This will come as no surprise to you, but one of the most important ingredients for a successful online coaching business is your content.
Lots and lots of content.
Never ending content.
It can feel daunting to say the least.
But let me say two things about content.
Thing 1: If you are consistent about sharing valuable content with your community, you will have trust and affinity with them. And you’ll see the results of that show up on your client roster and in your bank account.
Thing 2: After 10+ years in online business, here’s what I know to be true: ideas seek YOU out. You just have to know how to capture them.
And yes… you guessed it. I’ve got a formula to help you do just that.
Whether it’s your blog, your Instagram feed, or any other way you inspire, educate and connect with your audience, there are three ways content ideas find you.
Content Magnet #1: Your Client Sessions
I strongly recommend you build in time at the end of every client session to summarize and capture talking points or questions that arise. This really only takes 3 minutes.
I’ll give you an example.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a session with a client whom I’ll call Brian. He’s developing a new program. As Brian shared some really fun ideas, I noticed that he focused solely on the look and feel of the program rather than the unique problem this program would solve for his audience.
So, in the midst of all the excitement, I had to pump the brakes a bit.
I said to him, “I see how excited you are, but we’re missing a really important component. First, we need to identify who your ideal client is, what problem they are facing, and how your program will solve it. Then, we get to decide the best way to construct the program so that it serves your client in the most powerful way. And only after that, we can take a look at what your program will look like.”
So, Brian and I did some coaching to clarify his ideal client’s big burning issue. It was very clarifying for him and I know it will make a difference in his program launch.
When our session ended, I took some time to write down the main points of that conversation because I knew it would be valuable information to share in my blog. I created a Content Vault for you to capture your ideas too. Grab it here.
And… here we are. I’m writing a blog inspired by my coaching session with Brian. Ta-da!
And, guess what? Next week I’ll take you through the crucial step by step I took Brian through to help him build a powerful program.
Now, back to the topic at hand: capture content ideas.
Content Magnet #2: Your Inbox
Every day, I get coaching questions from members of my tribe. Sometimes that’s in my Coaches on a Mission Facebook group, other times, it’s in my inbox.
And yes, I do my best to address these questions, but then I go one step further and put the juiciest questions in my content vault for future blog topics.
Here’s a tip: Don’t just jot questions down. Outline how you answered these questions so writing a blog on that topic comes easily.
Content Magnet #3: Everyday Conversations
Pay attention to any issue, opportunity, or question that you address with your tribe (especially the stuff that comes up more than once). If two people come to you with the same concern or inquiry, it’s a sign! Here’s a problem you can really solve for people, whether it’s through the content you publish every week or in the programs you build for your community.
Inside my first coaching business, the Thriving Artist Circle, my most successful program was called the 42 Day Book a Job Challenge. That program grew out of a frustration that a private client had about the stagnation within her acting career.
So, I just did what I do: I coached her and came up with a formula that she tested. Then, I captured the formula on paper to save for future reference. When I saw that this formula worked so well for my client, I turned it into a program that generated a ton of interest in my business, a ton of excitement for my tribe, and a ton of results for my students.
So, here’s the takeaway: We all know the importance of creating consistent content and, more often than not, we dread it. We don’t necessarily love to shoot videos or to slog out a new blog every week.
But what we do love is to coach.
So, why not use your zone of genius to easily and effortlessly create content that really serves people? But don’t forget to capture your genius inside a content vault! You can snag mine here to make your life easier.
Every session you have with a client, every Q&A you host in one of your programs, every question or comment on your social media content, and every email you receive is potential content for a powerful blog, Facebook Live, or program.
Ideas are endless and sharing them begins with summarizing your sessions and capturing questions.
I know I sound like a broken record, but there is a catch… you MUST capture these moments when they come your way.
I often assume I will remember everything that ever comes up in a coaching conversation. Especially because I know my clients really well and I’m super invested in them and their work.
Also, our conversations are always very productive and powerful. So I often catch myself thinking, “Of course I will remember to write about this!”
But then, the next client calls, or groceries have to be purchased, or emails have to be addressed, and those ideas float into the ether.
Sound familiar?
Don’t sweat. I’ve created a special google doc that you can copy and use as your content vault!
In case you missed the other 84 times I linked to it in this post, you can click here to grab it now.
