Online Marketing Plan to Promote Your Coaching Business - Seven Simple Blog Traffic Strategies

If you're a new coach or a seasoned coach new to promoting your coaching business online, here are seven simple strategies that are free and anyone can do them without any techno-difficulty. The key to the efficiency of these strategies is that the MUST be done regularly!

If you're reading this and saying "do this already!" then skip the to bottom and ready why you're not getting the response you think you could be.

1. Twitter Traffic - Tweet Blog posts & Articles

I have found that a wonderful source of traffic to my blog is from my Twitter followers. (I love you!) When ever I post to my blog (or if I publish and article) I send out a Tweet with the title and a shortened link. I can watch my traffic numbers & subscribers climb whenever I post and Tweet.

BONUS - Tweet your Facebook

This one is really simple. I use an application on Facebook that automatically imports my Tweets. Every time I Tweet about a blog post or an article it not only shows up on Twitter but it also shows up on my Facebook account.

2. Participate in forums & discussion groups

Just the reading and observing provides a wealth of market research. An added benefit is with regular participation and answering questions of your ideal prospect over time you establish yourself as an expert on the topics on which you share information. You will be pleasantly surprised at the members that will follow you because they like your communication within the group. That leads me to my next traffic building recommendation...

3. Email & forum signature

I would not recommend that you do any direct selling or promoting of your coaching business in your response to a question or comment by your ideal prospect within the discussion group or forum, however, you are usually given the opportunity to use a signature.

If you're not already using a signature with every email that you send out you're missing the opportunity to share with your connections not only who you are and what you do. Along with your name consider adding your business name with a link to your website. Adding a slogan or a quote that emphasizes your coaching message can be provocative and create curiosity for your reader to click thru to your website or blog.

4. Commenting on high profile blogs also read by your ideal prospect

In the beginning I underestimated the influence of commenting on other high profile blogs in your market. Everything about the comment is important including the content of the comment. Most people will tell you that commenting on other peoples blogs is great for creating backlinks - yes that is a powerful aspect of commenting. But also consider what I call "face value". Face Value is the value presented to all those other faces looking at your comment. Other visitors that are engaged in the conversation about a particular post will subscribe to the comment feed. Everything from your name, the link back to your blog and your comment that adds value to the overall conversation is seen and read by many eyes. If you're commenting on a blog where your ideal client also reads and comments you have the opportunity to share value and attract prospects to your website.

5. Articles

Think of every article as a sample of your coaching message. Each article that you publish with words and phrases that your customers use to describe their need, or the solution they're looking for will increase your potential of being found by your ideal client.

For example, let's just say that you write one article and publish in a high traffic article directory and you get 50 views in a month with 5 people clicking through from the link in your resource box. You have increased your traffic by 5 people in one month with 1 article.

Now consider publishing an average of one article per day. In one month you would have 31 articles with the potential of 50 or more views and if the same average number of click thru would give you 155 new visitors. The best thing about publishing articles is that they continue to draw traffic as long as they remain in the article directory - every day - all year. The number of view and visits to your website continue to increase.

6. Autoresponders

Really important to begin building an email list, more important is to stay in communication with the live hearts and minds on your list. Develop a relationship with the people that sign up to read more of your coaching message. Your email follow up, yes, even in an autoresponder is critical for the blossoming of your future business. Nurture your message in the hearts of your subscribers. Don't miss an opportunity to touch their lives with the value of your message. Remember the three keys to grow your business - Connect, engage and make the offer. The emails sent to your subscribers need to do all three to bring your readers the most value and grow your business. The key to more traffic with your autoresponders is to use this tool to remind your prospects and customers to return to your website or blog to find value. Don't just assume that your visitors will find there way back to your site - bring them back - invite them back.

7. Internet Radio

Start your own weekly Internet radio show. A weekly show will give you the ability to attract and engage an audience that are interested in your coaching message. Even better is to make it a live call in show where your guests can ask questions and make comments.

My absolute best source of exposure and business is my Internet radio show. The Get More Business Show is my platform where I express the value of the strategies that I offer in my coaching practice. I bring in guest experts that help me offer more in depth content on specific topics. Each weekly show is an education in some facet of growing your coaching business.

If you're doing the above and not pleased with your traffic or conversion check the following:

1. Do you have a clear presentation of the solution you offer a specific market?
2. Is there a logical flow from each of the above tools that leads directly to the action you want the visitor to take?
3. Have you cultivated a following of IDEAL prospects, or are you just adding to your social media numbers?
4. Can you visitor easily find your email sign up?
5. Does your "information widget", that is your information give-away something that your visitors recognize as valuable enough to exchange their private information for your gift?

There could be other reasons but these are just a few to get you started with trouble shooting.

I'd love to hear about what you're doing to attract your ideal prospect and client.