We bring you an enriching article via a website of the International Coach Federation. The author is William Arruda, the founder of Reach Personal Branding.
Over the past decade, I’ve coached countless coaches on their personal branding strategies. I see a lot of recurring mistakes that waste their time and money while undermining their brand’s true potential. The following five blunders are at the top of my list because they can have the greatest negative impact:
1. Having a web 1.0 website. According to the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, “Nearly half of people surveyed say a website’s design is the number one criterion for discerning the credibility of the company.” Yet many coaches treat their website as a minor supplement to their branding efforts. In reality, your website can become a strategic investment that pays high returns if you use it appropriately to grow your practice. You have a web 1.0 website if:
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You use it like a brochure;
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You cannot make changes to it yourself;
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It doesn’t allow you to engage and interact with your brand community;
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It’s not integrated into your social media strategy; and
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It’s made up mostly of words with few images and no video.
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Your website is more than a brochure; it shouldn’t be used as a one-way channel for supplying basic information. Its real value is the fact that it lets you have regular interaction with decisions makers and influencers. If you have a web 1.0 website, it’s time to upgrade.
2. Not having a focused niche. Although it seems counter intuitive, the narrower you make your target audience, the larger your practice will be and the less time you will spend acquiring clients. The most successful coaches I work with can describe their target audience (and their unique offering) with detailed precision. They focus all their business development on this small group and regularly refer work to others when a prospect falls outside their target.
3. Not using LinkedIn. If you have a profile but haven’t visited it in a month or more, you are missing out on opportunities to advance your thought-leadership and build your business. LinkedIn is a powerful way to convey your brand identity to potential clients and a valuable tool for staying engaged with people who are making decisions about you. It also helps you establish yourself as a thought-leader so you can stand out from your peers.
Please read the rest of the article on the website of the International Coach Federation here
