9 Online Business checklists.
Starting an online business is a controversial idea.
Some twitch their witch noses up at the idea of someone “making money teaching others how to make money”.
Honestly, who cares. Listen to the voice of reason: are you not watching the internet take over every aspect of our lives?
I’m not someone who pays much attention to whether or not society is going down or up. I go with the flow, and decide to win regardless.
The internet is taking over everything. Soon, it will be normal for everyone to work online, and you will either be the boss, or you’ll be an employee.
BLOGGING:
Blogs are informational websites concentrating on broad categories, or specific niches. Blog’s attract traffic through social media and Search Engines by publishing content that caters to their audience.
In other words: you’ll be writing a lot, and your writing will be based on the inquiries of those searching keywords in google.
Blogs are a great way to: make money from home, share your experiences, create a community.
1. Pick the name of your blog
There are a few things that haunt a successful blogger whenever things pick up speed, and one of them is the name of their blog. You want to think long term on this one. Don’t name your blog something silly or childish (bloggergirl434x0.com), and try to keep it simple. Blog names normally take the form of
- The blogger’s name (JamesSmith.com)
- The bloggers philosophy (nevergiveup.com)
- The result readers get from the blog (learntofreelancewrite.com)
2. Get your blog online!
You’ll need hosting for your blog and a domain name. The easiest way to accomplish this is to find a hosting company to take care of everything for you (no technical stuff on your end). There are several out there (godaddy, siteground etc…) but the only hosting company that I recommend is Bluehost (affiliate link).
For the record: the above link to Bluehost is an affiliate link, which means they will pay me when you sign up to use their service. You pay the same, I get paid for referring you.
- All hosting companies pay for referrals like this. In fact, Bluehost pays the least, I recommend them because (after using them for years now) I know they are the best when it comes to helping out beginners and taking care of problems that arise for you.
3. Decide on your Blog Look!
After you pick a good hosting platform, you’ll want to decide on a theme so that your blog doesn’t look like it’s from the 1990’s.
A few thoughts on themes:
- Look up color psychology, and then choose colors based on the emotions you want your readers to feel when they arrive on your content.
- Choose a paid theme if you can. It’s 2020, and one thing that is consistent today, just like yesterday, is that paid is normally better than free. Free themes are junk. I realize you might be interested in starting with a free theme on wordpress, but only as a stepping stone to your paid theme.
The paid themes I recommend are:
- Thrive themes
- Genesis Framework (affiliate link)
All theme companies will pay me, I’ve chosen the one’s I trust for you. In full transparency, I use Thrive Themes, and have NEVER used the Genesis Framework. HOWEVER, literally every blogger on the internet uses the Genesis Framework, and everyone swears by them. They have such a solid reputation behind them that I do not mind recommending them here to you.
Check them both out and decide which one suits you best. Picking a theme is always super fun 🙂
4. Get your first post out of the way
By now, you’ll already have your hosting, domain name, and your theme picked out. You might be afraid, or a tiny bit apprehensive about what you’ll even write about!
- Make your first blog post private, and just for you.
- Write about your goal in general, why are you doing this?
- What results do you hope for and when?
- How do you know when “this whole blogging thing” is successful. What does success look like for you?
Now your first blog post is out of the way, and nobody will even see it. When you’re the most popular blogger in the world, you’ll have some connection to what it was like when you started.
5. Pick a promotion platform
You can wait on google to rank all your posts, which could take months, or you can actively promote on…well, whatever promotional platforms you wish. Easy choices include social media platforms. Telling your friends and family is not embarassing. I promise you, nobody cares about your new blog. They won’t care until it’s big enough to make a difference and when it does, they’ll look like idiots for talkin smack!
Good Social media platforms to promote on include: instagram, linkedin, google+, pinterest and facebook.
Keep in mind: you’ll have to continually “feed the beast” meaning satisfy these social platforms with new content so you can build your following up.
6. Start to make money!
Now we’ve come full circle – this is an online business remember?! It’s time for you to start making money!
