Could virtual services for coaches be the answer to your overwhelm? Will hiring a virtual assistant really help you grow your business?

If you aren't new to coaching, you've probably already heard of virtual assistants but are these and other virtual service providers the key to building the business of your dreams?

As you begin to grow your coaching business, it's common to hit that point where you have more on your plate than one person can handle. There's working with clients, managing the day-to-day, and handling future growth. It's easy, and natural, to start to feel overwhelmed. So you start looking into a virtual assistant. Maybe you do a search on the internet or even ask around on some of your social media groups.

But is that the best way to go about getting help? And what are the first things you should outsource?

Virtual services exist that make running a business much simpler. However, it's important to understand how to identify the services that would be better outsourced and those that would be better kept in-house. Here’re some tips that you can follow.

3 Tips for Knowing When to Outsource Virtual Services for Coaches Like You

1. You are spending too much time on tasks unrelated to the core services of your business.

This can often be a tough question to answer because some coaches are stuck on the idea that, “If you want things done right you must do them yourself.”  This is a common mistake in business. Whether you ARE the expert in an area or have no experience at all, hiring and training right can prove that others can do the job as well, and sometimes better, than you can.

The reality is that you’ll spend far more over time trying to do your bookkeeping, marketing, or admin yourself rather than outsourcing those tasks to an experienced virtual services for coaches provider. 

Take some time to identify the tasks that are the biggest time wasters in your business and outsource them to someone who does them better. Time wasters can be things that take you much longer than they should because you don't know the systems or processes well enough to do them quickly. They can also be the things you are constantly procrastinating because you just don't like to do them no matter how good you may be. 

And even if you can do something faster than someone you hire, it doesn't mean you should. The key to overcoming overwhelm and developing a track record of success is letting go so you only do the things that ONLY YOU CAN DO!

 2. Does performing this function highlight your expertise?

The tasks and projects that you outsource may depend heavily on the nature of your coaching business. 

As a coach, there are specific things you have to do yourself. Planning and executing your coaching programs, for instance, is essential for your business’ development. But there are many different moving parts to creating, marketing and executing a coaching program. Yes, you will need a strong website and systems to make it happen. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to hire a team of IT professionals full-time.

On the other hand, if you are a business coach who teaches others how to create a brand, then you may want to do the brand development of your program yourself.

Outsource the parts of projects that don't highlight your expertise to someone who provides virtual services for coaches. 

3. Is it a service that is only needed a few times throughout the year?

Coaches often do annual or semiannual launches. Since these only occur a few times a year, at most, it makes sense to outsource these projects to a virtual services for coaches company. They'll bring a level of knowledge and expertise to the project so you don't have to spend a lot of time learning skills you'll only use once in a while. 

6 Top Virtual Services for Coaches to Delegate

Virtual services are available in a wide variety of skills. There is a service that offers a solution to almost every problem a coach faces. Here are some of the virtual services you can consider when choosing where to get started.

Graphic Design

Attractive visuals form an important part of branding. A graphic designer will, therefore, be an important member of your team.  However, it is highly unlikely that you will have a consistently high volume of work for him or her to complete. This means that hiring a graphic designer as a permanent member of your team won’t be the best use of your funds.

It's tempting to hire a virtual assistant as a generalist to handle everything from your basic admin to things like graphic design. Most virtual assistants, though, won't have that range of skills. It's better to let your virtual assistant do admin related tasks and then find freelance graphic designers who you can hire on an as-needed basis.  You’ll find that you save a lot of money and time without compromising on the quality that you need.

When looking for a good graphic designer, consider these important points:

• Experience - While Canva has come a long way as a graphic design tool for social media posts, experienced graphic designers will have skills in more advanced programs such as Adobe. Graphic designers have a deeper understanding of color theory, font styles and even psychology so that the graphic elements you are asking for will enhance your brand and message.
• Portfolio - Do they do the kind of graphic designs you need? Some graphic designers only do logos while others specialize in websites or print design. What are the types of projects you are looking for and does your graphic designer specialize in those areas.
• Accessibility - There's nothing more frustrating than needing something done by the end of the week and not being able to reach your graphic designer because the power in their country is unpredictable.  (Ask us how we know that one). Make sure you work with someone who's internet and electricity are reliable and they are available based on the hours you need. It's important to understand what you might be getting when someone who provides virtual services for coaches works in other countries.

Task and Appointment Scheduling

Task and appointment scheduling is one of the quickest and easiest virtual services for coaches to delegate when they are just getting started. Virtual Assistants are often one of the first people a coach will hire and they tend to have the core skills for this type of work.

Virtual assistants are often adept at the use of scheduling software and project management tools common in the coaching industry. Your virtual assistant can use these tools to call to confirm client or prospect appointments, follow up on tasks or manage other details on your behalf.

Travel arrangements can also be scheduled. A virtual assistant can schedule flights, accommodations, car rentals…essentially any aspect of traveling.

Content Creation and Management

Content is what establishes you as an expert in your field. This might consist of podcast episodes, blog posts, e-books, free webinars or courses, videos for social media and your website, etc... All successful coaches use a variety of content marketing strategies to make their brand visible to their target audience. And yet, it is a time consuming and often difficult process that requires content creators with deft skills and experience. This makes it excellent virtual services for coaches to delegate.

Marketing forms a huge part of your coaching business. If you aren't already producing consistent content to market your coaching skills, it will be an important next step.

A content marketing manager might be just the right person to add to your team. This person’s role is to make sure that all content pieces (whether written or visual) appropriately depict the brand. They help to create and implement a comprehensive content creation schedule. He or she can also help you get the most out of the content created and ultimately allow you to reach a wider audience. While some content managers can also create the content for you, this typically falls to you as the expert or to an expert content writer.

Social Media Management

If content on your podcast and blog are like the marketing signs IN your store...

Then social media is like the billboard outside enticing people to come in.

If your social media content isn't well managed, it will be like having a billboard in Death Valley, CA. There won't be many visitors.

Social media changes, ALL...THE...TIME! Don't make it your career to keep up on all those changes. These are excellent virtuals service for coaches to delegate so they can free up more of their time and focus on what matters most.

Event Planning

Coaches, regardless of their niche, often host events (whether virtual or in-person) occasionally. Event planning is a highly detail-oriented process that can distract you from the core needs of your business. It may be something that you believe you can do yourself, but carefully consider the time you would lose when you could be spending that time attracting more clients.

You want your events to be the talk of the town for the right reasons. Consequently, your event planner should:

• Have great interpersonal skills
• Be able to manage time effectively
• Make stellar organization a priority
• Be flexible and have a contingency plan
• Have a track record of success in planning and executing similar events
• Be creative and innovative
• Have a passion for planning

Client Relationship Management

Building positive client relationships is crucial to business growth. You may not have a large client list when you start out so it's tempting to handle the management yourself. However, outsourcing the following client relationship management functions can help you establish even stronger relationships and provide a higher level of professionalism to your business:

• Manage invoicing and payments
• Follow up for schedule appointments
• Send thank you cards

What Should you Look for in a Virtual Services for Coaches Provider?

Now that you’ve jumped onto the outsourcing bandwagon, it's time to understand what to look for in an outsourcing partner. Here’re a few things that should be at the top of your checklist:

     1. Experience

Is it OK to hire someone that doesn't have experience with your programs or in your niche?

There's a good chance you'll find a lot of applicants that don't have a lot of experience with your specific tools or in your niche. For example, a content creator that specializes in articles on health and beauty may not be a great fit for your topic of money mindset. Or a website designer who has always used Wix might not be the right hire for your Kajabi website creation. This is often the case when looking at providers with lower hourly rates. Just like in the medical field, it's more expensive to get a specialist. You probably wouldn't get a nose job from someone who's worked in pediatric medicine for a few years and now wants to do plastic surgery too. And, if you decided to, you probably wouldn't pay them the same rate as someone who's specialized in nose jobs for 20 years.

It's totally OK to hire someone with less experience and skill as long as you understand what you are getting. You can't expect them to have the knowledge that a more experienced person will. They also won't be as fast as there is often a steep learning curve (that you are likely paying for). You'll also be investing more of your time to get them up to speed. All of these things will factor into the overall cost.

