Over the last two months I’ve been spotlighting nine different marketing vehicles you might want to consider incorporating into your marketing strategy as a coach, solopreneur or virtual entrepreneur. They all are valuable in terms of enhancing your visibility and building connections with prospective clients. If you haven’t seen the past posts, be sure to check out those in podcasting, speaking and also product development.
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Today’s post takes us into the marketing landscape of conferences and trade shows. Depending on who you work with you might consider this one strategy or two.
Trade shows are still very common in larger urban centers and can provide a valuable way to “get out” in front of prospective clients and most importantly have conversations with those who could benefit from your skills.

Trade shows can be an expensive investment for larger events so you might want to consider partnering with others to show case your skills or thinking about another way to provide support. For example, could you sponsor a meal, insert something into tote bags, sponsor a lanyard.

Like other strategies, being clear on your intended purpose – to build brand awareness vs. have conversations with those who you serve - is key for choosing the right vehicle and strategy.

Related to trade shows is one of my favorite approaches – conferences. Conferences are an amazing way to connect with your clients and showcase what you have to offer if you enjoy speaking. Building in time to attend other sessions while you are there can also provide invaluable insights into what is truly important, topical and emerging for your client group.

If you are considering speaking at conferences, consider:

1. Where do you want to speak?  (Think: where do your clients attend)
2. What is the timeframe for submitting a proposal – not some proposals have a 9-12 month lead time?
3. What cost will be associated – consider travel and time out of office?
4. How many people attend? What is the average size of presentation room?
5. What would your clients want to learn about?
6. What do you want to showcase?

​Conferences can also provide the value of supporting your ongoing professional development. Consider how you might cover both off at the same time by attending, and speaking at, a couple of conferences in the next year.
 
As we round out this series, what are your next steps around marketing? What time have you earmarked for this?

Best,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author multiple books including the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018), Effective Group Coaching (2010)
Potentials Realized
Phone: 416-996-8326
Check out the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series of daily prompts for your work and business over on  Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder.

As we continue along our marketing voyage through section 3 of the Coaching Business Builder’s 9 promotional vehicles, this week we are going to explore lunch and learns, and associations.

Lunch and learns have the benefit of bringing an audience to you, without you having to bring them together yourself. Lunch and learns are usually short, 45 -60 minute lunch time (or breakfast) presentations delivered in organizations or associations on a range of topics. They can be a great opportunity to pilot or trial new content.
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Questions to consider:

• What is the content or program you’d like to bring out to a new audience but haven’t had the opportunity to pilot yet?
• What piece of a larger body of work could you deliver to an organization or association?
• What stand alone content do you have to deliver?

Lunch and learns are a great way to expand your repertoire and connect with new audiences (especially if you are delivering a session for an association). Be aware of the time it takes to develop and deliver. With an engagement in the middle of the day, what else can you schedule if you have to travel?

Associations and Professional Bodies
Associations and professional bodies are another great marketing source. From becoming a speaker at their annual conference, hosting a webinar or attending as a vendor at a trade show, associations are a ready-made community resource of professionals.

Activity:
What are the associations your clients/prospective clients belong to? What events do they offer throughout the year? How might you connect in and add value to their members? Take a look at what associations and organization around you are looking for speakers. What is their deadline for applications?  Pull together a list of possible topics which could be of interest to their audience.

What action steps do you want to take this week around lunch and learns and/or associations? Be sure to check out the relevant exercises in Section 3 of Coaching Business Builder.

Best wishes,
​Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author multiple books including the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018), Effective Group Coaching (2010)
Potentials Realized
Phone: 416-996-8326
Check out the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series of daily prompts for your work and business over on  Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder.

Each month I share a daily calendar of prompts to support you in reflecting and taking action on  your business.
The August 1BizStepaDay is focused on Systems Check. Systems help us replicate things, and scale. They also leave us time to focus on tasks that require more energy or new thinking. As i explore in Coaching Business Builder, and PlanDoTrack, we may want to develop systems in areas including Marketing, Clients/Customers, Communication, Programming and financial.

As with other months, I hope that you will take 15 minutes each day to review the prompts and get into action around your work.

Download this month's 1BizStepaDay here.

Check out past month's 1BizStepADay posts here


Enjoy the focus,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018), Effective Group Coaching (2010), From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching,
Host of the Coaching Biz Growth Lab(TM)  - a coaching group for coaches
Potentials Realized
Phone: 416-996-8326
Check out the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series of daily prompts for your work and business over on  Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder.

Products can be a popular line of revenue in and of themselves. We’ll take a closer look at this in future months but take a look around at what other businesses similar to yours offer. This might include:

• Books
• Workbooks
• Online courses
• Live courses
• Video series

There are many different ways you can go with product development.
Do you want it to be:

• Digital or Something Tangible?
• Book? Course? Support?
• Low Price? High Price?
• Introduction to your work? A Standalone?

Questions to consider when  you think about products:

1. What are your clients asking for?
2. What do you wish you had and could provide for clients?
3. What processes and approaches have you developed that could be a stand alone?
4. What might provide a nice passive revenue for you?

​Best wishes,
​Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC - Potentials Realized
Author of the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018), Effective Group Coaching (2010) and others
Join us at the Coaching Biz Growth Lab this fall to focus on your business consistently. We meet the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month from 3 - 4 pm Eastern
Phone: 416-996-8326
Check out the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series of daily prompts for your work and business over on  Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder.

Another marketing vehicle many coaches may want to explore is that of article writing. Articles can come in all shapes and sizes – from 500 - 700 words to much longer. Articles can be posted on your own website, on collaborative article sites such as EzineArticles.com. You might also consider becoming a contributor to a larger publication.
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What can you repurpose? Part of marketing success is repurposing and when approaching article writing you may not have to start from scratch. What is the content you already have that may be leveraged? Have you done a recent speaking engagement? Is there anything from that, that can be used? Could you weave together a series of shorter blog posts into a longer article?

Who is the audience? Writing with the audience in mind is key for positioning and angling your message. What is it that you want to communicate? What will they find interesting around this topic?

What’s the message? What are the key points of the message? Writing from an initial outline helps to keep an article focused. What are the three to five main points you want to communicate in your article? How clearly are these laid out?

What is your call to action? After reading the article, what do you want people to do? What action steps? What research or dialogue do you want them to undertake?

What are the things people are searching for? Consider key words: It’s one thing to write an article, another thing for it to be found. In creating a title for your article, consider what terms people may be looking for. Are there key words. Is this a How to…. article or a Ways to …. article. Consider what terms people are searching for.

What’s the appropriate length? What’s the best length of article for the audience and publication? Do some research and/or review the submission guidelines. While you won’t submit the same article in different locations, it’s likely you can repurpose some and change the slant of the topic.

What do you want to spotlight in your bio? Articles usually are followed by a short bio. What do you want to highlight in that? What are the items you want to spotlight?

Article writing can be a valuable approach for marketing. As with any of the other marketing vehicles we have been exploring, consider what is going to be a strategic use of your time and energy.

As it relates to article writing, check out section 3 of the Coaching Business Builder for more questions and exercises to gain clarity around your core messaging.

Best wishes,
​Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author multiple books including the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018), Effective Group Coaching (2010)
Potentials Realized
Phone: 416-996-8326
Check out the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series of daily prompts for your work and business over on  Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder.