The Ultimate Content Marketing Checklist
Truth bomb: you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on advertising to get high-paying clients for your coaching program.
So, how do you spread the word about your offer? Simple, the answer’s content marketing. All you have to do is share your ideas, tips, and advice on your social media, podcast, or blog. This allows your target clients to know more about you and the value you’ll add to their lives.
Your content gives a “sneak peek” at what it's like working with you as a Coach. Let’s look at the example below.
The Secret Winning Advantage To Get Clients Organically
Consider this… Jenny is a busy working mom who finally decided to get in shape with the help of a fitness coach. She’s now comparing two coaches she saw online.
Coach A: Jenny loves watching Coach A’s content on her YouTube channel. She even finds time on her busy schedule to do Coach A’s 7-minute workout routines. Plus, she follows Coach A on all her social media pages and listens to Coach A’s podcast while she’s working.
And then there's coach B.
Coach B: Jenny did a quick Google search and came across Coach B's website. Coach B looks qualified with an MSc degree and a great-looking website. But she doesn’t know a lot about Coach B.
Both coaches have the same offer at the same price. Question: who do you think Jenny would most likely consult with?
Now, there might be different factors in play, but it’s safe to assume that Coach A has an edge over Coach B. Jenny is already engaging with Coach A’s content, so she already knows what it’s like working with Coach A.
So, Jenny is more inclined to get Coach A’s program since she trusts her more than Coach B.
You see, the content you publish shows you know the answers to the problems of your prospective clients. But with so much content out there, how do you stand out with all the noise of the online world?
Your Go-To Content Marketing Checklist
Content marketing can be overwhelming when you don’t have a process to create valuable content and engage with your followers. That’s why we put together a checklist you can follow to execute all your content marketing tasks.
Here are the 8 questions that will serve as your guide as you prepare your content marketing plan.
1. Do you know your target audience?
You need to get to know your target audience. This is an important step if you want to create content that resonates with your potential clients.
Here are some questions you need to answer for your market research:
- What are the problems they are currently facing?
- Where do they find solutions for their problems?
- Which book do they like reading?
- How much is their average monthly income?
- How will you describe them? (Analyze their demographic profile such as age, gender, location, and education level)
The more you research, the more you get insights into your different customer personas. Nail your market research! Think of it as if you're building the foundation for your content marketing campaigns.
2. Do you know where your target audience “hangs out”?
Most coaches get stuck and confused about content marketing because they try to be EVERYWHERE. Guess what? You only need to post your content on platforms where your target audience can see it.
For instance, don’t expect to find high-income executives to be on TikTok or Snapchat. Instead, look for them on LinkedIn or highly engaged Facebook groups for professionals.
3. Can your target audience find you on social media through search?
There are two HUGE reasons you need to optimize your social media bio. First, you’ll easily appear on your target audience’s search. It’s important to use specific keywords related to your niche, so you’ll be more visible.
Second, your bio is the first thing your target audience sees when they go to your profile. Then, they’ll immediately decide if your content is right for them or not.
Here’s an example. There are lots of mindset and manifestation coaches on IG. But if you specialized in trauma healing, why not put it on your bio? In that way, your potential clients will find you faster and they’ll know that your content is relevant to their problems.
4. Where do you find content topics?
The key to this step is to use the search engines to your advantage. So, what are the search engines I’m talking about besides Google? Here are some:
- Instagram search
- YouTube
- Pinterest
- Reddit forums
- Quora
- Answerthepublic.com
Searching for relevant keywords or hashtags in your niche will lead you to the content “gold mine” that you’re looking for.
What are the YouTube videos that your target audience will find valuable? Maybe you can create content that is about the same topic, but add more context to it.
Forums are great sources of content topics. You can address the frequently asked questions in your niche through a video or written content to establish credibility and authority.
5. What types of content do you need to publish on social media?
Here’s the harsh truth you should be prepared for if you’re just starting out as a coach: no one cares about you. They only care about themselves and how you can help them.
So, that selfie you took while having a pinot noir won’t create much difference as posting a well-thought-out video addressing your target audience’s problems. Don’t get us wrong, it’s nice to post about your personal life once in a while. But you need to focus your time creating these types of content:
- Informative Content: This type of content is highly relevant to your niche. Informative content answers specific questions that your target audience might be having.
While they are lower in likes and comments compared to inspirational content, these posts are highly shareable and very educational.
- Inspirational Content: Do you have reflections you want to share? Well, you need to take advantage of having a platform to share your insights.
Many people might relate to what you have to say. Inspirational content usually receives lots of comments because people want to give their two cents to the topics they resonate with.
- High-Engaging Content: This type of content lets you crowdsource your audience’s opinions. All you have to do is ask a simple question or make a poll regarding something.
You’re providing a space for discussion or friendly debate, so these posts typically gain the highest engagement among these four types of content.
- Promotional Content: Now, here’s your chance to promote your lead magnet, coaching program, or launches.
Are you worried that your audience might hate you because you’re self-promoting? You don’t have to be anxious if you know that you’ve provided enough value to your audience. And they’ll know that your offer can help them get the results they’ve always wanted.
Be sure to spread out your content. You can try the 45-25-20-10 Rule: 45% Informative Content, 25% Inspirational Content, 20% High-Engaging Content, 10% Promotional Content.
6. How do you promote and distribute your content?
After creating content, it’s time to post and promote. You can batch schedule your content through automation tools such as:
- Buffer
- Hootsuite
- Planoly
- Tweetdeck
- MeetEdgar
- CoSchedule
Find the best times to post your content. For example, some content marketers post as early as 5 AM, so their content will be the first thing their followers see on their feed when they wake up.
Once your content is posted, share it with people that you think will benefit the most. Let’s say you found a Quora thread that asked the question you answered in your post. Share the link to your post to gain more visibility and engagement.
7. What’s next after you publish your content?
If you’ve got comments and messages about your content, respond to each one and engage. Your task doesn’t end after you publish your content. Communicate with your followers to strengthen your relationship and the trust you earned.
8. How do you monitor and analyze the results of your content marketing campaign?
The analytics of your posts, newsletters, blog posts, etc will tell you exactly what you need to improve on. Are there any posts that gain more engagement than the others? If so, why do you think they performed the best?
Analyze your best-performing posts to replicate the results you had. Remember that your content marketing efforts must evolve as you try different things. The analytics is your basis to determine whether or not your results are improving.
Content Marketing Isn’t A Rocket Science
But it is A LOT of work. As a coach that wants to create a bigger impact, you don’t need to be doing all these kinds of stuff to attract your ideal clients. Our team handles the heavy-duty content marketing tasks for you, so you have more time to grow and scale your coaching business.