Now, if you have a routine task that you have already outlined a clear standard operating procedure, it may be perfectly OK to go with someone that isn't highly experienced.

     2. Flexible

Anyone you outsource business to should be flexible enough to meet your unique demands. This makes communication integral to creating a successful working relationship. Your expectations should be made clear from the get-go and you should also make it clear that there may be instances where flexibility must be exercised.

    3. Good reviews and social media presence

Customers paint a clear picture of the true service a company provides. You have to go beyond the fairy tale picture painted on the company’s website. Check out the social media pages and read the discussions people are having about the company or individual. If something doesn’t seem right, they might not be a good fit for your brand.

In this day and age, a person or company that is aligned with yours is a direct reflection of your business. Take some time to review the social media posts and content (just be careful when using this information for hiring individuals) posted by the company. If their values do not align with yours, it could come back to haunt you.

Ready to get started?

If you are finally ready to start outsourcing virtual services for your coaching business, the next logical step is to understand what tasks to outsource and who to outsource to. A great place to start is with these six focus areas:

• Graphic design
• Scheduling
• Content management
• Social media management
• Client management
• Event management

And if you want to say yes to a little bit of all of them, then a one-stop-shop for virtual services like Virtual A Team may be the best option for you.

Note: This article was originally published on April 30th, 2019 and updated February 5th, 2024.

This post was originally published on January 3, 2018 and updated on Dec 16th, 2019.

As you plan for the New Year, are you considering ways to grow your online coaching business? Growth can be intimidating, especially if you don't know where to start.  When it comes to ways to grow your business, it's important to start with the basics.

There are seven tried and true ways to grow your business.

Growing your business this year is as much about identifying what you should be doing as where you should cut back and/or delegate. Eliminate ideas that are flashy or complex. Optimize your time by expanding your virtual team. Focus on what has been proven to get results over and over.

Start a Newsletter

If people can't remember your name when they need your services, you won't be the one they hire. Unfortunately, you cannot be in all places at all times. You may have heard that email is dead. That's just not true. A newsletter is still a great way to expand the reach of your business and stay in touch regularly with your audience.

If, however, your newsletter does't provide value to your readers, they won't take the time to open it. The key to a good newsletter is sharing information that is of value. Whether you realize it or not, you already have the content for an effective newsletter. The stories and scenarios from your interactions with clients can be used to educate and inform your readers. Your newsletter can include testimonials from clients who have benefited from your services.

Don’t overthink it. If you don’t have the time or writing isn’t your primary skill, there are options to hire out virtual assistants who are talented in this area.

Want to learn more about starting a newsletter? Check out these articles.

Start a Podcast

Podcasts are a great way to both network and market your business. You can use a podcast to help people get to know you and your personality even without taking the time to talk to each individual.

And, if you've heard of this thing called though leadership? Well, a podcast is a great way to kick start your own!

Thinking of starting a podcast or already have one? Check out these things you should be delegating.

Create an Evergreen Product

If your business is primarily focused on trading time for money, an evergreen product is a great way to grow your business. Evergreen products are products that are always relevant. They aren't time specific and require very little work on your part to implement.

The simplest form of an evergreen product is a book or an ebook. More advanced ideas might include webinars or classes. There are a lot of tools and programs that can help you set up evergreen products in your business.

Make sure you find options that have as much automation as possible. Do the work once and keep bringing in the money over and over.

Learn how to avoid the overwhelm when launching your online product.

Host a Webinar

That sounds so 2018! The truth is, a webinar provides a great way to engage with your clients from around the world. Webinars can be a great marketing and/or revenue generator with a small investment of time and money. Through this resource, you can meet virtually with multiple members of your audience to share ideas or launch new product lines. There are many ways to structure a webinar that can fit within your vision and growth goals for your coaching business. Once you've created the template for the webinar program, you can repeat it as often as desired.

Become a Speaker

Public speaking can be scary for many. However, if you find it is something you are able to do, it can be a valuable tool to reach new audiences. There are opportunities to speak for free with the agreement that you will promote a product or service. Other opportunities exist for you to be a paid speaker. You will want to create a speaker one sheet and have one or two key presentations ready.

Then you can begin searching for opportunities within your local community or across borders. You can even look for opportunities to be a guest on podcasts or virtual seminars. If you don't love doing this kind of research, a virtual assistant can help put together a list. The VA can even contact organizers on your behalf.

Write a Book

Writing is a fast way to build up your reputation as an expert in your field. It gives you a high level of credibility. If you regularly write for a blog or newsletter, you may already have the content available. If you aren't a writer, consider hiring a ghost writer than can create the content under your name.  The tools to write and publish are readily available and the cost can be relatively low.

Get Serious About Social Media

You might be pretty tired of hearing about this social media thing as a way to grow your business. You might understand that there is value in social media but don't really know how to capitalize on it. Perhaps you've dabbled with posting but haven't seen any significant results. Or you've tried social media platforms that launch but don't really spend time on them yourself.

Understanding that there are different nuances to each social media platform can help you craft your content for these sites. Each of these social mediums can help you expand your reach and boost your promotional efforts in simple and inexpensive ways. However, it is important to master each one and what works to see the most significant results. If that isn't really your thing, delegate this task to the experts. You'll see far better returns when you do.

Read up on some of our top social media tips.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

You really want to grow your business this year but none of these are things that you know anything about. Many of these ideas may sound more complex than they are. Don’t allow fear prevent you from trying new things. We all struggle with having the time to commit to researching and implementing new ideas. Recognize your strengths and where you provide the most value to your growing business. Reach out to professionals such as virtual teams that can help you with the rest. The internet has connected the world for business and productivity. You can reach more people around the world both as clients as well as building your Virtual A Team.

We know how important videos for business are, but why? You probably search for a good movie to watch at least once per month.

What jumps out at you when you do this search?

Is it the long, sometimes boring, movie critique article filled with spoilers? Is it the less than 2 minutes long movie trailer video that tells you all you need to know?

Chances are you choose the movie trailer option every time.

Videos speak volumes on social media. Just like movie trailers, they are the content of choice for many social media users. In fact, HubSpot highlights that videos are no longer only a component of a marketing plan, they form the central focus of a social strategy. Being inundated with all types of content daily makes customers yearn for something that immediately grabs their attention. Creating videos for business may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be.

Let’s be real. Video creation seems like an intimidating process. You want the quality of the videos you produce to be top-notch. However, you don’t have the money to hire a professional and you believe that you have neither the resources nor the knowledge to create these videos yourself.

This is an issue we will address before discussing creative video content that you can post on social media. You don’t have to be a professional videographer to create the right video content. Here’re some basic items and skills you’ll need to create good quality videos for social media.

Equipment and Skills Needed for DIY Video Creators

A Smartphone with Good Camera Quality

Apple and Samsung’s expert marketing skills have fooled us into believing that these are the only smartphones that can produce good quality images and videos. It’s time to reject that fallacy. Budget camera phones exist that produce great quality videos.

Smartphone Gimbal

You can’t trust your hands to shoot steady videos (even with smartphones that have built-in stabilizers).  You will need a smartphone gimbal. The beauty is that you can get a good smartphone gimbal for less than 100 USD.

The Right Environment

Environment matters. Ensure that the area you choose to film videos has no clutter, fits in with the aesthetic of your brand and has adequate lighting. You may need to purchase a budget-friendly lighting kit so that you have the best lighting.

Good Audio

One of the most annoying aspects of some social media videos is the poor audio quality. Depending on your smartphone’s audio is insufficient. You will need a good microphone (preferably one that syncs with your smartphone). Here are a few options.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Great Screen Presence

Your passion should resonate throughout the video. Think about what your audience wants to hear and how they would want the information to be delivered. The right level of energy will keep the audience engaged throughout the video.

Slideshow creation skills

Not all social media videos for business are filmed. Some are just a few pictures and words put together to some nice music. This type of video is sometimes called a slideshow. It’s a great idea to mix the type of video content you post between slideshows and filmed videos. The types of slideshow videos you can create are described in the next section.

The right software

Whether you’re editing videos you film or creating slideshow videos, you’ll need the right video editing/creation software. The Google PlayStore and Apple App Store have a range of apps that allow you to create and edit videos on your smartphone. One of the best video editing app options can be found here.  Some additional options include:

• Apple iMovie
• Lumen 5
• Nero Video
• Corel Video Studio
• Filmora

If you want to create slideshow videos for business(or videos that don’t require any filming), here are some viable software options:

• Animoto
• WeVideo
• Promo Video
• UseLoom.com

The Best Types of Videos To Create

Blog promo or quote videos

Promo videos are one type of slideshow videos. They are short and don’t require you to do any filming. Just use images and on-screen text relevant to your blog post so that followers get a sneak peek into what the blog is about. Those who are interested will click to read the article.

Blog promo videos should be 15 to 30 seconds long. 

Like blog promo videos, quote videos are short slideshow videos. They highlight appropriate quotes and should be 15 to 30 seconds long. Here is an example from Virtual A team.

Answer customers’ questions

You can create many types of videos. Motivational, technical, behind-the-scenes and so on. However, one of the most impactful types of videos is the how-to video which specifically answers customers’ burning questions. Social media is a great way to learn customers’ pain points. Customers will love your brand even more if you create content that addresses these pain points.

Interview industry experts

It helps when your brand is viewed as a subject-matter expert. Interviewing qualified people in the field can help paint this picture. These interviews could be Facebook or Instagram live posts or regular posts for your social media feed.

Announcements or product reveals

Big announcements or product reveals deserve the right showcase. Short, fun videos are a great way to put these announcements and products in the spotlight. You could do a series of videos that whet consumers’ appetites and a final video of the grand reveal. It’s all about building enough suspense to intrigue customers.

Animated videos for business

Animated videos are a growing trend on social media. Their primary benefit is their ability to break down complex concepts. They work best when they are short and engaging. Think carefully about what appeals to your audience and the type of information they want to hear.

Customer testimonial

No one can sell your brand better than your own customers. You can compile a video that features short customer testimonials to add credibility to your brand. Remember to keep the video short and ensure that key features of your brand are included.

Tips for Creating Impactful Social Media Videos

Don’t neglect the power of live videos.

Live video streaming has been magical for many brands. These videos allow you to interact with your audience while the video is being filmed and have been used to display such things as behind-the-scenes footage and live coverage of events. Here are some examples of live video streaming done right.

Additionally, social media users appreciate opportunities to directly interact with the brands they love. Live videos provide opportunities for question and answer sessions. These sessions are also a good tool for learning customers’ pain points.

Add subtitles

Social media users scroll through their newsfeeds throughout the day. There are times when they may be in places where they can’t play the video’s sound. Adding subtitles will help them enjoy the video without losing the intended message. Additionally, users who are hearing-impaired will still be able to enjoy the video.

Use attention-grabbers early in the video

The purpose of the video should be clear from the get-go.  Social media users attention spans are short. If you don’t grab their attention within the first 10 seconds, chances are they won’t stick around long enough to engage with your video. Your hook should, therefore, be in the first or second frame of your video.

Have a video marketing strategy

Some businesses tend to think that all content used in social media marketing must be a part of paid advertising campaigns. That is far from the truth. You need content on your page that will actively engage your followers and provide them with useful information.

Having a plan for the content that you will post weekly is important for achieving this objective. This plan will help you have a focused approach towards your video content. It can help you organize videos based on themes for each month. Additionally, it will help you link the video content to the other types of content that you post.

Include a call-to-action.

Your videos form an integral part of your sales funnel. A prompt should be given for viewers to complete some action related to the next stage of the sales funnel. That action could be to subscribe to your newsletter, follow your social media page or leave a comment. Whatever the action, it’s important for you to clearly state what you want them to do.

Choose the right platform.

Each platform has different video requirements. Instagram only allows one-minute videos on their main page. However, longer videos can be uploaded on IGTV. Here are the recommended video lengths for each platform from the Women in Business Network:

• Facebook: less than 2 minutes (Note: as of May, 2019, Facebook is now favoring videos 3 minute or longer.)
• Twitter: less than 45 seconds
• Instagram: less than 1 minute
• YouTube: less than 2 minutes
• Linked In: between 30 seconds and 5 minutes

Allowable video length is one criterion for choosing the right social media platform. It’s also important for you to understand the purpose of each platform. Here’re some features of each platform that you should pay attention to:

• Facebook is best for community building.
• Instagram and Pinterest are great for visual content.
• YouTube is the leading site for video content.

Therefore, it’s important for you to understand the purpose of your social media profile and how this purpose fits into your video marketing plan.

The I-C-E Strategy for Creating a Sound Video Marketing Plan

A sound video marketing strategy was mentioned as an important component of impactful social media videos. The I-C-E strategy can help you make that video marketing plan a reality.

I-Ideation

This is where you brainstorm ideas for a possible series of video content that you can post. Choose a theme for the month and consider the best types of videos for business that will help bring that theme across.

For instance, let’s say that you chose “Building Strong Families” as your theme for May since May is Child’s Month and includes Teacher’s Day and Mother’s Day. You are a life coach who wants to sell your most recent online life plan course. Your audience is middle-aged working mothers. Here are a series of videos that could possibly work for the month, week by week.

1st Week: An animated video about how to schedule family time despite having hectic schedules.

2nd Week: A tribute to mother’s video that emphasizes how having the right life plan can help mothers give their best to their families.

3rd Week: A testimonial video from a mother who has benefitted from your life plan course.

4th Week: A Facebook Live interview with a female entrepreneur who has found a way to strike a healthy work-life balance and build a strong family

C- Creation

Brainstorming gives you the ideas. It’s now time to ring those ideas to life. The example above showed different types of videos. Each type of video will require special video creation and editing software. Some will require filming. Be clear about everything that you will need and how you will create the video from the get-go.

Another important consideration for the creation phase is the objective for the videos. What do you want customers to do after watching? Ensure that there is a clear call-to-action so that this goal is achieved.

E-Evaluate

All social media campaigns should have an evaluation phase. There should be a clear indication of whether the videos for business have helped you achieve your objective. If they haven’t, carefully consider what could have been done differently to create success.

Using Your Videos For Business

Videos receive the highest engagement on social media. Savvy life coaches know that they should post a variety of content on social media, but videos take precedence. Several types of video exist. However, the videos used on your social media accounts depend on your video marketing campaign and the nature of the social media site.

The I-C-E strategy will help you create a sound video marketing campaign. However, you may still need assistance creating some of the videos. The Virtual A Team can help you create stunning slideshow and animated videos. Contact us today so that we can help you get started.

There comes a time for many coaches and speakers when they want to leverage their time more effectively. For some, that means creating an online course to share their knowledge with more people at one time.

I recently had a client join Virtual A Team because she wanted a way to make more money with less effort. She had a large audience and needed help getting the most out of her time. However, the whole process was out of her zone of genius.

Once you begin to think about creating an online course, the actual steps get overwhelming VERY fast. There are, like, a MILLION different choices to make and many of those choices are in areas you probably have little to no knowledge in. After all, your business isn't building online courses.

What is an online course?

An online course is a class, skill, or system taught via online tools such as videos, video calls, emails or other digital presentations. The instructor and the students are not in the same location. And sometimes, the information is prerecorded and consumed on demand rather than a predetermined schedule.

Online courses can be free with a goal of generating leads for the business. Or they can range in price from less than $20 to several thousand dollars.

Do you need an online course?

It’s easy to hear about the huge launches and the great success of online courses and think that’s the quickest path to easy money.

You may be feeling burnt out working with one-on-one clients and want to share your wisdom with a greater number of people. And online courses seem to be a simple and practical way to reach those people.

Until you start digging into those success stories and the work behind them.

Behind the Scenes

Online courses ARE an excellent way to reach more people in a shorter period of time. But, what often goes unanswered in the success stories, is the work that led up to those successes.

There are a few questions you can ask yourself to help determine if creating an online course makes sense for you right now.

1. Are you finding enough one-on-one clients to sustain your business? If the answer is no, then you will struggle to fill an online course.
2. Do you have a system you use with your clients that is easily duplicatable? If you tend to wing it with each client, then you don’t have a system to your approach yet, without a system, then you are the product and that can’t be duplicated in an online course.
3. Do you have enough money or skills to invest up front to get your course launched before the cash starts rolling in? You’ll either need to DIY your course set up or pay for it in advance of your launch. And, it may take more than one launch to recoup your costs. Are you prepared for that risk?

