For whom is this guide
At Studio for Digital Growth, we have successfully helped coaches expand their blog content and significantly increase their website traffic, attracting thousands of visitors from Google each month. In this article, we aim to share with you our top tips and strategies for content marketing tailored specifically for coaches.
The knowledge that you’ll gain from this article can be applied at any stage of your coaching business journey. Whether you’re just starting out or have been blogging for some time without seeing the desired results, and wondering if there’s more you could be doing, this guide is for you. Additionally, we’ll answer some of the most common questions our coaching clients had when we first started working together, and offer best practices that you can apply yourself for free.
Learning to blog for your coaching business: Can “anyone” do it?
You might find yourself asking these questions at the beginning: Do I need to learn to write content “professionally” in some way for it to become a source of income for my coaching business? Will I achieve any reach at all if I don’t have “real” content marketing or blogging experience? And is it even worth the time investment?
We believe that a blog article is simply a text that can be shared and found online. As such, it is accessible to any coach who has domain expertise they would like to share with their audience, provided they adhere to SEO and content marketing best practices. Therefore, blogging is well-suited for coaches looking to use content as an additional marketing channel for their business. Unlike academic texts, the success of a blog does not depend on the linguistic style or expressive talent used.
How you can make money from your coaching blog by choosing the right monetization strategy
Not all blog monetization tactics are suitable for a coaching business. For instance, even with a large audience, you may find that display ads, sponsored posts, and collaborations come with certain disadvantages. Attracting respected brands and generating significant advertising revenue often require higher traffic volumes, which can be challenging to achieve if you are focusing on a specific niche.
In our experience, the two most effective blog monetization options for coaches are:
- Organic lead generation with blog SEO: Ideal for high-ticket programs such as private or one-on-one coaching
This option requires a well-thought-out thought-out keyword strategy to serve search demand optimally. This option is often the #1 driver of coaching content ROI. - Product sales, such as courses, books, frameworks, and processes
This strategy requires a coaching marketing funnel and several front-end products, such as a book or digital product download. It scales with the growth of your blog content over time and complements organic lead generation with blog SEO.
Note: These two strategies can work synergistically. We recommend employing both and expanding your front-end product offerings over time while simultaneously scaling your coaching blog content.
Understanding your target audience and asking the right questions
A blog is more than just a thought journal
Of course, you can simply write and share your thoughts with the world. This approach allows you to emotionally connect with your readers and attract new followers who share similar views. However, this method is more akin to keeping a thought journal than engaging in traditional blog marketing.
Leveraging search demand data to craft content that meets your readers’ needs
Search demand is a strategic factor that sets blog posts apart from essays. By precisely identifying what users are searching for and creating content that meets this demand, you can develop a targeted strategy for building a marketing channel with economic benefits.
Asking the right questions
The essential questions to always consider are:
- How can you assist the reader?
- How can you guide them from point A to point B?
- What new information are you providing?
- Or, can you provide a straightforward explanation for topics that are typically complex or technical?
4 unusual content ideas for your coaching blog
Sometimes, finding the inspiration to begin writing an original blog post can be challenging. Rather than forcing yourself to write content that doesn’t resonate or spending time researching topics aimlessly, consider using the following tips to discover what content truly engages your target audience.
- Customer Conversations: Make it a practice to record questions after a call with a coaching client or a group coaching session. Over time, you’ll notice emerging topic categories. Plus, you can share these insights through a newsletter, providing real value to your customers without overwhelming them with content.
- Comments on Social Media Posts: These can be polarizing, triggering, or inspiring and often reflect current concerns of many people. By picking an idea from these comments and expanding it in a blog post, you’ll align more closely with your target niche’s interests.
- Your Challenges: If you’re tackling a particularly tough project requiring innovative solutions, document your process from start to finish. Sharing this content, especially with long-tail keywords like “How can I…?” or “Where can I find…?” helps others facing similar issues and enhances understanding through explanatory screenshots.
- Your Network: Engage with friends and family outside your industry. These conversations can spark new and unusual ideas. Explore how other sectors handle specific challenges, and bring these fresh perspectives into your content.
Turning customer case studies into coaching blog content to build trust
Demonstrating your expertise with a detailed case study achieves two important goals: it showcases your knowledge and expertise while also building trust with your target audience. This type of content also works great when interacting with potential customers, allowing you to effectively highlight your successes:
“As demonstrated in our case study, we achieved result B for customer A using this approach.”
