180 | LinkedIn for Coaches: From Zero Visibility to Booked Out

Speaker: 00:00:00

If you are copying and pasting DMs to

strangers, posting inspirational quotes

2

: 00:00:05

that get three likes from other coaches,

then let's talk about how LinkedIn

3

: 00:00:11

can actually work for you as a coach.

4

: 00:00:14

I posted on LinkedIn five days

a week for six months before

5

: 00:00:18

I got a single client from it.

6

: 00:00:20

Six whole months, five days a week,

ready to give up, and then finally,

7

: 00:00:25

three people DMed me in the same week,

like buses, all saying that version

8

: 00:00:30

of, "I've been following your posts for

months, and I think I need your help."

9

: 00:00:34

So LinkedIn definitely works, but

it does take consistency, and this

10

: 00:00:39

is what most people don't appreciate

when they start their business.

11

: 00:00:43

It also isn't a strategy in itself.

12

: 00:00:46

Whereas it used to be much easier,

in all honesty, back in: 2020

13

: 00:00:52

it's not really easy now because

the platform is so much bigger.

14

: 00:00:57

Welcome to Women in the Coaching Arena.

15

: 00:00:59

I am Jo Lott, and I have helped hundreds

of coaches to build brilliant businesses.

16

: 00:01:04

Today, we are talking LinkedIn because

it's the one place where nearly all

17

: 00:01:08

of my clients have originated from,

and that's in lots of different

18

: 00:01:12

niches, executive coaching, career

coaching, and now business coaching.

19

: 00:01:17

So it can work for you

whatever niche you are in.

20

: 00:01:20

And I know it's really tough right

now because the algorithm has changed,

21

: 00:01:24

so it's not just in your head.

22

: 00:01:27

It really is hard now to get reach.

23

: 00:01:30

LinkedIn have recently moved to paid

ads, which they had never really gone

24

: 00:01:35

big on before, so it's looking a bit

more like your Instagram or Facebook

25

: 00:01:39

feed where most things are adverts.

26

: 00:01:42

So therefore, they will be limiting

reach to encourage you to pay

27

: 00:01:47

them to show people your post.

28

: 00:01:51

But you can still do this for free,

and LinkedIn still is brilliant.

29

: 00:01:57

Your ideal clients are there

scrolling over their tea or coffee.

30

: 00:02:01

You just need to give them a

reason to stop and notice you.

31

: 00:02:05

So why LinkedIn?

32

: 00:02:06

Why not Instagram, TikTok, or

whatever else is out there?

33

: 00:02:10

Here are three reasons I chose

LinkedIn as my core platform.

34

: 00:02:14

So first is the audience.

35

: 00:02:17

LinkedIn is full of professionals, people

with careers, with budgets, who are

36

: 00:02:22

actively thinking about their development.

37

: 00:02:25

If you are a career coach, leadership

coach, confidence coach, then people

38

: 00:02:29

are already there, and they're far more

in a buyer's mind than usually people

39

: 00:02:35

aimlessly scrolling on Instagram.

40

: 00:02:37

I find LinkedIn converts more people

because they are in that buying mind.

41

: 00:02:43

But again, I have had clients

manage to succeed on all platforms,

42

: 00:02:48

so it's completely up to you,

the individual, as to how big you

43

: 00:02:52

want to go to your social media.

44

: 00:02:54

And I find LinkedIn very forgiving, as in

they're quite happy with a post a day or

45

: 00:03:00

maybe three posts in a week, whereas me

personally have found Instagram requires

46

: 00:03:06

a lot more creativity, a lot more stories,

a lot more involvement in your life.

47

: 00:03:11

So it just depends on you as

a person, but I chose LinkedIn

48

: 00:03:16

for those particular reasons.

49

: 00:03:18

You can reach people directly

through searching in the search

50

: 00:03:22

bar, which is unlike most platforms,

because you can actually search for

51

: 00:03:26

their job title, which is ideal.

52

: 00:03:29

Well, for me it's ideal 'cause I

know the job title of the people

53

: 00:03:32

I'm searching for, which is coach.

54

: 00:03:34

But even if you are a leadership coach,

for example, it's still ideal to find

55

: 00:03:40

lawyers or accountants or whoever else

you might want to search for in the feed.

56

: 00:03:45

So even if you are a leadership coach,

you can still search for job titles in

57

: 00:03:50

LinkedIn, which is unlike other platforms.

58

: 00:03:54

Okay, so let's move on to your profile.

59

: 00:03:56

This is where most coaches go wrong

before they've even posted anything.

60

: 00:04:01

Your LinkedIn headline is losing

you clients, and your LinkedIn

61

: 00:04:05

headline is that most important bit.

62

: 00:04:07

It's the first thing

people see under your name.

63

: 00:04:11

If yours says something like, "Life coach,

ICF-accredited coach" Passionate about

64

: 00:04:16

helping people be their best selves.

65

: 00:04:19

I'm sorry, but it's very

unlikely to do any work for you.

66

: 00:04:23

Your ideal client doesn't care

about your job title or your

67

: 00:04:26

accreditation at this stage.

68

: 00:04:28

They care about whether you can

help them in particular, so your

69

: 00:04:32

headline needs to answer one question.

70

: 00:04:36

What do you help people do?

71

: 00:04:38

Something like, "I help women in

tech get their next promotion."

72

: 00:04:42

So be specific, be clear,

and make it about them.

73

: 00:04:47

Now let's move on to your About section.

