Feb 22
Professional Coach? Here’s What I Think You Need to Know About Content Creation
“I just keep wondering if all of this work is even worth it.” Jane* sighed, her discouragement apparent over the phone. We’d just met — it was our first conversation actually, and I could see why Jane felt overwhelmed by her current content marketing. (*Not her real name.)
Like most high achievers who own their own businesses, Jane was spreading herself thin. Really thin. The coaching practice she ran for business owners was her bread and butter income. But she was also an author, speaker, workshop presenter, podcaster, blogger, retreat leader, and mother.
In reviewing her content marketing plan three things stood out to me:
- Jane had a lot of great information to share…but wasn’t always consistent in sharing it.
- She struggled to “stay on top of everything” that she felt needed to be done in her business.
- Jane was frustrated. Burning the candles at both ends had resulted in infrequent blog posts, a spotty social media presence, and an all-around feeling that content marketing didn’t work.
I get it. Being consistent with your content is HARD. Even someone who does this for a living (moi) finds it very challenging. And when you’re trying to juggle social media, blogging, video creation, and/or other content marketing on top of your core business, it gets even more difficult.
“I’m just not seeing the ROI I thought I would,” she continued. “If all of this is really beneficial, then why isn’t it resulting in direct inquiries for my services?”
Is Content Marketing Still Valuable?
If you feel like Jane, you’re certainly not alone. Some days the idea of “content marketing” feels more like a lot of digital marketing agencies pushing their services in an Emperor’s New Clothes scenario.
“If everyone else is doing it and seeing good results, I guess I should be too,” many coaches tell themselves. And so they join yet another new platform and tell themselves to get better organized.
But adding another task to your marketing checklist isn’t the point, nor is it always beneficial. Just like forced self-care (a great idea by Kate Blake), a content strategy and plan needs to come from a place of authenticity. It’s more than just something to cross off a to-do list.
Instead, you want to be effective — build more solid leads, create more action on your website, get more referrals — in less time.
How? By simplifying and streamlining your existing communication plan or creating one if you don’t have one in place yet. Doing so will result in a less overwhelming situation for you and more action-taking by your audience.
“People don’t want what you make. They want the way it will make them feel, and there aren’t that many feelings to choose from.”-Seth Godin, author/marketing guru
It’s also important to remember the goal of content creation. It’s not to result in 100 leads a week. It’s to share yourself/your gifts/your talents with the world. It’s to be helpful. And it’s to educate your audience.
Content creation, over time, sets you apart as an expert. Or at least someone highly knowledgeable in your field.
It also helps others get to know, like, and trust you — and we know these are essential for would-be clients. But be warned: it’s a long game. Think extreme marathon rather than quick sprint around the track.
If I could help coaches understand one thing about content creation it would be this: keep it as simple and streamlined as possible.
You DON’T need to be everywhere, doing all the things. Choose one, maybe two social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok(?), Medium, Discord) and share helpful stuff.
Yes, there are a couple of other key bits you’ll need: clear CTAs (Calls to Action), story-based content to draw readers in, and a way to showcase your skills and talents in a way that addresses your clients' pain points. But keeping your online outreach clutter-free and simple will make all of that more effective.
Questions? Comments? What did I miss? Please leave a comment and let me know. And thanks for reading, I’m glad you’re here.
Joy Choquette writes website content by day and suspense novels by night. Learn more by visiting her website, www.joychoquette.com