If you want to learn how I learned how to make money from my blog, I can honestly and genuinely refer you to the people who taught me when my blog was just a youngling.
Createandgo are the reasons why I made money from my blog so quickly, even being a complete beginner. If you want to check out the course I took from them, here is a link to the page.
Ways to monetize your blog:
- Affiliate marketing
- Your own products
- Your own services
- Ads
- Sponsorships
CONSULTING:
Consultants are individuals with expertise who are sought after for their advice on a particular subject. Consultants can be experts, but don’t need to be. They only need to be capable of solving the problem their being paid to solve.
1. Decide on your area of expertise (topic, group, offer)
Who will you help and how will you advise them? Your expertise could be something as detailed as “helping plumbers find more hot water heater repair customers”. Try and be as specific as you can, because when people really want results, they go to specialists, not generalists.
Fill in the blanks: I help [who? People, organizations] [what you help them with: specific] so that they can [the result they get from getting your help:] and avoid [what they’re paying you to help them be rid of] because i believe [philosophy behind why you want to be a consultant].
2. Come up with a method for getting clients
Your business is your deal, but I would recommend a website, a landing page of some kind, a social media presence, and having your own email list.
A website will allow you to rank for keywords (how to keep carnival equipment within safety regulations / hot water heater customers etc…), and when business owners search for help on the internet, your name will come up..
I would also recommend some kind of paid ads system that leads to a landing page, where you can screen potential clients and qualify them based on their level of interest. This is a more advanced technique though.
A social media presence will help expose people to you on a daily basis. Like Grant Cardone says, “You can either be perfect, or you can just be everywhere”. People do business with who they know, not who’s the best. Allow people to get to know you, making them more likely to become customers in the future.
Daily email is a forgotten jedi technique that almost nobody practices today. Which makes this a perfect season for you to get your feet wet and get results quickly. Start by creating some content that your potential clients will love (like a free checklist for how to get more hot water heater customers). Offer it to them for free. They’ll give you their email address in exchange for the freebie.
Then email them everyday, not super salsey or spammy, but to talk to them about their problems, and the potential solutions.
I’ve tried aweber, mailchimp and constant contact, but the only email autoresponder I recommend is convertkit (affiliate link). Utilizing other “free” options for autoresponders always proved to be bothersome [little support for problems] and irritating [not enough of the right features to make things work nicely].
You can get 2 weeks of convertkit free here. (affiliate link)
3. Automate that system
Using the tools like the autoresponder, you’ll be able to automate the process of acquiring clients, screening them by having them answer questions, and filtering out those who are seriously interested, and those who are only kind of interested.
A simple automation might look like this:
Paid ads > lead generation (getting their email address) > teaching them how to use your free offer for a few days > moving on to talking to them about your paid service > inviting them to take a survey to see if they’re a good fit > having them schedule a call
You can do most of that on autopilot with the right web services.
4. Decide on other ways to package your advice
There are several ways to package your advice so that those who don’t want a one-on-one situation with can still benefit from your expertise…and pay you!
- Webinars
- Conference calls
- Ebooks and guides
- programs , cd’s and courses
- Video lessons
FREELANCING:
Freelancing is a business where we take our natural or acquired skills and sell them to those who’d rather not do them. There are other business owners out there who HATE doing certain parts of their job. That’s where you come in.
When a blogger hates worrying about SEO, you’re the person who comes in and handles that for them.
This can work for any skills others are willing to pay you to do for them. If you don’t have them now, you can get them!
1. Work on yourself
What kind of lifestyle do you want to live? How much money do you really NEED to make? Make a list of everything (that costs money) that you want in your life. Add all that money up. Divide by 12. That’s how much you need to make per month to have freelancing completely transform your life..
What’s that number for you? $3000? Get 6 clients paying you $500 per month. On the internet, that’s easy.
Is your number much higher? Can you become filthy ass rich from freelancing? Coca Cola and Amazon don’t do EVERYTHING themselves. They have consultants and freelancers doing some of their work. Those freelancers are making serious money doing it as well.
Imagine that though. Working alongside Amazon. How qualified would you need to be? Those results are possible, but understand what’s necessary to get them.
2. Decide what you’ll offer
I heard Mike Shreeve say once “Develop your superpower. Your clients need saving from all their problems and stress. How are you going to save them with your superpower (your services)?”
Fill in the blanks: I help [who you help], [what you help them do], so that they can [result they get from being helped by you], because I believe that [philosophy behind the helping and your business].
3. Understand who you’ll be serving
Create a “niche person”. Give them a face, characteristics, hobbies, dreams, fears etc…
This will help you understand your future clients better.
4. Build your offer
Use the client arc: where your clients are now————–> where they want to be [how are you gonna get them there?]
What does that path look like? Your clients have frowns on right now. AFter working with you, they have smiles on. There is a path in between. What stepping stones are along that path? What are the steps they need to take to get where they want to be?
For example:
- Frowny face: no hot water heater repair clients
- Smiles: lots of hot water heater repair clients
- First step: being able to diagnose when a hot water heater is about to clunk out.
Your product/service: creating a survey of the entire area, gathering data, and calling those people to set up appointments so that all they have to do is show up, repair and and make money.
You get paid for doing all the “hard work”.
5. Package your knowledge in different ways
- As a freelancer, you have the option of “freelancing” in many different ways.
- You can do the service for your clients
- You can do the service with your clients
- You can package a guide
- Write a book
- Create a video
- Make a course
- Make a template, formula, or guide for them
And you’ll want more than one method of delivering your “value” to your clients because each one of them with have a unique situation and personal preferences.
6. Automate your client getting process
Please, please, please use all the technology for getting clients to your advantage. Asking all your friends, putting ads on the radio, having a huge rolodex full of numbers and addresses are all outdated methods that will kill your business.
Get into paid ads on facebook, instagram and…wherever else they are.
Create a sample of your work, and give it to prospects for free. Collect their email address and email your list offering your services often.
Develop whatever kind of social media presence you think is appropriate and off to the races with you.
7. Automate your sales process
Or at least as much of it as you can. When your first client comes in, you might be stumbling all over the place – looking for this sheet, that form, writing things down on napkins or whatever.
Haha.
But after a while, clients will come in on autopilot for you because you’ve become so expert. You’ll know what you need from them upfront in order to do the best job you can, and you’ll have the courage to ask them for it..
Have them fill on intake forms, questionnaires, make sure they understand how you are with your work and who you are as a person. You tolerate this, you expect that. Be confident, not pushy.
8. Scale: reach more, do less
It will get to the point where you can reach more people through HUGE calls, getting paid full price for each of them. You might even have your own VA one day to help you with your business. Which would be interested – a freelancer working for a freelancer.
Anyway, good luck. And stay tuned to all the emails I’ll be sending to you in the next coming days to learn how to set up your online business.
Influencing:
Influencing started with regular folks on youtube trying out and reviewing products, but now has transformed into an umbrella term that basically means “to become popular among a group or niche online and stem out from there”.
Influencers set up shop on their favorite social media platform, and go to town creating a seriously insane amount of content that people consume like hungry animals.
The best thing about influencing is that you can get other companies to sponsor you (money), you can create your own merch and sell it (money).
All Social media platforms are different. On instagram fitness guru’s and influencers partner with fitness companies who desire to reach that influencers audience.
On youtube, people create viral videos that everyone loves, and gradually see the ad money come in. They also make some money from patreon, their own merchandise, etc…
The moral of the story: influencing takes place on social media platforms, you sell your personality or authority on a certain topic, attract a group of followers and monetize from there. Influencing lends itself more to the bubbly personalities, nerdy experts and creatives.
1. Find your niche
I suppose that influencing in its pristine condition is just you using products that you love, and acting as a part of the sales process where others who watch you can see into the product, experiencing it without having bought it themselves.
That said, it may be beneficial for you to “niche down” and decide that area of life you can provide the most expert opinion, interest and well rounded content for.
For example, I highly doubt you’re gonna start a youtube channel where you just review everything you buy and expect people to like that right?…
You’d be better off centering your channel around “natural home cleaning products” and become the “natural products” expert that people go to.
Start by asking the right question: what are you so into that others might go to you for advice on? Guitar? Make up? Fashion? Fitness? Online Business software?
2. Come up with your unique spin
Nobody wants another person to teach them how to create an online business. Nobody wants them to teach another way to lose weight. You need something fresh, brand new and vibrant.
Right now you’re going over yet another checklist freebie…oh boy. And lookie, he’s teaching me how to start my online business, as if I haven’t seen a million youtube ads for that already!
But it’s not just that, and THELIFESYNTHESIS isn’t just about starting online businesses.
When I was stuck working in a warehouse job, it got to the point where I hated everything. I hated my life, i hated the people I worked with, I was snapping and getting pissy with my family.
My whole life felt like it had shrunk to the point where I was so uncomfortable, that I had to make everyone else uncomfortable also.
Eventually, I said enough is enough, followed some internal guidance system that was telling me to find a way to quit my job, and pursue something I was really into. So I did.
I started this blog, from nothing, and grew it into what it is now. Granted, I took advice from people who could teach me, so it’s not like I did it alone, but do you see the difference?
I’m not here just to teach you how to start an online business. There’s a million people out there already doing that. What I do, is show people who feel trapped how they can redirect and reCONTROL their own lives, and make it what THEY WANT it to be.
See the difference? You need a difference too, or nobody will care about you.
3. Which platforms will you be on?
You’re and influencer right? Who are you influencing and what channels of worldly communication are they one? Instagram, facebook, tiktok? Pinterest? Linked?
4. Find a few people who’ve already done it
This literally changed my life – find someone who’s already done it and beg borrow or steal their expertise and knowledge. Get the roadmap from them however you can. Sneak into their homes and steal the recipe.
5. Create an effective content creation and posting strategy
Eventually you’ll want to develop a strategy for posting content. You’ll do a bunch of random stuff at first, then you’ll see what people like and what they don’t by looking at your analytics.
Never forget the double down and forget maneuver, where you double down on what works and trash what doesn’t work (you thought it was a good idea, it wasn’t, no big deal).
6. Create all of your amazing content
Every day. It’s gotten to the point where social media channels are so competitive, you don’t wanna try and out compete people with quality. You might have a degree in graphic design, have the sexiest personality out there, etc…
…or you might just be a regular cat with big dreams. If that’s the case, opt for Grant Cardone’s (and mine) favorite method for success. “Don’t try and be perfect, just try and be everywhere…”
Literally. One piece of content per day. It can be anything, just make sure everyone is always seeing you and nobody ever forgets you.
7. Show up every day
Even small effort counts. Don’t dismiss your tasks because you don’t have time. First of all, make time…second of all, do what you can, and do it consistently!
8. Find others related to your niche
This basically means collaborate. Oh! And spy on them for ideas. XD
9. Respond to your followers!
Make sure you create more than a “followers give you money” scenario. Engage with them.
10. Mind your Analytics!
Pay attention to the backend of the social media channel and look at your stats. Create content based on those analytics.
Email Marketing:
Email marketing is just that – marketing via email. Nothing fancy here. Actually, instead of explaining it to you, I know a better way.
Have you ever signed up to receive 10% off your favorite sweater? Then you received an email with your coupon? Then after, whoever gave you the coupon started sending you more emails with sales? Did you hate them for it? NO! You love receiving the latest news on sales and getting free coupons. We all do.
- You signed up to receive information and goodies on something you love
- The company added you to their email list
- They send you a bunch of information you’re seriously interested in because you asked for it.
That’s email marketing!
1. See your business from a bird’s eye view. [niche? Products?]
Who are you emailing? Why? Who is your niche person? What is their dissatisfaction with life that they need your help for and what results will you help them get to change that?
What will you be selling them to get those results? Products? Yours or someone else’s? Services? Yours or someone else’s?
2. Sign up for an email auto responder
I do not recommend Aweber. I do not recommend mailchimp.
As of right now, I only recommend Convertkit (affiliate link).
Before you go off and say, “You only recommend convertkit because they pay you”.
FALSE. Every autoresponder will pay me to promote them, in fact, Constant Contact would pay me waaaaaay more, but I’m still not recommending them here, because I don’t think they’re the best for this situation. (same link)
Your best bet is convertkit, and yes, if you sign up, they will pay me. You pay the same, I get paid from their own pockets. Usually, you get extra bonuses through affiliate links though. Like with my link, you get 2 weeks of convertkit for free. It’s called affiliate marketing.
Either way, convertkit is the best, plain and simple. I’ve literally used them all. Swear.
3. Create or offer something AMAZING, and give it away for free!
What niche are you marketing in?
Fitness? Ok. What is painful part about your subscribers experience with fitness?
They lack the motivation to get in the gym.
Fantastic.
Now create a lead magnet, a freebie, or a white paper (essentially a free sample of your work), and call it
“6 things to say to yourself every time you think “I’ll just go tomorrow”.”
- “Yeah, but i never actually go tomorrow. It’s just a lie im feeding myself”.
- I have time right now though. And I need to be consistent, or ill never see results.
- I don’t even have the energy anymore to do the things I used to love doing.
- My life is falling apart because I don’t have confidence anymore. It’s because of my weight.
- It hurts to go to the gym right now, but it hurts worse to see myself in the mirror later.
- This much extra fat could actually kill me.
Would that get you into the gym?
Decorate the freebie up really nicely and give it to them for free. If it gets them results, they’ll love you for it now, and buy from you later.
4. Have products lined up [based on the nature of your business]
Go to a place like shareasale (affiliate link) or clickbank, or Rakuten!
& choose products that will help your following get the results they want.
It would help for you to:
- Imagine the people you’re writing to
- What are their problems? Do they have goals they want to accomplish? Like the fitness example?
- Look on products on the internet that help solve those problems
- See if they have an affiliate program. If so, sign up.
You could opt to create your own products as well. Whatever you think is best. It’s no harder to create a course than it is to write an email. Just more of the same kind of work as far as I’m concerned.
Make sure its good though. You can’t sell people trash.
5. Create welcome sequences to greet your subscribers
Whichever autoresponder you choose to go with, they will have ways for you to automate an email sequence that subscribers will get everytime they optin to get your free content.
That means, 24/7 people are subscribing to your list, and getting prewritten emails from you that you wrote months ago. You’ll be asleep, nurturing your following and making money.
6. Promote your FREE offer
Get on social media, and drive traffic to your lead magnet. Remember the “6 things to say to yourself when you think “I’ll just go to the gym tomorrow”.”
Get eyes on it so people sign up.
7. Create a Content calendar for your subscribers
An email list is going to cost you money if you ever expect to make any money with it. So make sure you are always sending free advice to your subscribers, and giving them ample opportunity to take advantage of all your paid services.
8. Write and sell to your email list consistently!
I guess i explained this in number 7. oops.
Affiliate Marketing:
Affiliate marketing is when you find high quality companies/products centered around the topic of your content/niche and market those products to your following instead of creating your own.
1. Sign up for Affiliate Marketing Platforms
There are individuals with affiliate programs, and then there are huge companies that creators go to in order to find affiliates like you.
If you don’t know anyone with a product right now, you’re better off finding a company like that, like shareasale, or clickbank.
Here’s a list of beginner friendly affiliate programs you can sign up for right now and start making money right away!
- shareAsale (affiliate link) (normally accepts beginners with no experience immediately)
- Clickbank (free, but you’ll have to sift through all the garbage products to find goodies)
- Rakuten (complicated, but still accepts beginners within 24 hrs most of the time)
2. Understand the Laws around Affiliate Marketing
Read the FTC’s laws on affiliate marketing here. They’re not as scary as they look, millions of people do affiliate marketing with no serious issues, but you DO want to know these laws exist and do your best to follow them.
https://www.privacypolicies.com/blog/ftc-affiliate-disclosure/
3. Pick your platforms!
Yes, affiliate marketing will be done on some platform. Here’s how you will do it.
- SOCIAL MEDIA PAID ADS > THEIR EMAIL > AFF MARKETING THROUGH EMAIL LIST
- SOCIAL MEDIA REGULAR CONTENT WITH LINKS SPRINKLED IN > COMMISSIONS
- OTHER CONTENT (COURSES, EMAILS, EBOOKS, BLOG) > CLICK LINK > COMMISSIONS
- OTHER CONTENT (COURSES, EMAILS, EBOOKS, BLOG) > EMAIL LIST > CONTENT TO THE EMAIL LIST > CLICK LINK > COMMISSIONS
4. Drive traffic to your products
The advanced boys and girls out there doing affiliate marketing are using paid ads, and high end email marketing (as well as social media). You’ll be doing the same, but at your own pace. Using paid ads is a more advanced technique for when you’ve been doing this for a while.
Regardless, you’ll be curating content and offering it for free, and doing affiliate marketing in the process whether you’re on instagram, pinterest, facebook, or a blog.
Bonus: Build a Following / Find a way to turn your customers into repeat customers
ALTERNATE METHOD: involves more content creation
1. Choose a platform
Blog, pinterest, facebook, email, instagram, podcast etc…
2. Pick a Niche [eg: finance, fitness]
3. Create content people want to consume
Know your audience. Who are they, and what does their future (desired self) look like? Create content for them based on descriptions of their current situations [pain] their desired self [pleasure] and how they can reach that [your advice. Make sure its good.]
4. Find products that will solve their pain points/problems
Use places like shareasale (same affiliate link) and click bank to search for products that are good enough to market to these people. They trust you, remember that.
5. Purchase those products [ideally]
Don’t be an ass. I have marketed products that I’ve not personally tested before, but only in certain circumstances. If you scroll to the blogging checklist, you’ll find that I recommend using the Genesis Framework, even though I’ve never used it myself.
This is true, but every other blogger on earth loves this Framework, and everyone already knows that.
Times when you don’t need to purchase a product before promoting it:
- The product/companies reputation is so staggerly great that everyone already knows they’re good.
- You purchased an earlier model and cannot discern any noticeable changes (a yearly edition product like a planner or a yearly digest)
6. Offer good products to those who consume your content
Find your followings truest desires, and paint them a nice picture of what life could be like if they would take the steps necessary to get there. This product will help them do just that!
Webinars:
Webinars are a part of the sales process where people can get a sneak peak at your product and what it entails, so that they can decide if the purchase is a good move to make for them.
It involves a pre-recorded video where you give them an inside scoop on what you’re offering. Keep in mind, that randoms aren’t showing up to watch your webinar. These people who show up are already primed and interested in what you have to offer, and just need a bit more convincing.
You will have already done much of the groundwork before they watch.
1. Pick a niche or niches that to sell in
Niches are broad categories like: finance, self improvement, motherhood, fashion etc…
2. Sign up for a webinar hosting service like GoToWebinar or WebinarJam
These are hosting platforms that will help you set up your webinar.
Get your first 60 days of WebinarJam for only $1 here. (affiliate link)
3. Create an offer or find someone else’s product to sell
Either create your own product, or sell someone elses product.
4. Figure out how you’re going to drive traffic
5. Drive traffic and host your webinars!
6. Make sure you offer replays!
You cannot reasonably expect everyone to show up on the first showing of your webinar. And saying “SHOW UP OR NOTHING HAR HAR HAR” just makes you an ass.
Believe it or nothing, a significant amount of sales come after the replay is watched…not on the original playing.