Deciding whether or not you are ready for an online course isn’t always easy. If you’d like to discuss the possibility of incorporating an online course into your business, schedule a call with Virtual A Team.

The Guide to Creating Your Online Course

Once you’ve decided to create your online course, there is a LOT of work that goes into it. I often have clients tell me that they never would have thought of all the steps it takes.

Depending on your budget and time frame, you may not do ALL of these for the first launch. You can use the information to go back and update your program later.

Before we get started, download the Complete Checklist to Online Course Creation and Launch now to have it handy.

Planning stage

The first step in creating your online course is planning.

Before you even begin to create your course, it pays to know that it is something your audience will want.

There’s nothing more frustrating than spending time and money to create and launch a program only to have no one show up.

Design and Develop Content

Determine Your Goals

What will be the primary goal for this course? Is it to generate leads? Will it funnel your audience into a higher price point product such as an inner circle or one-on-one coaching? Or maybe this is your top tier “signature” program?

Study Your Market

Find out what your market wants. Use Facebook groups, Amazon book reviews, polls and surveys to learn what your ideal target audience is looking for.

Study the Competition

What is your competition doing? What seems to be working for them? Can you expand on that or offer a different take?

Take your time doing the research, it will make or break your success.

Identify One Problem with One Solution

Once you’ve completed your research, identify the one problem you want to solve and the solution you will offer. This may have a very different answer depending on what your goals are for the program.

A coach who offers tips on how to be more effective in their video marketing may start out with a free online course walking people through how to purchase, set up and use the right equipment. The problem is where to start and her solution is to provide the step-by-step for getting started.

The next problem her clients face may be what content to create. She offers a low price point online course teaching them about the 5 types of videos used for business marketing.

Ultimately, her new clients land in either a signature course designed to help them overcome their fears of being on video or a one-on-one coaching program designed to help them get the most out of their video marketing efforts.

Outline Program Content

Now that you have your problem and solution, it’s time to outline the content of your course.

No matter what format you choose to present your content, you’ll need an outline to get started.

A few things to remember as you sit down to write your program:

• Each module should be a mini training with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Each module should have a win. What can the students implement after completing that module?
• Keep modules short enough not to overwhelm. If a module is longer than 45 minutes, students may never come back to finish the course. In fact, if you can break modules up into segments of 15 minutes or less, that is even better.
• Title modules with a hook. Make each module title something students will want to dive into. “Module 2 - Equipment” isn’t nearly as enticing as “Module 2 - What to buy based on your budget.”
• Set Action Steps to help your students implement what they’ve learned.

Once you’ve completed your outline, you can begin crafting the course based on how it will be presented (video, audio, text-based, slides, etc…)

Choose Value-added Items (bonus items)

As you write your course, keep in mind optional bonus items. Some suggestions for bonuses include:

• Content that was originally part of the course but was removed for various reasons.
• Prerequisite topics that will help the student get the most out of the course.
• Templates that help students take action faster.

Define the Structure

Online courses come in many formats. It’s time to decide how your’s will be structured.

Will it be presented live with everyone in attendance on each call? Or will it be available ongoing so anyone can join at any time (Evergreen)?

If it is Evergreen, will modules be available all at once so students can go through at whatever pace they choose? Or will the content be dripped to them over time?

Select the Tech

This is where a lot of solopreneurs get stuck. It's easy to look at your options for tech and feel totally overwhelmed. Let’s break it down into parts to make it a little easier to understand.

Evergreen Platforms

If your course will be evergreen, you’ll need to choose a platform to present your content. The platform is the place your content will be housed for access by your students.

Some platforms are designed to help you sell your course. These often take a percentage of your sale. Other sites allow you to keep your full sale price but charge a monthly hosting fee. There are also a few that can be purchased one time and hosted on your own website.

For a review of several online course platforms, check out www.learningrevolution.net

Live Platform

If your course will be presented live, you will want to choose a webinar or teleseminar platform such as Zoom, AnyMeeting, or even Facebook Live within a private group.

Autoresponder

Your autoresponder will send emails to market your program. It can also send onboarding and reminder emails once someone has signed up. We recommend using a program that can handle automations. Our favorite is ActiveCampaign but you may also consider something like ClickFunnels.

Affiliate Program Software

Affiliate programs are a great way to get others to promote your online course. For each program they sell, they get a certain percentage or flat rate. To track these sales, you will need an affiliate program such as Post Affiliate Pro.

Landing Page Software

You will need a sales page for your program. Sales pages are also often called landing pages. There are many options for landing pages. In fact, it’s even feasible to simply create a page on your existing website. However, if you want something that is designed to help convert to sign-ups, then consider one of the following options.

• OptimizePress for Wordpress - This premium plugin for Wordpress has a one-time purchase price instead of an ongoing subscription cost.
• ClickFunnels - Because ClickFunnels offers both the email and the landing page options, it's more of a one-stop-shop. You can also take advantage of the affiliate program software at the higher tier option.
• Your Email Marketing system - Most email marketing programs such as Mailchimp often have the ability to create basic landing pages.

Payment Processing Software

It’s time to collect some money! Payment processing can be as simple as a link to your Paypal account or a more complex online shopping cart. Consider what you have now and what may come with the systems you already have in place.

Need help deciding on the right set of tech tools for your online course? Virtual A Team is here to help. Schedule a complementary strategy session today and we will help you review your options.

Presale Stage

Once you’ve settled on the design for your online course, you’ll need to move into the sales and marketing phase. Each time you start to market your course, it’s called a launch. You may “launch” your course many times or you may launch once and continue to promote it regularly.

Launch Goals

Your launch goals will depend on the purpose of the course.

If this is a free course, your goal may be to get X number of new subscribers. If it’s a premium course, your goal may be to hit a certain number of sales.

Determine the Price

There’s a lot that goes into finding the right price for your course. Some questions to ask include:

• Is the course size limited? If you will be doing a live training and want to limit the number of students, that may increase the price you charge.
• Will you be offering scholarships or early bird registrations? If you offer discounts of any sort, consider raising the final price to compensate.
• Is this a limited time only program? If your course won’t always be available, that also puts a premium on the price.

Other things to consider when pricing your program will be what bonuses you offer, whether or not you will be offering payment plans, and are there any guarantees.

Set Your Dates

It’s important to know your dates when planning out the calendar.

When will your launch sale take place? When will the program actually begin?

Use those to determine the due dates for the following actions.

Gather Testimonials

Testimonials can be very beneficial in helping to sell your course. If you’ve already run this program or a similar program, consider reaching out to past participants to get their feedback. A great testimonial looks like this:

Before taking this program I (state the struggle or challenge that caused you to seek help)... And now that I have completed the program I (state how the program helped you to overcome the challenge and what life is like now).

If this is the very first time you’ve done this program, consider a free beta program with a handful of close contacts. Allow them to take the program for free in exchange for feedback and a testimonial. Their feedback can help you to determine if any tweaks to the content need to be made and the testimonial can be used in your next launch.

Create Themed Graphics

Just like your business has a brand, your course will too. You’ll need special graphics to complement that brand.

• Social media promo graphics (for Facebook, Instagram, etc…)
• Landing page graphics for your sales page.
• Graphics for the emails (a header image, etc…)

Be sure to delegate this task so you can focus on what you do best.

Set Up Onboarding Forms or Agreements

Some programs will require specific agreements or forms to be signed prior to participation. If you have questions you want your students to answer, you can use online form tools such as Jotform or a plugin for Wordpress such as Ninja Forms.

For things like non-disclosure agreements, consider using a tool like HelloSign.

Create Sales & Thank You Pages

How you design your sales page will depend on personal preference and some trial and error. Some people still feel that long-form pages (a sales page that relies heavily on written content) convert better than short form or video based pages.

However, the skill of the copywriter has a lot to do with this. If you aren’t hiring a professional copywriter for your page (and you aren’t one yourself), we recommend sticking to the short form pages.

Consider recording a 90 second to 3 minute video talking about why someone needs your course, what they will learn and what they can expect as a result. Use this video on the sales page and in social media marketing.

Thank you pages are great opportunities to share bonus material or upsell to VIP status. Don’t forget the thank you page.

Write Sales Autoresponder Series

These are the emails you will send to your existing email list promoting your new course. The number of emails will depend on the length of time your launch is underway. At a minimum consider writing the following:

• First email - the introduction to what you are offering.
• Second email - FAQ email answering the most common questions.
• Third email - outlining bonuses and/or early bird deadlines.
• Fourth email - First last chance to go out the day before or morning of the start of your program.
• Fifth email - Last last chance to go out just before the program begins.

Here’s another area where hiring a qualified copywriter can improve your sales results.

Write Onboarding Autoresponder Series

Once someone has signed up for your online course, what do they need to do next? This is where you can attach links to your surveys or non-disclosure agreements. It might also include any prerequisite homework or tips for getting the most out of the course.

Create Social Media Marekting Plan

At this point, you’ll want to start working on your plan for social media.

• Do you need images to share? Get those created.
• Will you do live videos to help promote? Write the scripts in advance.
• Are you going to use social media ads? Create the content and set up the strategy.

Use a social media calendar like the one at Hubspot to plan out your entire social media push. Use social media management tools like Smarterqueue to schedule your content in advance.

Create Blog Posts to Promote the Launch

If you have an active blog, one or two blog posts can help you to market your course. Topics that are beneficial include content that helps the audience prepare for the course (prerequisite type stuff) or case studies of how others have done in the course.

Create Affiliates/Partner Marketing Content

Who’s helping you to promote your course?

Whether you have a fully set up affiliate program or just have a few people who are happy to help you promote, you’ll get more out of their efforts if you create content specifically for their use.

You can repurpose much of the marketing content you’ve already created but be sure to rephrase it in words that fit who’s sharing it.

Package it together in a Google Drive or Dropbox folder that you can share with your partners.

Test Tech

I’ll say this one a few times. Run through a test with any tech you have set up so far. Have someone else receive all of the emails and test that the links are working and there are no glitches in your affiliate programs.

Sales

It’s time to SELL SELL SELL!

Hopefully, you took the time to get all of your sales materials together in advance. That will lessen the workload during your selling period.

Social Media

If you took my advice, most of your social media promotion is already scheduled. You simply need to go in and do your live videos and/or engage with the comments and questions received.

Blog Posts

Now that your blog posts are published, are there any social media groups you can share them in? How else can you use your blog posts to promote your sale?

Affiliates & Partners

If you have not already identified who will be an affiliate or partner to help you promote your program, now is the time. Identify 5 to 10 individuals whom you know would help share your program. Be sure they have a similar target audience to get the most out of their share efforts.

Send them an email and give them a call to invite them to participate. Be sure to give them access to the content you created to help them promote for you.

Call

No amount of social media or email marketing beats the phone call. As your launch date draws closer, pick a list of contacts to call and personally invite them to your offer. A great way to do this is to use the phrase, “Who do you know that would be interested in…” It takes the pressure off of them directly and still allows them to say, “ME! I’m interested.”

During your marketing and sales phase, consider these other 9 ways to market your event.

All Aboard!

Someone signed up! OMG, now what?!

Don’t go into shock. That’s what’s supposed to happen!

If your Onboarding autoresponder is set up properly, this is when that automation kicks in. Just keep an eye on it to make sure everything is going out as expected.

Ready, Set, GO!

You’ve worked on this for weeks (or months). You’ve successfully launched and gotten people to sign up. It’s now time to deliver a kick ASS program!

Just be sure to watch for and address any challenges as you go.

Review

The best programs get better with review. Take some time to send out follow up surveys asking for input and feedback. This is also a great time to ask for testimonials you can use in future promotions.

Take time now to review all feedback while the course is still fresh in your mind. Make details notes and plans for the next launch.

CELEBRATE!

It’s time to PARTAY! Did you meet your launch goals? Even if you didn’t, you’ve put in a LOT of work that will pay off down the line. Take some time to celebrate all of your hard work and effort.

Get the Checklist

There were a LOT of detailed steps in this article. Grab the checklist now and use it for all of your online courses.

Whew, it’s tough out there. Being a solopreneur isn’t easy, especially when you want to expand your client base. The business of coaching people in various aspects of life makes this task an even harder one. A great way to help accomplish this goal is to get referrals for a coaching business.

A referral is when someone you know suggests their friends or family to go to you for some problem that they have. There are two main advantages to using referrals to rope in new customers.

1. You do not need to invest a lot of time and money into it. Instead, all you need to do is follow the tips that we will discuss later in the article.
2. Even if you invest money, you will get guaranteed returns. The referrer gets paid only when their acquaintances help you generate a sizeable income.

However, many coaches face a problem of getting more clients using this method. They either do not know how to go about it or feel bad about asking. Either way, in this post, I'll let you in on a few secrets on how to get more referrals for a coaching business. If you like what you read, remember to refer your friends to our site 😉

Create Referral programs

A referral program is something that rewards a person for asking another person to hire you. Of course, there are several referral programs that you can go with. But, the type of coaching business you run might limit you to a select few.

For example, you could waive off some of your coaching fees for every referral you get. If you want higher returns you could offer a waiver only for multiple referrals.

Another possibility is to give commissions to people who send others your way. I know it is hard for you to part with your money, but it is well worth it. At the end of the day, it is the same as giving a concession to that customer. This is exactly how affiliate programs work.

If possible, you could also try and give something like a premium membership. You can give them priority bookings, free cancellations, or an option to visit you during your holidays.

The problem with referral programs is that you need to keep a track of all the people who are coming to you and who they are bringing in. Another problem that might occur is that two people might refer to the same mutual friend. This will put that mutual friend in a very awkward position. Of course, he or she will claim that the more intimidating friend was the original referrer.

You can solve these problems using certain IT solutions. That is why it is easier to build such systems online than maintaining one offline.

You can also ask your customers to give the contact information of their friends who might be interested. Then, you can contact them - either by call or email and see which contacts generate a lead. Accordingly, you can reward the clients who helped you out just like we reward our clients who help us out

Have a business worth referring

Of course, this seems like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, many people rely only on marketing to get more referrals. If your business doesn’t live up to the reputation that you or your promotional partner have been hyping it up to be, it would reflect badly on both of you. This prevents more people from referring to your practice in the future. It may also damage your reputation as a professional.

Thus, it is super important to live up to standards that are worth mentioning to others. The easiest way to do this is to deliver on the challenge you were offering to help them overcome. Let this be any kind of life problem or even helping their business grow. If you guarantee results, then people will flock to you.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Once you have the core goal nailed down, it is important to start focusing on the entire experience of your customer. You need to make them feel good about you from the minute they walk in through your door till after they step out. You can try doing this in the following ways.  

• Punctuality - No matter what kind of a coach you are, everyone values punctuality. If a client has booked an appointment with you, then ensure you stick to it. Remember to give your client the full duration of time that was promised to them.
• Going the extra mile - While punctuality is important, you must also show your clients that you are willing to go the extra mile for them. If the client is facing a crisis, you can’t possibly show them the door. Imagine you work all night with a client and turn their business into a success. This client will then go and tell his or her friends how dedicated you are as a business coach.
• Privacy - In the coaching business it is extremely important to maintain the confidentiality of your clients. Thus, you should do everything in your power to be as discreet as possible when required. Some people really value their privacy, so don’t go using their face for your marketing campaign.
• Comfort - As a coach, one of your primary duties is to make your client feel comfortable.  Fill the room with comfortable furniture of different sorts. Ask your assistant to deliver some refreshments to the clients waiting for you.

If you concentrate enough on building your practice into something worth sharing, then half your work is done. You don’t need anything like referral programs to get the word out. Your services will get advertised through word of mouth from many satisfied customers.

Start building relationships

One of the key practices to getting more referrals is to build relationships. Now, before you get any crazy ideas, I mean professional relationships. What you need is a general sociable attitude that gets your customers looking at you as a platonic friend. Sure, you could try and take it further. But don’t blame me when you lose your license or you’re sitting in a prison cell.

Jokes aside, you need to start building relationships with your customers so you can try and ask a favor of them. If they love your personality from the get-go, then a simple “If you liked my service, please tell your friends” can help you get referrals. But people don’t usually start liking someone from a single interaction. So take every chance you get to display your most sociable self. These clients may become your promotional partners in the future.

It is important that you don’t stop building relationships after you get promotional partners. You then need to deepen that relationship more so they want to help you out further when you need it. Inviting them over for coffee or sending postcards or sending greeting cards on special occasions might do the trick.

This will help you do two things. The first one is that your current promotional partners will want to help you out more when you need it. The second one is that they will encourage others to become your partners since they love doing it so much.

Your business isn’t the only place where you need to build relationships. It is also important to build relationships with your friends and family. They are the ones who are most likely to do a favor for you. Yes, this means that you will have to end up going to Thanksgiving with that annoying aunt or attend that intolerable friend’s birthday. But when you ask them for a favor of referring their friends and family to you, and they come through, all this torture will seem worth it. All you will hear at the Thanksgiving dinner thereafter will be the sound of money entering your wallet.

When you work on building all these relationships, you will see that people start hiring you without much effort from your side. The ‘friendly coach’ will become a part of your personality and it will all come naturally to you.

One of the golden rules of building relationships is to always thank your referral sources for the people who they sent your way. Remember to do this whether their referrals were a solid lead or not. Posting a thank you card or a similar gesture would be perfect for this, but a simple thank you in person or call will work too.

Pro tip - You can use Cloze.com to manage all your professional relationships with your clients and promotional partners with ease.

Start networking wherever possible

This point is a bit like building relationships. But, for this you do not need to put in that much amount of effort. All you need to do is mention that you are a coach working in your field. But, the timing and location are important.

Imagine, someone dear to you is having a heart attack and you ask the crowd around you if there is a doctor present. Then, a person steps up to the plate brimming with confidence and announces that he is a life coach. Now I don’t know about you, but if that happened to me, the crowd would have to call an ambulance for not one, but two people. I’ll let you guess which ones.

You should focus your networking tactics in more social settings. Parties or business seminars are a great place to do this. You can introduce your profession when asked - a common ice breaker at several social gatherings.  

Unfortunately, this doesn’t create the best opportunity for people to refer you to their friends. Sure, when the time arises and someone asks for a coach, your name might be at the top of their heads. But think about it, they do not want to refer someone questionable to their friends. And neither would you.

That’s why you might sometimes need to display your skills, even if it is for free. I know that parting with your money is hard, but you are playing the long game. Fortunately, you will not have to do conduct an entire session to display your skill. All you need to do is show them a part of what you can do to help them. The great thing is that you can use this as a way to attract people just like a magician.

Imagine you are at a business mixer of some sort and you somehow get to talking about your profession as a business coach. You now have the stage to exhibit your skills and possibly draw in an even bigger crowd. You must have seen the ending scene of ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ where Jordan Belfort teaches others about businesses by asking them to sell a pen to him. You don’t have to pull off the same trick, but if you can sell a used tissue to an unwitting guest for over $100, I’d be super impressed.

Once you leave the crowd awestruck with your selling skills, try and slip in a word about how they should come to see you if they want to learn to do the same. While you’re at it, ask for their contact information and remember to follow up after networking with them.

Social gatherings are not the only place where you can put your skills up for display. With the boom of social media, there are a lot of opportunities opened up to you online. For example, if one of your acquaintances on Facebook puts up a status about going through a bad break up, as a life coach, you can share some wisdom. This will help you stay longer in their minds as a good coach who can help out others when needed. Networking like this has the added advantage of making new friends. This, in turn, can contribute to my previous point on building relationships.

Help your partners help you

The person who is lobbying for you at social gatherings can only do so to the best of their talents. Sure, your friend might know that you are a Business Coach by title, but what does that job title entail? If your friend doesn’t know about you or your services they won't be able to advertise it properly to their friends. Moreover, they wouldn’t be able to suggest you to their friends who might require your services.

Hence it is important to always have your partners informed about what all services you offer. As a business coach, you might specialize in startups. However, you can also be experienced in dealing with marketing, production or many other aspects of a business. But your partner who has attended your sessions about startups won’t know of your other services. Thus, when that person is asked if they know anyone good in marketing, their mind will be drawing a blank. Hence, you need to keep all your clients informed about the various services that you offer.

Unfortunately, even if your customers know which services you offer, they may not be able to explain each one of them in detail or how these services may benefit their friends. Hence, it is a good practice to share something like a brochure (explaining your services in detail) with your customers. This enables them to share these brochures instantly with people who might need them. Hence your chances of lead generation will increase.

Printed media is something that people with offline coaching businesses can share. If your business is online, you can share links or even newsletters with your current customers to help them spread the message. This is much easier as it saves a lot of time and money.

Another great way to help your partners would be to organize free (or low-cost) events. This way, rather than just mentioning your name or handing out a brochure with your name on it, they can bring their friends and family along to get an example of what happens in your sessions. Every person has attended some boring event just because someone they knew asked for a favor. This is their chance for some payback.

The best part about these events is that you will receive a wide audience. This will consist of your customers, their plus ones, and strangers who have come in only for the snacks. As long as you provide useful content for free (along with free food), people will flock to you. Thus, you get a chance to market yourself and improve the possibility of someone referring to their friends and family to you.

Pro tip - Remember to keep your social media (everything from Facebook and Instagram to Twitter and LinkedIn) updated about your profession. You don’t need to market it, just highlight the services that you offer in your “About Me” section.

Conclusion

The best kind of advertisements are the ones that seem organic and genuine. That is why you should try and get referrals for your coaching business. Just to summarize, you can do this in multiple ways.

• Creating a referral program that benefits those who help you.
• Improving the overall standards of your practice so people genuinely want to hire you.
• Build relationships with your clients, promotional partners, and your friends and family.
• Start networking online and during various seminars.
• Keep your partners well informed so they can help market your services.

If you start following the tips given above, I am sure the number of referrals will keep rising. It might take some time, but don’t lose heart. The most important qualities that a solopreneur can have is patience and perseverance. So don’t worry and keep trying; soon, you might just get more customers than you can handle.

I remember when I first launched my coaching business. I understood the importance of building my reputation around the skills I was coaching . A fast way to do that was to get in front of large groups of people at one time. This meant becoming a speaker and getting booked as a speaker.

Fortunately, I didn’t have a fear of public speaking (in fact, I actually really LOVE to speak in front of groups). What I did struggle with was how to get on enough stages.

Getting booked as a speaker wasn’t always easy. However, there are some great tips that can help. I’ve brought together some of my favorite speakers to share their wisdom.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Before You Start to Look

Before you even begin getting booked as a speaker, there are some important things to consider. These things will make the searching that much easier.

1) Josie Tytus - Website | Facebook

Decide what you are going to be known for and run with it. Too many speakers are all over the board with their messaging. Those who hire speakers want to know they are hiring a genuine Expert or Leader in that domain. If you're a relationship coach, talk about the value and the ROI of building strong relations and develop a body of work in that area. Don't start teaching people how to start and run a business because it's something you've done. The stronger your claim to an area of expertise, the more likely you will be the one that gets hired.

2) Sorana Blackfoot - Website | Facebook

Being a non-fiction author (best-selling gives you an extra point) can be an advantage, when people can learn about your knowledge and expertise. 

3) Jan Elliot - Facebook

Pretend you are being interviewed by Oprah. You may answer her by saying, well, Oprah, the real problem is that women today (fill in the blank) and what I have found is (fill in the blank). That's your topic. Put the problem and the solution in the tile headline with a sub-headline.Grab their attention. Also, send a beautiful over-sized envelope with perfect return label, quality where even the stamp looks good), It is almost guaranteed to be opened. It contains your speaker sheet, intro letter, whatever you want to include. Keep it simple. Clean and gorgeous!

4) Meshell R Baker - Facebook

Begin with WHY. Asking yourself WHY the audience will benefit from your talk is an essential and foundational question.
I hear a lot of people talking about how speaking will build “their” business’ and client rosters; yet I rarely hear people talking about WHY their talk is impactful or helpful.

Bonus Tip:

• Event coordinators will often check out your website. If your website isn’t focused on your speaking topics, there will be a disconnect and you may lose a potential booking.

Finding Places to Speak

1) Felicia Slattery - Website 

One of the easiest places to find events to speak at in your community is Meetup.com. Search your area using the type of audience members you're looking for. For example, if you speak to entrepreneurs search entrepreneur, small business, start up, and work at home. You'll find a bunch of groups and right through the MeetUp platform you can contact the meeting planner. Tell them your topic title and the bullet point description of your presentation and what the audience will take away. You'll be turning away bookings!

2) Sorana Blackfoot - Website | Facebook

Getting involved in the local and national groups that target the niche market you serve or want to serve, can help build the relationships with the leaders in the group and also open opportunities to address the group at meetings. 

3) Gloria Monteleone Kovac - Website | Facebook

I speak at many events and Conferences and find a great way to make a connection is by researching the type of events and audiences you would like to share your expertise with. Asking other trusted entrepreneurs what events they go to and enjoy...and that deliver quality content is a good start. I then try to attend the event/Conference and make connections with the people that are organizing/presenting the event. 

4) Diane Halfman - Website | Facebook

Connect with one or more other speakers that share the same ideal client as you. Share where each of you have spoken and the results to weed out or praise great places to speak. 

5) Rachel Elise Trimble - Website | Facebook

Being really consistent on social media has opened up many doors. Doing FB Lives is like a preview for what they can expect.

6) Dawn C Reid - Website | Facebook

Create and promote your own opportunities for speaking at libraries and coffee shops, partner with others, reach out to civic and faith-based organizations and let them know you are interested in being on their speaker's list. For example, I do a monthly recorded talk with guests. I also do international cruises, vendor fairs, and conferences. I am always looking for experts and other speakers. These are great ways to build your speaking opportunities. I am happy to work with you on creating a speaking opportunity strategy to get you in front of the "right" people and getting you paid to speak. Just inbox me if you want to talk to me.

7) Christine Gallagher - Facebook

Don’t forget to “work” your connections. Many times my own speaking gigs came about because I reached out to people I knew were part of certain organizations.

Bonus Tips

• Don’t underestimate the value of Linkedin. If you optimize your Linkedin profile as a speaker, you may find that you receive speaker requests from event coordinators searching for speakers in your area.
• There are tons of speaker’s bureaus out there. Find one or two that you can get listed on. Do your homework first, though. Not all speakers’ bureaus are created equal.
• Research trade associations and local organizations.
• Do an internet search for Call for Speakers.

Getting the Booking

1) Terra Bohlman - Website

Research the event's target market so you can customize your offer to speak. For example, if you know the room will be full of working mothers, change your talk title to include them. When you reach out to the event coordinator, let him/her know how you can provide value to their audience with your suggested speaking topic using this simple script: 

Hi <first name>, I saw that you are hosting an event on <date> and would love to serve your audience as your speaker if you have not secured one yet. A topic that comes to mind is "5 Work-Life Balance Secrets That Work for Modern Moms." If this feels like a fit for you, let me know and we can chat for 5 minutes on more details. 

2) Amy Cochran Westbrook - Website | Facebook

Make it easy on the group. Have a short bio, topics and takeaways, and headshot ready to send. (Have your Speaker One Sheet ready to send.) You can Google "speaker one sheet" for some great visual examples.

 

3) Karen Joy Fritz - Website | Facebook

Offer copies of your book (if you're allowed) but don't discount them! Say you'll donate the amount of a discount to the group's preferred charity. Maintains the value of your book AND gives them an incentive to take one home.

4) Debbie Page - Website | Facebook

Determine and confirm that the organization/association or company you are pitching to has the problem/challenge you are uniquely qualified to solve. Pitching the wrong solution won’t help your reputation. 

5) Gloria Monteleone Kovac - Website | Facebook

An introduction from someone often goes a long way. Keeping your initial conversation short is best as they are most likely focused on the event at that time. Suggest a conversation for the following week to discuss the opportunity for you to be a Speaker at their next event. At that point...be prepared to send them whatever information they may need...Speaker Sheet, sizzle reel, testimonials, etc. Make it clear you are interested in serving their audience in any way you can.

6) Kay Miller - Facebook

Offer an add-on workshop (such as the day before) where they can charge and earn non-dues revenue (whatever is left after they pay you).

7) Deborah Bateman - Website

Often, when a client is strapped with a lean event budget or is unable to pay my stated speaking fees, I will create a payment plan and/or barter part of the fee.

Payment Plans:

If immediate funds are short, I will accept my speaker fee in installments.  Normally 50% in payable prior to the event, and the other 50% payable on the day of the event.

Bartering:

Most often, I will trade for a sponsorship or membership in their organization.  I see this as a win-win, as it provides me with the added boost and exposure to the audience and creates goodwill. In addition, I have traded for resources that are tradable, things like hotel stays, spa treatments, or exhibitor products.  When doing the later, I just make sure that they are commodities that I will use or can give as a gift. 

7) David Cooke - Website 

Have a professional videographer capture you speaking to a large group. Capture a five to eight minute segment of that talk you can share.

8) Gelie Akhenblit - Website 

The reason I was asked to present is b/c I'm an expert in the ONE thing (networking) and then people would see me in the audience and book me for other organizations. It was an entire Snowbowl effect.

9) Kelsa Dickey - Website | Facebook

We reach out using a video message. Most meeting planners are bombarded with emails so we stand out this way!

Bonus Tips:

• Use Twitter or Instagram to connect with the event coordinators. Often they will check direct messages on these platforms while they may not notice an email.
• Make the event coordinator’s job as easy as possible. Have a form or document to gather all the details needed for the event. Touch base with them instead of expecting them to always be in contact with you.
• Going for paid events? Never tell the event coordinator what your speaker fees are. Instead, ask what their budget is. There are situations where you might get paid more than you ever have.

Getting Referrals

Sometimes what you do at one speaking event will help you get additional bookings in the future. 

1) Debbie Page - Website | Facebook

Have 3 clear and key take aways and immediate actions that can be implemented. While the solution is likely long term, showing how the audience/participants can take something and apply it immediately for a positive step goes a long way in separating you from the competition. 

2) Kricket Cody Harrison - Website | Facebook

Make sure everything in the talk is for the audience. Your stories should pull the audience in so that they can relate to your content. 
Finally, it’s easier to get booked (and paid) when you are well-practiced, not memorized. Speaking is a craft that must be worked on. The best of the best, in anything, are always honing their craft.

3) Debi Silber - Website | Facebook

Start with the intention that it's ALL about the audience and not about the speaker. It's not what you know but how you'll take what you know to inspire and empower those who need a nugget of info you have to share. Come from a place of service, overdeliver and have the event planner jumping for joy that they chose you and your message for their event and tribe 🙂

Bonus Tips:

• Ask event coordinators for testimonials and referrals. You can even add these contingencies into speaker contracts.
• Live stream parts of your presentation. Just be sure to ask permission from the event coordinator first. This helps others see what you are up to.
• Video tape attendee testimonials to use in future marketing efforts.

There are a lot of moving parts to becoming a speaker. This holds true whether you are doing it for free, to get exposure to new audiences, or getting paid. Regardless, doing it all on your own can be super time consuming and overwhelming. You certainly can:

• Get your speaker media kit ready,
• Research speaking opportunities,
• Contact event coordinators,
• Follow up as necessary,
• Prepare your slides or presentation,
• Show up,
• And finally, follow up with all of your new prospects and the event coordinator…

Or, you can delegate much of this work out to a virtual assistant. And, if you truly want to avoid the headaches of managing your own virtual teams, you can look to hire Virtual A Team instead.

Are you ready to start getting booked as a speaker? What are your favorite tips for others?

You’ve decided to host a live event. You’ve put in a lot of time and energy to craft an awesome experience and now it’s time to get people to show up. You begin to wonder how to market your event to make sure people register.

The most important aspect of any business project is ROI (return on investment).  Your events are no different! In this article, we’re pointing out 9 super awesome ways you can market your event with maximum bang for your buck. You know everything you wanna cover and you’ve got a date nailed down. Now the real work begins.