We’ve found that directing potential clients to your content is a far more persuasive and engaging method than verbally trying to communicate the same information.
5 common blogging and content marketing mistakes that coaches do:
Here are five common mistakes that could be preventing your blog from gaining more traffic:
- Universal Content: Your blog lacks a consistent theme or topic, positioning you as a generalist rather than an expert in your field. This lack of clarity makes it difficult for readers to understand what you are offering and why they should trust you. Search engines prefer content from recognized experts over generalist content, impacting your visibility and reach.
- Yellow-press style instead of problem awareness: While entertaining content can be appealing, especially when you’re eager to share your thoughts and promote your blog, it might not be the most effective approach. Focusing solely on personal views doesn’t address the reader’s needs. On the other hand, creating helpful content showcases to Google that you understand the problems that your target audience faces.
- Lack of visual support with scroll-stopper quality: Without graphical elements like scroll stoppers, your blog content may appear plain and less engaging. Infographics and other visual aids not only break up lengthy text segments but also help to structure your message and engage readers more effectively.
- The author is not mentioned: Including an author bio at the end of your articles can significantly enhance reader connection, particularly in longer posts. This small section helps reduce the sense of detachment and encourages readers to engage further. Remember, an author profile is a timeless element that, once created, can be reused across various parts of your website.
- The text ends without a pitch = the marketing journey is a one-way street: While your primary objective as a coaching business owner is to generate leads and sales, it’s crucial to first build a foundation of trust. The number of interactions (or touchpoints) required to transition from a first impression to securing a new client differ across industries and niches. However, steering potential clients towards low-commitment resources like webinars or guides is a highly effective marketing tactic. These resources require minimal emotional investment, making them an excellent method for nurturing trust before encouraging more significant commitments.
Bonus: Here are some touchpoint ideas to inspire each stage of your marketing funnel:
- Top of the funnel: Online community, podcast, guides, white paper, checklist, follow-me
- Middle of the funnel: Video trainings, challenges, online events, webinars
- Bottom of the funnel: Free consultation with a link to your online calendar
Going the extra mile by tracking button clicks
Monitoring button clicks gives you insights into how many visitors are interested in taking further action, providing a clear ratio of engagement to visits. This data becomes even more valuable as your volume of blog articles increases. Experiment with different content formats to discover which CTA options best support your marketing goals.
Should you offer a free consultation as a way to directly generate leads from your coaching content?
A common concern is that a direct Call to Action (CTA) for a consultation may seem too aggressive, deterring potential clients. However, at Studio for Digital Growth, we have found success using low-funnel CTAs in our blog articles, such as in our “Marketing for Coaches 101” guide, which consistently generate inquiries. We recommend experimenting to find what resonates best with your audience.
Why infographics are important and how to create them yourself without much effort
In addition to text, visual enhancements are a crucial element of every blog post. It gives you the opportunity to be found in the image search by using photos, graphics, logos, and thumbnails – provided you achieve a good ranking.
In order to find out which content will make you stand out from the crowd, it is advisable to do some research beforehand. By entering 2-3 keywords, you will get an impression of what kind of visual content tends to work well, or hasn’t been created yet.
The next step is creation. You can delegate this step to a graphic designer or your VA. Alternatively, you can use online tools such as Canva if you prefer a DIY approach.
Pro tip: Infographics appear much smaller in Google’s image results compared to your website. The font size of the first headline should be large enough to be easily readable, even in a smaller preview format. A clean, uncluttered graphic is definitely advantageous in this context.
Should you include a logo on the infographic?
On the one hand, yes, as it’s part of your brand. On the other hand, it may take up unnecessary space and does not provide additional value information-wise. The decision ultimately hinges on how effectively you can integrate the logo into your infographic while maintaining a clean and reader-centric design.
Don’t be discouraged by low search volume (long-tail keywords)
Considering using keywords with a low search volume (less than 100 searches per month)? Don’t be too quick to dismiss them. Although securing top rankings for highly searched keywords (over 1000 searches per month) can be challenging, focusing on low-volume keywords may offer untapped opportunities.
Your competitors are likely targeting the same high-volume keywords and may already have comprehensive content on these topics. However, low-volume keywords can still have a significant impact, especially if you’re targeting a niche market. These “keyword rarities” might not reflect high search traffic but can be highly relevant to your specific audience.
