Three Things I’ve Learned About Social Media for Coaches

I think we can all agree social media is an important aspect of building your coaching practice. It’s really where the party’s at right now, right? More and more coaches are popping up on Instagram and Facebook and that little yellow Snapchat ghost seems to be everywhere.

And this just makes sense.

If you want people to read your blog, buy your products or use your services, you have to establish a connection with them first.

And your tribe is on social media.

Truth be told, I spend a ton of time on my blog; it’s a full-blown team effort to keep that machine running. On average, my blog gets about 360 clicks each time I post something new and e-mail it out to my list. The number of comments on each post though is far lower (thank you Allison Volk for your commitment to the comment box!).

But I just posted a picture on Instagram that got 86 likes in ten minutes, and I dare you to find a blog post of mine with half that many comments. #sadbuttrue

So if you look at the numbers, more people are checking me out on Instagram than hanging out on my website all week. And more importantly, they’re responding to what I’m posting.

I’m guessing the same is true for you.

Let me be clear… your website matters. Your blog is important. But in terms of promotion, they’re small potatoes compared to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like.

Sorry, Kevin Costner. This is not an “if you build it, they will come” situation here. As a coach, you must leverage social media in order to redirect users to your website. Which is awesome because social media gives you a free, easy and (dare I say) creative way to build that trust and affinity with your followers every single day.

Though I still find myself on the social media learning curve (for sure!), I have learned some valuable lessons about how and when to engage online. And I’d like to share them with you.

So here are my tips to pump up your personal connection with your tribe through social media so that they trust you enough to visit your website, sign up for your list, purchase your programs and tell all their friends to do the same.

Practice Transparency

When I first began coaching actors at the ripe old age of 24, I was afraid people wouldn’t trust me because of my age. I let that fear influence my marketing, and I worked overtime to be seen as Professor Dallas, the expert. Now, that’s a part of me for sure, but it’s definitely a more reserved public side. It’s not the whole picture of who I am.

As my business evolved, I learned to be more self-accepting, and I opened up about my strengths and, more importantly, my weak spots in my blog posts, programs, and marketing. I found that the more I pulled back that curtain, the more people responded. And not just my students, even people on my list who I’d never met before reached out to me to say thanks, to inquire about my work, and to share their own personal stories too.

I saw my business grow organically (and dramatically) the more visible and transparent I became. And, I learned a valuable lesson. It’s OK to be imperfect. In fact, practicing public imperfection will help your tribe respect you even more.

Stay Consistent

Think of social media as a river. You only notice what floats by you from your spot on shore. You’re going to remember the duck that floats by every Thursday at noon better than the one who you see once… then two weeks later… then 9 days later… So consistency is key to staying on people’s minds.

I think Hilary Rushford is a boss at social media. Why? Surprise, surprise, she consistently communicates her brand experience. And I am definitely her target audience. I’m picking up what she’s putting down, and I’m doing it every day.

(Important Reminder! Staying consistent also extends to all your messages. I am very conscious that I am a public figure, and though I practice transparency and am very open about my process, I make sure everything I post online aligns with my brand experience.)

Dominate. Don’t Dabble.

If you’re social-media averse, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the platforms available. There’s almost too many to count, right? But never fear.

You do not have to master them all before taking action. Find the format that resonates with you and the one where you feel your target audience or dream clients are hanging out.

Full confession: My personal favorite app is Instagram, but it’s not the platform that brings my business the most traffic. That award goes to Twitter. I’m a visual person, and it’s easy for me to post a fun picture every day that’s still representative of my brand experience. But the functionality of Twitter allows me to have easy, real-time interaction with potential clients. So I utilize both.

So let go of the idea that you have to be a pro at everything at once. Just pick your favorite app, set a schedule you can stick with and start cultivating that connection with your followers. Knock it out of the park, Bambino. And let me know how it goes in the comments below.