Send them an email with the reply. XD
Coaching:
Coaching involves advising others on the best ways to reach the goals and dreams they have for their lives. I used to do coaching and it can be quite rewarding. Coaching differs from therapy in that it is solution focused rather than problem focused.
You won’t be helping anyone heal from past pain or trauma. Coaches focus on the past only to the extent that they can decide what their clients would rather have, and move toward that end.
Personally, coaching brought in some serious cash and tremendous experiencing helping others. I still think it’s one of the best and least technical (internet savvy) ways to make money from your passion online.
Aspects of coaching:
- Very hands on
- Normally done 1 on 1 and one-at-a-time
- Possible to scale but mostly still trading hours for dollars
- Coaching packages are possible so that people can purchase your expertise without being a one-on-one client
1. Do you really want to Coach?
As a coach, you help people with their goals and aspirations. You listen to a person say “This is what I have in mind for my life, but I have these blocks…what do I do?”
& then you help them.
You are not a problem solver, you are a result getter. That’s the difference between a coach and a therapist.
Therapists help others understand, and heal from their past, problems, and pain.
Coaches are future, success, and goal oriented. As a coach, your job is not to help solve people’s problems.
Your job is to understand their problems to the extent that it helps you help them move forward. Then do so.
2. Decide who you will Coach
Once again, we’re going to niche down, which really means – who do you want to help? Why? When? Where, and in what ways?
You might decide that you want to help pregnant women and new mothers journey through their pregnancy, remain sane during the progress, and stay with them as they journey into motherhood, while coaching them on how to maintain their positive mentality, and not hinder their newborns with the stress they are experiencing.
See how specific and detailed that is? If you cannot get that detailed, starting with little is better than not starting at all. You’ll discover yourself along the way, don’t worry.
3. What will your platform be?
There will be tools that all coaches use, and you will have to decide that unique combination for yourself depending on your situation.
A would combine a website with an email list, and then choose whichever social media platforms are appropriate for you.
- How to create your website (if you don’t plan on blogging, this process will still work for you)
- 2 weeks free of convertkit (affliate link – for your email list)
You can make this decision by doing some market research on the people (niche) you plan on coaching, and finding out which platforms they use the most. I recommend becoming proficient at one, rather than shotgunning and doing all of them right away.
4. Plan on giving away free content for a while
Particularly on your social media, 99 percent of your content should be free. This does not mean you sell yourself short, and never sell at all. It means that everyone who is successful “nowadays” forms a special relationship with their following/clients. This ends up manifesting as you charting their journey through daily snippets and helpful tips.
If you plan on coaching young parents, you could create a seven day challenge on reshaping their mindset.
Basically, it just means you create a bunch of free advice, and post it as content, so they get a feel about who you are.
5. Plan out the services you offer
Take out a sheet of paper, and draw a smiley face on one end. Now draw a frowny face on the other end. Now draw a line in between them, connecting them.
The frowny face is where your clients are right now. The smiley face is where they want to be in their lives. This face is their goals dreams and inner most desires for change and accomplishment. The line represents your service that serves as the vehicle transporting them from frown to smile.
Chart that journey. What steps does one take to get from your clients current position to where they want to be? Now take those steps and turn them into services and products that you can offer them.
If you coach young entrepreneurs, the first step might be believing they can actually achieve the big dreams they have. So you create a 7 day CHANGE YOUR MINDSET challenge for them.
Or something…XD
6. Package your services differently for different people!
This one is simple, some prefer to listen and to read. You might think it silly to take the same thing and repackaged it in a different medium, but there are people who won’t consume your coaching content out there if it’s written.
But if they can listen to it in their car, they’d love to. See where I’m going?
7. Nuture a huge audience and offer your services regularly
This goes along with constantly publishing content on your social media, email list, and having an ongoing conversation with your followers, readers, potential clients, etc…
Always be talking about this problem they have, the solution they desire, and how you can help them make that journey quickly.
Present your service as the solution to a whole myriad of issues they have in life, (because it is) and let them know what life can be like when they take you up on your offer to be coached by you.
