Think about the marketing techniques used in some of the most popular products and brands across the globe.
- The websites are easy to navigate.
- The graphics are crisp and clean-cut.
- Social media posts are designed to expand outreach to the right audience at the right time.
But the most significant difference between big brands and small businesses is messaging. If you’re familiar with StoryBrand, then I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you. When these clients are looking for a professional, life, or financial coach — they’re looking for someone who will help structure their life in an uncomplicated fashion. They need a clear, concise message that will steer them in the right direction. So, how do you implement marketing and brand messaging into your marketing materials like your website and social media? To get new clients, you need to have a solid foundation of trust, and trust must be built ━ this is where brand messaging comes into play. It’s not about what products or services you offer as a coach. It’s what you can do for them and how you showcase that via brand messaging. Not only does the right style of brand messaging build trust with clients new and old, but it also helps to boost your sales in the process. Here are some ways to utilize brand messaging via StroyBrand to build trust and boost sales in the coaching industry.
#1. Focus Your Attention on Your Niche
What Is A Niche?
A niche is a specialized market for which you are best fitted. Niches are focused, target areas — they’re small, they’re specific, and it’s one thing known to you. Some examples of niches for coaches are:
- Life Coaching
- Career Coaching
- Financial Coaching
- Real Estate Coaching
- Leadership Coaching
- Investment Coaching
Why Should You Niche?
As a coach, you should niche because you simply cannot coach in every category of coaching. It would be incredibly overwhelming to know the ins and outs of all of the different areas in the coaching industry. It’s best to focus on one niche which will spill over into your marketing (especially your content and message) so that the right person will find you — and the wrong will stay clear.
How Should You Niche?
Look at the general population carefully. Is there a certain group you want to help coach? Or is there a topic you are passionate about and want to help educate others on? How will you help these individuals find their own path to success in this specific market? The only way to send out a solid brand message that isn’t confusing to your clients is to solidify your market niche. Market your services for your niche only. This will not only keep the message clear and clean-cut, but it will also help you find a voice and stand out from the competition.
#2. Find Your Own Brand Voice
Your brand voice is the distinct personality your brand will take on with its communications. It’s the way you’ll talk to your clients through your unique style of communication. You should have a brand voice to direct towards your target audience. You can pick the style that best works for you and your personality, whether it be playful, intellectual, ominous, authoritative, fun, or kind. Whatever you do, make it you and make it yours. When you are developing your brand message, think about the message itself and how you’re presenting it to your clients. If your message comes off genuine, authentic, original (*insert other synonyms here), you’re in good shape. Keeping in mind that you’re probably not the only professional, financial, or life coach, defining your brand voice is critical in standing out against the competition. Don’t do what everyone else is doing, no matter how successful they are or how great it looks on paper. Personalize your message — make it your own. Tell a story about how you got to where you are now. What got you interested in professional, life, or financial coaching? Share your journey with all of the steps, trials, successes, and failures along the way. Giving your testimonial will help build trust and create a unique brand message in several ways:
- Establishing credibility through your own personal story shows why clients can trust you.
- Establishing a connection with your own personal story will put clients on the same level as yourself. You will appear more understanding of their situation, given that you’ve shared the challenges you faced yourself along the way.
- Establishing a sense of humility for the path you took to get to where you are will help build trust with your clients. You’re explaining their situation through your eyes, not from the perspective of looking down on them. That makes all the difference. You become relatable.
#3. Maintain Consistency in Your Message
Brand messaging goes well beyond the content that shows up in a web search engine or on your website. From colors and themes to fonts, logos, and taglines, keeping your online presence and your brand consistent is just as important as the message you’re sending out to existing and potential clients. Maintaining consistency in your message is about taking the time to develop your brand and voice to form an identity against the competition. Any indicator of a lack of attention to detail may turn people away. Consider how your webpage looks when someone clicks on it from a search engine. Do the colors and logo match up to what someone would see in an app, on a mobile device, on a computer, or on social media. If there are inconsistencies, it is important you research and fix them. Otherwise, you will lose the strength behind brand consistency and subsequently the trust that comes from a strong brand message and design.
#4. Get Inspired By Others!
If you’re still not sold on whether or not using StoryBrand is the right way to build your coaching business — let’s take a look at some success stories. We’ve built some coaching websites that have used the StoryBrand method and have seen great results. These results could be possible for you too — and give you some inspiration for your own sites.
Dan Cremons: The Executive Catalyst
Dan Cremons specializes in helping “growth-stage leaders and their companies to ignite” by using “ideas, tools, and coaching to support leaders and their companies during period of change and newness.”
The Story
Dan knows that it is perfectly normal for those in a leadership role to go through changes, whether it’s due to an acquisition or another transition and that through these changes, one needs momentum. In the first section, you will see precisely how to get in touch and what he offers. The headers and typeface are clear, making navigation a breeze.
The Narrative
The next section of Dan’s website lets leaders know that he understands change is challenging. He knows that when leaders try to do things alone, they are spinning their own wheels — costing the company.
The Plan
The following section is a video presentation from Dan Cremons where he discusses with leaders how exactly he can help them. Because he knows that leaders can see the value, he makes it easy to reach out and connect. The plan at The Executive Catalyst is to “get the spark you need to avoid missed opportunities, sluggish growth, and diluted impact.” Dan is ready to show you how to become the type of leader who can get the best from their team — all the time — but especially when changes are afoot and maybe that momentum just isn’t there. By defining a clear-cut plan of action, Dan Cremons attracts first-time CEOs, newly formed leadership teams, new managers and leaders, growth-stage investors, and even new executives starting a new job.
Accelera Partners
Accelera Partners specializes in helping (coaching) investors to build their business by bringing in the best people for the most critical roles. Accelera teaches that investors need their team to be on the same page bringing the best stuff they have to offer.
The Story
Sadly, most investors tend to focus more on capital structure and strategy and less on talent and leadership, causing the company to suffer. Accelera Partners wants to change that. Again we see in the first section a website offering to tell you precisely what they will do for you, how to get in touch with the team, and easy navigation for finding your way around the resources.
The Narrative
The next section of the Accelera Partners website lets investors know exactly who they serve — “The new breed of talent focused investors” and how they’re going to help this investor learn the tools of executive leadership. And if the investor is unsure, they can download a free resource guide to help.
The Plan
The following section showcases a clear plan of action for investors on how Accelera Partners can help. By working through the Deal Cycle, investors will work through three sections, each with clearly defined steps and goals to help them achieve their best leadership skills for growth and development. By having this Deal Cycle clear and present on the website, investors can then decide whether Accelera Partners is a coaching company to help them put their best business forward. And, if the Deal Cycle were not enough to make a decision, Acelera Partners then follows up with a video presentation, clear testimonials from previous clients, and a statement from the founder.
Where StoryBrand Comes into Play
Following a solid path in the development of your brand message can seem intimidating at times. As StoryBrand Certified Guides, we know how to do branding right for your business. From significant brand messaging changes to website designs and more, we craft a plan for your brand that is unique to you. Your business will finally get the attention it deserves with the right message out to your audience. Contact us today and let us help you develop a brand message that will do right by your business, your clients, and your own story.