If you are based outside of the United States, you might have encountered challenges with long-tail keywords, as standard keyword tools often show little to no search volume for them. Here’s a useful trick: select 2-3 of these keywords and set your keyword tool to the USA geographic setting. This often reveals a higher volume of data and helps uncover semantically related terms. Phrases often begin with queries like:
- How can I …
- What are the benefits of …
- Frequent mistakes …
Leveraging these less competitive keywords not only addresses specific inquiries but can also position you as a pioneer in your field, enhancing your status as an expert. Remember, just because a keyword isn’t widely searched doesn’t diminish its potential value to your audience. Also, keyword tools are riddled by blind spots, and by focusing on these niche keywords, you can effectively engage a more targeted group of readers and establish a strong presence in your niche.
Is blogging worth the time investment? (Example calculation with CLV, CAC)
Content marketing requires a certain time investment. The tasks of researching, crafting the content and images, making revisions, and formatting it on your website can cumulatively take 1 to 2 days depending on its length.
To effectively evaluate the time investment required, consider several key factors: a) the reader’s affinity for your personal writing style, b) the nature of what you’re promoting or selling, and c) the potential revenue you can generate. Use your own experiences as a guide to navigate these aspects and optimize your blogging efforts!
Here is a simplified example for high-ticket 1:1 coaching:
- Hot Leads: 1 x – monthly
- CLV*: 10.000 €
- CAC**: 100 x 16 [hourly rate x working hours to complete the blog article]
*Customer Lifetime Value, **Customer acquisition costs
If acquiring a new customer earns you €10,000 and your blogging expenses total €1,600, you’ll see a return on your investment within just one month. What’s often overlooked is the long-term benefit of economies of scale: an initial investment in your blogging efforts can lead to continuous opportunities to attract new customers, amplifying your income over time.
After publication: Strategically placing blog articles online for maximum impact
This crucial step is often overlooked. While your blog post is designed to attract traffic and leads, it’s important not to fall into passivity, especially when the content is fresh. Consider proactive ways to distribute your article to those who are genuinely interested in the topic. Here are some strategies to help maximize the reach of your blog:
- Email signature: Incorporate the blog title along with the note “new” into your email signature. This simple tactic ensures that everyone you correspond with gets a subtle prompt to check out your latest content.
- Instagram story: Share the article on your Instagram Story and include a direct link. This approach captures the attention of your followers in a more dynamic, immediate format.
- Newsletter mention: Highlight the blog post in your next newsletter. This not only informs your dedicated subscribers but also provides an opportunity for deeper engagement.
- Social media post: Craft a social media post that teases the questions your blog article answers to arouse curiosity. This encourages your audience to read the blog for the solutions, driving direct engagement.
Pro tip: For added credibility and depth, consider involving two or three experts from your network by asking them to contribute a brief statement on the topic. Once the article is published, acknowledge their contributions with a thank you on social media. This recognition not only shows your appreciation but also encourages them to share the article within their own networks, expanding its reach.
Summarizing the content marketing process
Here are the steps of the entire content marketing process, from crafting to distributing a blog article for your coaching business:
- Content brainstorming: Start by generating ideas that resonate with your target audience. This can involve team discussions, competitor analysis, and feedback from current readers.
- Keyword research: Use tools to find keywords that your target audience is searching for. This will not only help in optimizing your content for search engines but also ensure it meets the needs of your readers.
- Structure with subheadings: Organize your content with clear, informative subheadings. This helps readers navigate the information in your article and improves readability.
- Write the blog post: Write your content carefully, ensuring it’s engaging, informative, and provides value to your readers. Keep your audience’s interests and questions in mind throughout the writing process.
- Create infographics: Develop visually appealing infographics that summarize key points or data. Infographics are effective for making complex information easier to understand and more engaging.
- Strategic call to action: Include a well-placed call to action that guides your readers on what to do next, whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, downloading a resource, or contacting you for more information.
- Send/share on social media: Distribute your content across various social media platforms to reach a broader audience. Tailor your message for each platform to increase engagement and drive traffic to your blog.
His articles and interviews have appeared in digital marketing and technology publications, including USA Today, SEMRush, Digiday, Hackernoon, and databox. He has also appeared as a guest on the All About Digital Marketing podcast.
Since starting his own SEO consultancy in 2019, Konstantinos has been regularly writing about organic growth strategies on our company blog.