74

: 00:04:49

Think of this as your mini landing page.

75

: 00:04:52

Not a CV, not your entire life story,

but start with them and their pain.

76

: 00:04:58

When I review clients' LinkedIn

profiles, if they first started

77

: 00:05:01

their business, their About

section is usually all about them.

78

: 00:05:06

So, "I have 20 years experience.

79

: 00:05:09

I have done this.

80

: 00:05:09

I have done that," and they

forget to actually speak

81

: 00:05:13

directly to their ideal client.

82

: 00:05:16

So do check out your own About

section now and see if you're

83

: 00:05:20

using the word you rather than

using the word I all of the time.

84

: 00:05:25

So really show how you got here, what

you understand, and finally, you move on

85

: 00:05:31

to what you offer, and that is the part

that most people miss, a clear next step.

86

: 00:05:37

So what do you want them to do next?

87

: 00:05:39

So for me, at the end of mine,

it might be listen to my podcast.

88

: 00:05:43

It might be download my free

guide if you have a lead magnet,

89

: 00:05:47

pins in your featured section.

90

: 00:05:50

It might be book a call.

91

: 00:05:52

It might be send me a DM.

92

: 00:05:53

But make sure you have a call to action

at the end of your About section.

93

: 00:05:58

Your banner should ideally be

clear and professional with

94

: 00:06:03

a line about why follow you.

95

: 00:06:06

Also use it to put your call to

action, so whether that is check

96

: 00:06:09

out my featured section for certain

offer, certain lead magnet, wherever

97

: 00:06:14

it is you want to take them to.

98

: 00:06:15

So you don't have to completely repeat

your headline, because it goes just

99

: 00:06:20

above your headline, but say something

interesting that will immediately

100

: 00:06:24

communicate why I should follow you.

101

: 00:06:27

Okay, so let's move on to posting now.

102

: 00:06:30

So stop posting inspirational

quotes on LinkedIn.

103

: 00:06:34

I need to say something here that might

sting, but those inspirational quotes

104

: 00:06:38

we all love as coaches feel nice to

post, they get a few likes, but nobody

105

: 00:06:43

has ever read, "Be the change you want

to see in the world," and thought,

106

: 00:06:48

"Right, I need to hire this coach."

107

: 00:06:51

Here's what actually works.

108

: 00:06:53

Repeatable problem post.

109

: 00:06:55

So you name a specific problem

your ideal client is having.

110

: 00:06:59

Really think about the problem

that your client is having

111

: 00:07:02

and try not to be vague here.

112

: 00:07:03

We're talking micro-specific.

113

: 00:07:05

We want them to think, "Oh my goodness,

she's describing my actual Tuesday."

114

: 00:07:11

Something like, "You know that feeling

when you've been in the same role for

115

: 00:07:15

five years, everyone tells you to go

for the promotion, but the thought

116

: 00:07:19

of it makes your stomach feel sick?"

117

: 00:07:22

Then you share your insight or

your experience, and you end with

118

: 00:07:26

something soft like, "If this

resonates, drop me a comment or DM me."

119

: 00:07:31

Or ideally, I would be saying,

"Sign up for my free guide."

120

: 00:07:37

Sometimes from a post, people

aren't always in a position

121

: 00:07:40

to want to buy from you.

122

: 00:07:42

I often think about LinkedIn as reach, so

reaching lots of people, and your email

123

: 00:07:48

list is where you generally make sales.

124

: 00:07:50

This type of post works because your

ideal client reads it and thinks,

125

: 00:07:54

"They're actually describing my life."

126

: 00:07:56

Post two is the authority teaching post.

127

: 00:08:00

This is where you're gonna

share your expertise, practical,

128

: 00:08:04

actionable stuff that shows what

you're actually talking about.

129

: 00:08:08

Something like, "After working with

200-plus coaches, here are three

130

: 00:08:13

things that actually get clients

and three things that don't."

131

: 00:08:17

That could be a post that I

would put out, for example.

132

: 00:08:20

But really do make your

content genuinely useful.

133

: 00:08:24

I think this is the biggest mistake

I see, and most people's posts

134

: 00:08:29

are not good enough to really help

people learn anything new or follow

135

: 00:08:34

them or gain a great insight.

136

: 00:08:36

So the more generous you are, the

more that people will trust you.

137

: 00:08:39

Okay, so let's move on to the story post.

138

: 00:08:43

So a real transformation with

permission from your ideal client

139

: 00:08:47

if you feel like it's too close

to an actual client discussion.

140

: 00:08:51

Where were they before

they worked with you?

141

: 00:08:54

Where are they now?

142

: 00:08:55

And what made the difference?

143

: 00:08:56

One of the coaches in my program

came in, qualified for a year

144

: 00:09:00

already, with zero paying clients.

145

: 00:09:03

Within four weeks, she had done

five market research calls, which

146

: 00:09:07

is a task I set us in our first

four weeks of working together.

147

: 00:09:12

She got really clear on her niche,

she got clear on her offer, and

148

: 00:09:16

her first paying client came

from one of those conversations.

149

: 00:09:20

That is a story worth telling.

150

: 00:09:22

Now let's look at engagement.

151

: 00:09:24

Your comments are free

advertising on LinkedIn.

152

: 00:09:28

This is, again, the bit most

coaches skip, and it might matter

153

: 00:09:32

Share Episode

Shownotes

Timestamps

Transcripts

Follow

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube