social media

Applying Your Coaching Skills to Social Media

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By Rachel O’h-Uiginn, Undercurrent Coaching

Part VI of a series of articles focusing on the integration of social media in a coaching practice.

Social media engagement is similar to the art coaching. As a coach, you’re equipped with a tool-set that helps others gain clarity and utilize effectively what you’re able to offer them. For those who might be finding it a challenge to start a social media presence for your practice, here’s a new perspective that encourages you to use what you already know.

Listening: In coaching, we’re most effective when we listen closely and respond appropriately to our client’s needs. In social media, listening is crucial– we want to be sure our audience’s interests, concerns and voices are being heard and responded to. Conversation helps both client and audience build a sense of trust, and from that trust, relationships grow.

Validating: All coaching clients want to feel validated for whatever comes up in a session. In social media, this can be expressed by interacting with what your audience is saying, such as commenting on a post they shared or re-tweeting one of their updates. It shows that you’re listening and understanding where they are coming from. Read more

Managing Your Social Media Time

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Rachel O’h-Uiginn, Undercurrent Coaching

Part V of a series of articles focusing on the integration of social media in a coaching practice.

Technology has enormous benefits, but there is always a cost associated with any endeavor. Perhaps you’ve caught yourself saying Did I really just spend THAT much time on Facebook? There is so much to engage in – how can I possibly make an impact?

That’s a perfectly likely response because we all share the value of time well spent. Whether for personal or business purposes, here are some tips on how you can best use your time in the social-space.

There is no “right” or “wrong” way to be engaged online – only options.

Engagement is better than non-engagement, so as long as you’re participating in some way online, you’re naturally going to build your network, skills and confidence around it. It’s OK to feel like you’re not making any waves in the social-world, but start challenging that assumption because it will help your approach become one of experience and opportunity.

Know when you work best Read more

Your Social Centerpiece: Why all coaches should keep a blog

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Rachel O’h-Uiginn, Undercurrent Coaching

Part IV of a series of articles focusing on the integration of social media in a coaching practice.

If you’re a new coach starting out, or a veteran in need of a re-vamp online, creating a blog is a simple and effective way to build a wider online audience.

Entry into the blogosphere is simple and sites like WordPress, Tumblr & Blogger can have you up and running in less than ten minutes. Many people opt for using a blog as their primary website, and a basic one is free and user-friendly with a majority of the design work already done for you.

Where to start?

DO write about what you know. People understand that a blog is a perspective the writer has, so why not share what you are familiar with? Your posts should put your reader firsts but must authentically be your own voice. This way, your passion, enthusiasm and expertise will come through and readers will appreciate it.

DO integrate your blog into a social media strategy. Your blog is at the core of your online presence and must amplify your message. “A blog can also be the centerpiece for a social media effort, driving visitors from Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn back to the blog through calls-to-action and landing pages,” explains Douglas Karr, the author of Corporate Blogging for Dummies.

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What I “LIKE” about you: Facebook page for a coaching practice

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By Rachel O’h-Uiginn, Undercurrent Coaching

Part III of a series of articles focusing on the integration of social media in a coaching practice.

The Facebook “Like” button is quickly become a cultural icon. A little thumbs up goes a long way, so why not give your coaching business that extra boost of confidence? Creating and promoting your practice via a Facebook page will help contribute to a community online with your brand at the center.

When managing your Facebook page, consider these approaches: Tell; don’t sell, quality content and positive interaction.

The quickest way to lose followers on Facebook is by being pushy and one-dimensional about your services. Remember – Facebook is driven by behaviors and interests, and people can sense when someone is being gimmicky. Tell your coaching success, benefits and opportunities in a way that speaks to your audiences’ curiosity; don’t sell it to them.

As discussed in the previous article “Pillars of social media,” your mission and message should echo throughout all your page posts. Engage your fan-base by providing interesting, relevant and action-oriented content. You want your followers to get excited when your post appears in their home feed. They trust that you’re able to speak to their desires and needs. Read more

Pillars of a Successful Social Media Strategy

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By Rachel O’h-Uiginn, Undercurrent Coaching

Part II of a series of articles focusing on the integration of social media in a coaching practice.

Implementing a social media strategy in your coaching practice will increase your online visibility and help enhance the relationship between current and potential clients. Like any successful endeavor, it helps to have a plan of action. Consider these four pillars of an effective communication strategy: mission, message, medium & management.

Mission: What is the purpose of your coaching practice? How is this being expressed to current/potential clients? A mission statement is a crucial part of any business as it sums up what your work is about. In social media, your online content should always pay respect to your unique mission statement because it’s the focal point of your business and what people will identify most with.

Message: What are you trying to convey and how are you sharing it? Once you have a clear understanding of your mission, messaging needs to be on target with it. Diluting your message with non-relevant information, such as something totally outside your niche, will confuse people and actually diminish their trust that you’re talking to their needs. Messages may take the form of blog posts, status updates, Tweets or any other content you’re creating. Read more

The Language of Social Media

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By: Rachel O’h-Uiginn, Undercurrent Coaching

Part I of a series of articles focusing on the integration of social media in a coaching practice.

Social media is an indispensable tool in today’s interconnected world. Those who want to build a successful coaching practice should pay close attention to this new medium of modern life because it’s a reflection of our very basic human need to connect with others. With 4.5 billion active social-media accounts world-wide, it’s understandable that all this can seem overwhelming and you may be thinking “Where do I start? Does it really matter? I don’t even GET it!”

Social media is about conversations. You can be a part of many or few — but at its core, social media is about story-telling and offering others the choice to participate. In a coaching practice, social media is a great way to share your message with a larger audience than you may typically have access to. Becoming comfortable with social platforms will help develop your personal brand, web-presence and relevance in today’s marketplace.

Tools like Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn are leaders in the social-sphere because they allow users to share their lives with one another, thus creating a supportive network of like-minded individuals. Increasingly, people’s behavior online is organized around their own personal interests, so by tailoring your online content to meet the needs of your audience, you can be sure those within your niche will find you. You just need to speak their language appropriately and consistently. Read more

Social Media – If You’re Not In It, You’re Not With It!

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I have decided to take the proverbial plunge into Social Media and, quite honestly, I feel like a child back in Kindergarten. However, I am very clear on the purpose and totally believe that I should do this in order to grow my business. Social media is such that if “you’re not in it, you’re not with it”. If nothing else, consider the younger generation today who will be your clients tomorrow. How might you market most effectively to them?

So here’s the kindergarten version of how social media works:

Before you get into this race you must have a strong and flexible website. For me, the whole purpose of a social media strategy is simple: to drive people to our website so that they can learn about the business and how we can help or support them.

Blogging is the key. By providing “relevant content to your business”, at least weekly (which I am committing to do!), this fresh content will greatly help your search engine optimization. This means that when people Google a word relevant to your business you will appear higher in the rankings. Blogging can also position you as an expert and, in time, people will want to hear what you have to say. If they like it, they will drive others to your website. Read more