on helping you become a social media superstar.
Of course, social media can be a huge time-sink if you don’t have a plan and a strategic approach to remaining visible. That’s the place to start. Then, you can take advantage of techniques that will amplify your impact.
These 10 attitudes, ideas, and quick tricks will help you push past obstacles so you can be visible, available, and valuable to your future clients.
Be Relentlessly Focused on Your Niche
Forget about universal acclaim. You don’t need follower counts that rival Beyoncé or Justin Bieber. Your mission is to remain ever-visible to your target audience — the people you seek to support. Focus on quality over quantity. When your message resonates deeply with the members of your niche, you build relationships with your future clients.
Be Lazy — In a Smart Way
Don’t exhaust yourself by constantly churning out entirely new content. Repurpose and remix your valuable insights. Turn a series of articles into a whitepaper, a presentation script into an article, and a webinar into a series of YouTube video clips. For each item you create, think of at least three ways to repurpose the content.
Give Value
Do you dread the thought of selling your practice on social media? Flip the script! Instead of a sales pitch, make each post a beautifully wrapped gift of value — a harmony of helpful insights shared generously. Your content should speak to the needs of your audience, enriching their day with inspiring insights and actionable advice.
Mine Your Daily Gold
Think you’re out of compelling content? Look around! Your daily interactions are golden nuggets, ready to share. Spin your experiences into relatable stories, forging stronger connections with your audience. Let your followers connect with you on a personal level.
Use Your Time Wisely
Don the hat of a time wizard. By crafting a series of content instead of one-off posts, you amp up your efficiency — spending less time conjuring content and more time interacting with your followers. Content that’s delivered as a series spurs greater engagement.
Inspire Serendipity
Yes, you can plan luck. By maintaining an active social presence, you’re creating opportunities you aren’t even aware of — a potential new client, an unforeseen collaboration, a chance to make a significant impact. To help make this happen, use all the appropriate hashtags to direct people who don’t know you to your thought leadership.
Repeat Your Hits
The “Broken Record” strategy isn’t a flaw; it’s your greatest hits album. Not everyone catches your content the first time. In fact, typically, only 2-5% of your connections and followers will likely see your posts. Repetition ensures your message reaches your existing audience and new sets of eyes, spreading your influence further.
Do Like Tasks
No need to invent a time machine. Scheduling tools let you maintain a consistent social presence while being extra efficient with your time. That allows you to be visible to your audience while you’re crafting your next big idea.
Delegate to Elevate
Limited resources? Outsource. Hand off the tasks that drain your energy so you can focus on what brings you joy! There are so many resources you can engage — copy editors, social media content posters, SEO experts, etc. Platforms like UpWork and Fiverr host a variety of freelancers ready to assist with your needs.
Make AI Your Friend
AI isn’t about losing your personal touch. Think of it as your co-pilot. Tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and other generative AI can enhance your content, helping to refine your message and spark new ideas. In this context, AI is part muse, part administrative assistant, and part copy editor.
Social media can be a powerful way to establish and grow your practice. When you’re consistent and deliberate in your approach, you’ll make a significant impact without feeling overwhelmed.
In addition to these strategies, I will dive into foundational business development concepts and more during the ICF Business Development Series. The on-demand Core course is currently available and for those seeking to enhance their skills further, consider joining us for the live presentation of BDS 24: Advanced on June 4-6. To learn more and register, visit the ICF website.
William Arruda (USA)
William Arruda is a personal branding pioneer, author, trainer, and the Host of the ICF Business Development Series (Core and Advanced Programs). Join him as he helps coaches bolster their brands and expand their success. In 2017 he was given the ICF Chair Award for his contribution to coaching.
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