Get connected with your LinkedIn profile.

Social media is is a great way to get people to see you and your coaching business, and LinkedIn is no exception. It’s as easy as creating an account and filling in a profile. The question is: are you getting the most out of your LinkedIn profile?

All social networking sites work with different methods that you must learn how to use in order to get any real benefits. With LinkedIn, your profile is vital to how easily people can find you. Unless someone already knows your name, they’re not going to be able to find you if your profile isn’t up to snuff.

This happens all of the time. Coaching business owners and other LinkedIn users often write vague profiles that don’t clearly explain what they do. Then, when people search for keywords like “relationship coaching”, they don’t find you!

You want to set up your profile so that people will find you when what they’re looking for and what you do overlap (think of this as the sweet spot). If you do this correctly, your profile should come up when someone searches for keywords related to your coaching business – which is exactly where you want to be.

What’s Your Ability?

Most profiles have a very vague explanation of what the person does and who they’re targeting as potential clients. Keep in mind that the area of coaching has all kinds of titles, including business coach, career coach, and life coach. You might think that these titles are enough to draw the clients you’re looking for, but it’s a lot like saying you sell tea when you actually sell organic jasmine tea leaves. See the difference?

To get clients that fit you, you have to identify your particular ability. A life coach who specializes in overcoming mid-life crises is a lot different than a coach who helps athletes attain fitness goals. Think about what kind of coach you are, what type of coaching you offer, and what sort of client or business you’re aiming for. Getting this right links directly to the clients that are best for you.

Drawing Clients

The biggest obstacle that a coach faces is usually getting the right clients. These are the clients that you can work with successfully and who fit with your particular abilities. The best way to establish this connection is to be specific about what you do and what kind of client you’re looking for. Be sure to tell people what your expertise is so that they can find you.

You might be worried that being specific will cause you to lose business. It will, but this is a good thing. You’ll only lose business that doesn’t fit your abilities. Being vague or appearing practiced in any and all forms of coaching doesn’t work. The Internet is a big place, and there are countless coaches trying to do the same thing. When you narrow down your profile to your particular abilities, you stand out to the right people.

When people see you as the expert for a certain type of coaching, it will be easier for you to pull in all the clients you need, plus you’ll be getting the sort of clients you love to help.

How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile:

1. Identify your niche and your specific abilities. This is all about being detailed so that potential clients find you.
2. What makes your practice different? This is how you get noticed among the horde of coaches already working in your niche.
3. Who are you prepared to coach?  And what kind of clients are you looking for? Make sure that your profile targets these people and that they can find you easily.

If you’re missing any of these three steps, then you should rewrite your profile immediately. Remember: the sooner you optimize your profile, the sooner clients will be able to find you. This is an easy, fast way to connect to the people you’re looking for.

For more inspiration, you can always search the keywords that are related to your coaching business. Take a look at the profiles that come out on top. How do these people describe themselves and their potential clients? How can you apply this to your own profile?

It can be difficult to get a coaching business on its feet when you don’t know what mistakes to avoid. This is why Dr. Craig put together a FREE report to help you build a foundation for success.

How do you describe your coaching practice?  What are your biggest concerns? 

Let us know by leaving a comment below.