{"id":29061,"date":"2021-04-14T11:00:47","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T15:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/the-dos-and-donts-of-social-media-for-coaches\/"},"modified":"2021-04-14T11:00:47","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T15:00:47","slug":"the-dos-and-donts-of-social-media-for-coaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/the-dos-and-donts-of-social-media-for-coaches\/","title":{"rendered":"The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media for Coaches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Twen<\/span>ty\u00a0<\/span>years ago, having your own website was enough to \u201cbe online.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the rules have changed<\/span>. Today, if you aren\u2019t on social media, you\u2019re not visible enough.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And understanding social media is no easy feat. There are so many platforms<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and each one works differently, so how\u00a0<\/span>do<\/span>\u00a0you\u00a0<\/span>learn these platforms\u00a0<\/span>and grow your coaching business without getting completely overwhelmed?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some key learnings I\u2019ve discovered on my own social media journey, so you can start yours with more clarity and get results faster.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Common Social Media Mistakes\u00a0<\/span><\/b>t<\/span><\/b>o Avoid\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

When using social media,\u00a0<\/span>think like a business and not a user. Why? Because it will give you\u00a0<\/span>better strategic\u00a0<\/span>clarity and help you avoid these\u00a0<\/span>three\u00a0<\/span>common mistakes<\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mistake #1: No Clear Goal\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not having a clear goal\u00a0<\/span>as to\u00a0<\/span>why you are using a social media platform is like trying to hit the\u00a0<\/span>bulls<\/span>eye target with your eyes closed. And if you wait for the goal to magically appear along the way, you\u2019ll end up losing energy, effort and most importantly, time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You need a specific and clear goal to focus on,<\/span>\u00a0achieve<\/span>, and\u00a0<\/span>then\u00a0<\/span>continue on the next objective.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just to be clear, \u201cgrow your following\u201d or \u201cfind new clients\u201d are not clear goals. Be\u00a0<\/span>more\u00a0<\/span>specific!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mistake #2: Getting Sucked\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Into<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>t<\/span><\/b>he Social Media \u201cBlack Hole\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you ever opened Facebook, Instagram or\u00a0<\/span>any other platform<\/span>\u00a0just to\u00a0<\/span>browse<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>a few minutes, looking for some \u201cinspiration for your next post,\u201d and next thing you know you\u2019ve been scrolling for over an hour?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It happens to all of us. Social platforms are like black holes<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0they suck you in and you completely lose track of time.\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>his is precious time you need to grow your business.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To avoid this mistake, give yourself\u00a0<\/span>boundar<\/span>ies<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0Set a timer and hold yourself accountable for getting the needed \u201cresearch\u201d done in the established time, keeping yourself in the \u201cbusiness\u201d mindset.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mistake #3: Outsourcing Your Tasks\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Growing your presence on social media takes time and effort, which makes it tempting to hire someone else to manage your content and engage on your different platforms.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

T<\/span>his is fine if you are active on several platforms, have a growing\u00a0<\/span>following<\/span>\u00a0and are building a team. But if you\u2019re just getting started, it\u2019s crucial to keep in mind how you are showing up.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your audience follows YOU.\u00a0<\/span>So<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0remember to be always present and active on your platforms and show up fully, so you can build an authentic brand and reputation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that you know the three mistakes to avoid,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>what should you actually do<\/span>\u00a0to build an effective social media strategy<\/span>?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4 Effective Social Media\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Strategies<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Social media is a long-term game, which means if you want to succeed, you need to work with timeless strategies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are\u00a0<\/span>four<\/span>\u00a0key\u00a0<\/span>strategies I recommend<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Strategy #1: Choose Your Platform\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First things first<\/span>:\u00a0<\/span>b<\/span>eing on all social media platforms is like being on none, especially when you\u2019re just getting started.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These platforms can be hard to master<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and it\u2019s important you focus your efforts on mastering one at a time to build a solid and consistent brand.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Choose your platform based on who your target audience is, where you can find them<\/span>\u00a0and which platform you feel most comfortable with.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This will not only give you focus, but also clarity on what your audience is interested in, what kind of content to create<\/span>\u00a0and the resources you will need to make it work.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Strategy #2: Create Powerful Content\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Success on social media platforms is related to what you post on your account as opposed to how many people see it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Share unique and compelling content that will relate with your current followers and the future ones that will find your account.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Explore storytelling and test different formats to find out what your audience resonates most with<\/span>. Then<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0leverage the\u00a0<\/span>formats<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0the best engagement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Strategy #3: Build Rapport with your Audience\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The main objective of using online platforms is to create connections and engagement with your audience, to truly interact with them.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Make sure you engage back with your audience by\u00a0<\/span>responding\u00a0<\/span>to their comments, asking them to share their questions, or doing\u00a0<\/span>l<\/span>ive videos to directly connect with them.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can also give likes, shares<\/span>\u00a0or comment on people\u2019s post<\/span>s on their own pages. What you\u2019re looking for is getting the same activity from other people on your posts as they are attracted to your generosity and approachability to share ideas.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Strategy #4: Be Consistent\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For a powerful following, you need to be consistent about your platform presence. Create a schedule in which you determine how many times a day or a week you want to share content and keep it running, so followers don\u2019t forget about your account.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If daily posts are too much to handle at first, you can do weekly. The secret is to find consistency on a regular basis and post quality content.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Create your monthly content calendar so you can\u00a0<\/span>plan ahead<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>stay on\u00a0<\/span>track<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to remember that social media marketing is not a quantity game<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0it\u2019s a quality game. Having massive following, likes<\/span>\u00a0and comments will not determine your success as a coach if the people following you are not your ideal audience. Clarity, content<\/span>\u00a0and consistency will go a long way!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Twenty\u00a0years ago, having your own website was enough to \u201cbe online.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 But…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":12261,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Social Media for Coaches: The Dos and Don'ts","_seopress_titles_desc":"Boost your online presence with effective social media strategies for coaches. Explore practical tips to enhance your reach in the blog.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"audience-type":[118,121,124,120,122,125,117,113,114],"display-option":[],"post-type":[128],"topic":[64,100],"_person-tax":[2006],"class_list":{"0":"post-29061","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"audience-type-experienced-coaches","8":"audience-type-external-coaches","9":"audience-type-icf-chapter-leaders","10":"audience-type-internal-coaches","11":"audience-type-managers-leaders-using-coaching","12":"audience-type-mentor-coaches","13":"audience-type-new-coaches","14":"audience-type-professional-coaches","15":"audience-type-team-and-group-coaches","16":"post-type-blog","17":"topic-business-development","18":"topic-marketing","19":"_person-tax-2006","20":"not-partnership-post","33":"_person-tax-27920","34":"has-featured-image"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29061\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"audience-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/audience-type?post=29061"},{"taxonomy":"display-option","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/display-option?post=29061"},{"taxonomy":"post-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-type?post=29061"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=29061"},{"taxonomy":"_person-tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_person-tax?post=29061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}