***This is an article I published for TrainHeroic.com.
Online programming is an expanding revenue opportunity for coaches looking to capitalize on the growing needs of athletes all of the globe. There are thousands of free and cheap training options out there for athletes of all types to choose from, however, very few programs are building a branded approach to market and ultimately increase their memberships.
TrainHeroic offers coaches a platform to quickly and easily offer scalable program design for athletes all over the world.
The key to creating the next level of branding, however, falls upon the shoulders of the coach/companies looking to expand and stand out among the other programmers.
At The Barbell CEO, I work with coaches, brands, and businesses on how to create a better brand, connect on deeper levels with their audiences, and develop systems to help run the operations of the day-to-day smoother and more efficiently. The ability to do all of that results in coaches and owners having more time to do what they want, when they want, without sacrificing the standards of excellence of their brand and user experience.
When starting out, online programmers can take advantage of the following tips and tricks to not only brand their online programs and businesses better, but also potentially generate more revenue and brand awareness, both vital to growth and retention in today's online environment.
Market Your Program on Your Website
TrainHeroic offers coaches the complete platform to sell, convert leads to users, billing and subscriptions, host, and even run the entire back end of your online programs.
Personally, I feel that many coaches and businesses can go one step further to create a branded experience by listing and creating a web page with full details and advertising on their website to give potential customers the online proof that your brand is established and on point.
Take a look at some of the simple and visually appealing steps we took with “Human Athletics” to better brand our program.
Create Branded Video Content
Branding video libraries has been a huge part of my marketing campaigns. Additionally, taking the time to record the specific content you want your audiences to see further validates yourself as an authority in your space. By having yourself on screen, your members and future customers will develop a deeper connection with you as a coach and brand.
By recording your branded video content, you can add them into social media posts, email newsletters, web pages, online programs (can upload onto TrainHeroic), and in blog posts. Additionally, having them hosted on your YouTube and website are great backlinks to increase web traffic and SEO.
The below videos are some of my branded pieces from over a year ago that are still paying hUGE dividends on my website traffic, and have helped me develop better content along the way.
In this video, a simple exercise demo is enough to use in online programs, blog posts, and social media posts.
In this video, a more complex analysis of an exercise payed huge dividends with my email newsletter audiences, blog articles, and custom content for my weightlifting online forums.
Create Branded Graphics and Material
Branding is all about consistency. Having your logo everywhere, on everything. Additionally, making sure the visual content you put out matches your brand’s look and feel will separate you from the rest.
When creating content, I turn to great free and low-cost options to make amazing visual designs.
One of my favorites is Canva, a free website with a ton of customizable layouts for all of your needs (social media, newsletters, banners, flyers, letter, YouTube pages, etc).
Co-branded webinar flyer created for social media campaigns, web forms, and emails. Click here to register for our upcoming business and branding webinar.
Automate Your Social Media Postings
As coaches, we find ourselves busy with programming and coaching, leaving little time to develop the automation needed to fully scale your business.
Too often coaches launch an online program, blast out a few emails and social media posts, and expect for life-changing results. The reality of it is, you need to be consistently embedding your online programs into posts, emails, and social media content.
This is why I am a huge fan of automated social media content.
Every month, I will sit down for 2-3 hours and lay out my posting calendar, set up my posts and embedded URL links, and set timers to automatically post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and email newsletters. I am a giant fan of CoSchedue for all my social management needs.
Build Automated and Targeted Sales Funnels
Email lists are one of, if not THE best way to convert leads into direct sales. Email access to your audiences is a direct relationship.
Seeing that many people check emails over 10 TIMES PER DAY, you have a greater chance of converting those leads to sales. Popular email marketing platforms, such as InfusionSoft, my personal favorite, allows you to automate so much of your day-to-day business.
Additionally, by using software track who opens your emails, who clicks what, and monitor the trends, you can determine what readers are truly on the fence and/or interested in your offerings. That information is key, since you can follow up with those who have expressed interest without spamming those who are not.
If you are unaware of those analytics, it may be time to take a look at using an automated software system to run your business more efficiently and increase revenue opportunities.
What To Do Next
Chances are your mind is spinning from all this marketing and branding content. For the first two year of my business, I was in the same boat, and to be honest, I learn new things everyday.
The biggest thing to getting started or upgrading your current strategies is to evaluate your baseline, just like you would when accessing/reassessing a client/athlete. For those of your interested in learning more about branding, business, and how to become a better entrepreneur, check out the free offerings below:
PRE-REGISTER for the FREE “Own It Webinar” on August, 28th, 2016 at 8pm EST: The Barbell CEO and TrainHeroic have teamed up to bring online coaches and entrepreneurs a systematic approach to building stronger brands and business. PRE-REGISTER HERE.