Social Branding for Coaches

Many coaches get accredited in DISC Behavioral Analysis as a first step or as a part of their coaching training. Once they complete their training as a Certified Behavioral Consultant or as a Certified Behavioral Life Coach, one of the most often asked questions is how do I reach my potential clients. We, at PeopleKeys, are here to help while you’re expanding your coaching network. One of the first places you should start developing your brand is on social media, and here are a few points for you to consider.

Social communication is not only an “I” job.

While I-type personalities tend to be natural influencers and communicators, not all personalities are accustomed to the impact social media can bring upon a community. For some DISC styles, social media can be a bit uncomfortable because it means you will be required to interact with others. It means you will have to be informative yet entertaining, concerned yet empowering, and ready to engage in small talk in order to build loyalty amongst consumers. Taking a more “us” approach to social media, as opposed to a “me” approach may be one concern, while other DISC personalities are more comfortable blending in amongst the crowd or empathizing with the problems of others. While you’re encouraged to hand this job over to an “I,” consulting with one may be all it takes for success. Having a variety of marketing messages which address each of the four personality types will be most effective.

Relevant content and interaction are key.

Don’t worry about the numbers, initially. If you build it up, the numbers will come. You should select one or two sites to regularly post content and be consistent in your activity. Interaction is key because it will not only help your posts be seen more often, but it will lead your posts to become viral with little to no effort or capital from your wallet. Grow your base by contributing relevant content to your social presence and encourage your audiences to interact with your brand. By becoming “friends” with your brand and allowing your contacts to be part of your story, they will begin to talk about you to others. “Word of mouth” marketing is the hardest form of marketing to achieve, but by following this strategy you will soon earn referrals and gain credibility amongst more niche-based communities.

Step out of your comfort zone.

Don’t be afraid to join new or low-traffic sites. Becoming the first often leads to prestige. Entering niche communities, you will be branded as a leader. Leading your field within those communities will empower leads to convert. Start building your rank and enable people to find you. Based on the algorithms of most social networking sites, the more you post the more your content is crawled (assessed for value by the network it’s on). The more your content is engaged with, the more ranking you earn in return.

Allow your presence to be found.

Organic discovery, based on content, subject matter, and keywords, pays most in the long run. The more shares you receive, the more your network will grow as that content is more likely to be seen than those with less authority. A few trends to explore, when branding socially across the web:

#Hashtag campaigns

Hashtags will make you discoverable as people use them to centralize and search for similar and related content. Why don’t you try searching yourself #PowerofDISC?

Search engines and keywords

Unless you are already recognized as a legacy in the coaching sector, people use search engines to look for keywords. Include keywords such as coaching, DISC assessments, DISC personality style, and behavioral attitudes in your content.

LinkedIn is a professional networking site

Explore LinkedIn and start networking with other professionals. Most people are on LinkedIn, but only a small portion of people are actually brave enough to make that first move. For this, LinkedIn is one of the most underutilized tools.

• Entertain and inform
• In the professional world, most people want to learn and stay productive, but they don’t have time to take on another course or enroll in a class. They either enjoy being entertained or informed, and that’s where you can “get them.” Use memes, infographics, eBooks and other creative “giveaways.” They should always reflect the vision of your brand.
• Don’t be afraid to link out
• Always include a link to your site, social media and/or dedicated landing page. If people are interested in what they continue to see, they are going to want to learn more. Finally, all links, whether successfully attracting customers or not, will trigger search engines and place your presence higher within the search results.

Discover other effective ways to leverage new clientele, build your brand, and increase revenue:

• How to become a recognized coach with your content
• 6 ways to build your coaching network offline
• Turn your consulting energy into coaching revenue
• Expand your Coaching Network with your “Net Worth”