How Coaches Grow

Here’s the scenario: A while ago you started a blog. You knew enough to get you going and you’ve managed to maintain it and post regular blogs. Then one day you notice that your blog looks kind of dated. You’ve noticed other sites have nifty features such as widgets and sophisticated flash ads. They look clean and professional and user-friendly. Whereas yours… well, there’s no other way to say it: it needs a facelift. You didn’t do it on purpose. You just didn’t know what you were doing when you started.

The symptoms

• Your design looks amateur
• Your posts don’t read well
• You’re widgets aren’t relevant
• The whole thing looks thrown together without any plan in mind

I’ll just tweak this… and while I’m here…

You might be tempted to just get in there and change things randomly in an effort to pep it up a bit. But don’t. That’s a recipe for disaster. You’ll only create as many problems as you try and fix. It’s a sad fact that, no matter how successful you are, something will always look wrong to you. If you allow it to distract you, you can spend your entire life chasing little, annoying problems, and you’ll never get to the big stuff, the things that really deserve your attention.

The good, the bad and the ugly

Definitely don’t fall into the make-it-look-pretty trap. As a designer, I know all about that. You get so caught up in trying to make it look trendy and eye-catching that you forget the fundamental purpose of the blog. You will only end up with something that looks great but only captures your audience for a second. As they say, beauty is only skin deep. It’s what’s underneath that count. And in the case of your blog, it’s the content that’s going to woo your readers.

Identifying the real issues

To figure out what really needs changing is a case of studying the data. Before making any changes to your blog, look at:

• Traffic statistics: Look at which posts have gotten traffic and which posts have been ignored. Why?
• Comments: Which posts hit a nerve that people want to comment?
• Links: Who is linking to you and what are they saying about you?
• Bookmarks: Which of your posts have been the most successful on social bookmarking sites like Digg and Del.icio.us? Why?

By looking at your data you will see patterns of what works and what doesn’t. You may even be surprised to see how much time you’re wasting on stuff that doesn’t work and how precious little time you’re spending on stuff that does. You will also want to find out what’s worked for other coaching professionals and try a similar approach for yourself.

If you’re new to blogging, then it’s wise to consider hiring a blog writer. Often we don’t see where we’re going wrong so we need someone to point it out for us. It’s usually obvious when we see it, but an expert eye gives us another perspective. A blog writer will enable you to get the attention of readers so you can build relationships with them. Even better, hire a blog writer who also has design skills so that the look of your blog and the content work in harmony.

Tips For Creating An Appealing Blog

Show off: Blogs are about expression so don’t be shy. Rave about what you know. Engage with your readers, reach out to them. Be more concerned with being genuine than being right. Show all your strengths and weaknesses. Be yourself, be real and be accessible.

KISS: I know, you’ve heard it before but if you don’t ‘Keep It Simple’, you’re going to confuse… and you never want to confuse. Say it with me: ‘Keep It Simple’.

Pay attention to your readers: Your blog is not as much about your topic but more about your readers. Who do they care about? What’s worrying them? What makes them want to get up in the morning? Get to know them.

Take advantage of technology: Consider using tools that make it easy for readers to find you. Host your blog on Blogger or WordPress.com. Try new plugins and play around with new themes. A good blog is one that moves with the times.

If in doubt, hire a professional: That’s what they’re there for — copywriters, marketing experts, graphic designers, web developers. The money you spend will be worth the investment. You will save time and energy and get where you want to be much faster than if you did it alone. Utilise the wealth of expertise available to you and you will flourish.

FURTHER ASSISTANCE

Are you a Life Coach, Business Consultant, Trainer or Therapist who needs web content and/or information products? Maybe you need copy and design on your website, blog or social media pages. Or perhaps you need an ebook, audio/video script or coaching tools created from your notes. Whatever your needs, I can make sure that you (a) connect with prospective clients and (b) provide quality resources for your existing clients. Contact me for quotes, questions and advice:

Email: tracey@howcoachesgrow.com
Skype: tracey_wood1
Phone: +61 7 5439 9883

Copyright© 2009 How Coaches Grow. All rights reserved.

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