The hardest part of managing any event is getting people to show up. There’s nothing worse than standing in front of a sea of empty seats. And there's nothing better than speaking to a venue that’s filled to the brim. So read through and give some or all of these methods a go. It will ensure your next event has the audience you deserve.

Market Your Event Using these 9 Awesome Strategies

Facebook lives

Social networking plays a major role in getting your voice out there and live video gives you an extra edge. It’s an excellent way to market your event. Instagram and Facebook both offer live feed functions now that are right on trend and wildly popular. Go with whichever holds your largest following or have a go at both for good measure! This live-action video gives you the chance to actively present yourself and your event to your audience in real time. It opens the door to all kinds of creativity and allows you to effectively throw everyone a sneak preview of what your event has in store.

Because it’s live, you’ll need to have your game face on and a solid plan in place. Make sure you practice before setting off because once the feed starts. You don't want any hiccups ruining your time in front of the camera. That said, there’s no point throwing out a live feed of content that could just as easily be shown via a captured video on Youtube.

People watch lives to be awed by things that are happening right now. You need to think of ways to exploit the “real time” aspect as much as possible. Do something really impressive, shout out about a one-time limited offer. Or shoot your live stream at another exciting one-off event to feed off its popularity. Whatever you do, make sure it makes perfect sense for live video.

Pro tip: A virtual team could prove especially handy in coming up with an effective social media strategy for your event promotion. You have enough to do with everything else. Let a social media manager handle the social media marketing.

Speak at other events

Look at other events in your area and consider being a speaker there. By speaking at these events, you’re addressing new pools of people and harnessing the chance to pull them toward your own projects. It's a good idea to speak at the events run by competitors even if you are top dog in your industry. This will help broaden your reach and help attract new prospects.

Bloggers, social influences, and even TV shows all do the same thing. Do you love a good cross-over episode as much as I do?

They collaborate and expose their presence to each other's audiences in order to grow their own following. It’s efficient because it only costs you a little bit of your time. Therefore, the return you can get for this level of investment could be major. Someone else has already put a huge amount of effort into marketing and planning this event to grow a decent audience. Whatever percentage you can attract for yourself is going to be nothing but A-grade leads. Make sure you stand out when you speak at someone else's event.  Be yourself but make sure you’re bringing something new and fresh to the audience. The more unique you are, the more pull you’re likely to achieve. If you’re just a sleep-inducing rehash of what others are saying, you’ll be forgotten very quickly.

Podcast Guest Appearances

If you aren’t into traveling or want to leverage even more speaking opportunities, consider being a guest on podcasts. According to Infinite Dial, one-third of Americans between the ages of 25 and 54 listen to podcasts monthly.

Appearing as a guest on podcasts is an excellent way to tap into national and international audiences without leaving home. Most podcasts will allow you to share a link to how listeners can learn more. Take this opportunity to share a link to an upcoming event. Just make sure the link will redirect after the event as podcasts tend to be around long after your event has ended.

Direct calls to prospects

Nothing beats a phone call. As you’ll see below, email just isn’t what it used to be. I can’t tell you the number of times I was subscribed to someone’s email list and had no idea they were hosting an event. I just don’t always take the time to read the emails, and I’m not the only one.

Call your existing contacts to let them know about your upcoming event. Ask them if they know of anyone that might be interested in attending. This approach is less “icky” than asking them if they’ll be attending.

Pro tip: Be sure to have something ready to email to the people you call. They may be interested in getting more information or even offer to share your info with others they know. Make sharing simple by having a few social media posts created in advance.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating Here for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Affiliate marketing

This is an option if your event is scheduled and you’re looking to build as many registrations as possible in a short time. Affiliate marketing is where you pay a commission to someone every time they send a paying customer to you. Of course, this requires a little bit of a budget unlike other ideas on this list. The main advantage of affiliate marketing is the pricing model. You only pay when someone actually completes a purchase, or in the case of an event, signs up to attend. Don't wanna get ripped off? Check out this useful post on how much affiliates should be paid.

Again, the best place to look for affiliate marketers is with influencers that are dominant in your niche. Anyone with a large following can effectively drive traffic towards your registration page, so look for people with a strong social media presence, large blogs, or highly watched video channels.

In the vast majority of cases, anyone with a following of thousands is already likely to be acting as an affiliate for other causes. This means they’ll know exactly what you're talking about when you get in touch and will be able to respond to you with a solid answer regarding rates and how to get started.

Direct mail

It’s easy to forget about the power of physical letters. Today, emails are abundant and cheap. Paper actually stands for something more meaningful and notifications that are highly important. Do you have strong prospects that you want to blow away? Send them a carefully crafted letter or package filled with material that they’ll find very useful.

It’ll cost an arm and a leg if you plan on sending hundreds or thousands of letters out to every prospect you lay your sights on. Rein it back and only send physical invites to those with the potential to bring wider pools of guests with them.

This is also a very handy way of keeping a firm grip on VIP guests. If you're having special speakers or industry gods attending your event, let them know just how much you care by sending hard copy invites to them directly. This should help bolster their confidence in the occasion as well as feed their egos. Let’s face it, stars like to be treated like stars.

Guest posting on related blogs

Guest posting is when you reach out to bloggers with huge audiences and ask if they’ll post an article that you’ve written. The article can be all about your work or your event and how to sign up. You’ll need to look for all the major blogs in your niche that target the right kind of readers and then contact them to see if they accept guest posts.

The more influencers you contact, the better. Some will flat out reject your request and almost all of them will present you with certain rules you’ll have to follow in order for your post to be accepted. Reach out to as many as you can to increase your chances of landing a few that match up with your needs perfectly.

Not an Ad

This is not the same as a typical advertisement! You can't just rave about your event and sell the living daylights out of it with a solid 100% persuasive pitch. Blog influencers want their blogs to maintain a high level of value that the content brings to their audience. This means all posts, especially guest posts, have to be informative, helpful, wildly entertaining, or a mix of all the above. In most cases, the influencers behind the blogs will allow you to highlight your event, or provide a link to your own online presence.

If you get it right you could land yourself a boost in sign-ups or an increased following on your website going forward.

Pro tip: Not a writer? If you’re good at the reaching out but not so good with the actual blogging, a virtual team could put together the content for you. Find a virtual assistant with the right expertise and you can have them craft the written content while you scour the web for the right influencers to pitch to.    

Evolve your email efforts

Old school email is dead. Up your email game to generate better results and lose fewer subscribers over time. If you’re still blasting a template to every entry on your single list of email contacts every time you have an event planned, you’re doing it wrong!

Nowadays, people are very quick to turn off and push a communication aside if it seems even slightly irrelevant to their needs. You should be breaking your email list down and sorting your contacts into categories; VIP’s, other speakers, prospects that have attended before, and those who haven't. Once you’ve sorted them into groups, you can then work on putting together emails that are actually tailored to their individual perspectives. This approach is called “email targeting.” It’s far more effective than just compiling one general newsletter and throwing it out to every person you know that has a computer.

There are a wealth of email marketing platforms out there but the largest one in the world is

MailChimp. This particular tool makes email targeting a breeze. It's also a great resource for more tips and guides on modern email marketing strategy. As MailChimp lead the market, you can bet your bottom dollar that every piece of material they publish is nothing short of world class.

Require speakers to bring guests or promote

It’s not uncommon for events to require guest speakers to bring guests or help with the promotion. If you have guest speakers, recruit them to help you market your event.

This might include requiring them to register a certain number of guests themselves or it may simply look like them sending emails out to their existing list.

Be sure to provide your speakers with the tools they need to make this process simple.

Conclusion - 9 Ways to Market Your Event

That's it! Those are our top 9 ways to promote your latest event. Take up any or a number of the endeavors listed above and you’ll be swimming in attendees. It’s also important to remember that you’ll be collecting a whole heap of photos, notes, and video over the course of your event. Don't let these bad boys go to waste!

Make sure you save these valuable pieces of content for your future promotional efforts. One of the best ways to convince someone to attend anything is to show them a vibrant sneak preview of what the event is actually like! We hope you've found this quick list helpful and that things start to fall into place the closer you get to show time. Happy hunting!