How to Build Your Successful Online Life Coaching Business
Notwithstanding the worldwide chaos of the last few years, the life coaching industry is booming, especially in the online space. Both clients and life coaches are making use of internet technology to overcome the constraints of time, distance, and travel. If you have an eye for an online life coaching business, the tips shared in this article are just what you need to get started as a life coach and build a successful online life coaching business.
1. Get a life coaching certificate
Well begun is half done. A successful life coaching business is built upon the foundation of sound and comprehensive training in the concepts and skills of life coaching. At a minimum, a good life coaching certificate helps you cultivate the traits and personal qualities required to be a good life coach, guides you on how to build listening skills and questioning skills — two of the most important skills for life coaches — and takes you through the coaching process, coaching models, and approaches to coaching.
Thanks to the digital age we live in, getting access to top-notch life coaching certificates has become super easy. Online life coaching certificates come with all the advantages of online learning, and the good ones are also recognized nationally and internationally.
2. Do market research
Market research has always been important for any business, but with the tools and techniques of digital marketing, market research is not just a nice-to-have but a must-have. Before you establish an online presence and set up your life coaching business, make sure to do proper research on the demographic profile of your target customers, their tastes and preferences, their location/s, and their psychological and behavioral traits. Find out also who your competitors are, what services they offer, how much they charge for their services, what kind of online marketing strategies they use, and so on.
Your research will come in handy when you start promoting your online life coaching business using SEO, Google Ads, social media marketing, and other digital marketing channels.
3. Create a business plan
The insights you gain from your research will give your life coaching business the direction it needs. It will help you choose the coaching niche (coaching specializations like wellness coaching, health coaching, relationship coaching, leadership coaching, and many more) you would like to focus on, differentiate yourself from the competition, design your own unique coaching program, set your rates, and choose a delivery platform (general web conferencing software like Zoom or Skype or dedicated coaching software like Simply. Coach or Nudge Coach).
Set short-term and long-term goals and create a roadmap for how you intend to achieve those goals. Once you have the plan ready, decide what kind of entity (sole proprietorship, limited liability company, etc.) you want your life coaching business to be, get any licenses required, give your business a name that will resonate with your clients, and establish your brand identity, and open a business account with a bank.
4. Get a professional website done
Some business owners offer their services online without having a website. While this demonstrates that it’s totally possible to have an online business without having a dedicated online address, know that having a website gives your business a lot of credibilities and makes you look like the thorough professional that you already are.
Creating a website has become fairly easy in the last few years. But if you don’t have the time, or feel too intimidated by the idea of it, seek professional help. You don’t need to shell out a ton of money to have the website done. All you need is a simple website that tells your clients who you are, what services you offer, and how they can get in touch with you. If possible, integrate online payment methods on your website to streamline the entire experience for your clients.
5. Use digital marketing to promote your life coaching business
Having achieved two important milestones — the life coaching certificate and a professional website — you are all set to put yourself in front of your potential clients. Based on your market research, advertise your services where you are most likely to find your clients. It could be Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or a search engine like Google or Bing.
A more time-consuming but very rewarding marketing strategy is to use content marketing in the form of blogs, videos, or podcasts that you can publish on your own website or on your own YouTube channel or on third-party sites. Content marketing is a very effective way to demonstrate your authority and grasp over different aspects of life coaching and win the confidence of potential clients.
The online way is the future of most types of business, and life coaches are not ones to be left behind. As you contemplate joining the online bandwagon, use the tips shared here to step into the exciting world of life coaching. Have a great career and enjoy coaching!
Among the numerous online certification options out there, ExpertRating’s life coaching certificates stand out for being comprehensive and yet extremely affordable. You can start with the foundational Life Coaching Certificate and follow it up with the Master Life Coaching Certificate to up your game. In case you are interested in the wellness niche, you can enroll for the Wellness Coach Certification and then do the Advanced Wellness Coach Certification for deeper insights.
