Welcome to Part 21 of my User Engagement series and we are moving along in a very fast pace. If you haven’t noticed, we are past the half way point and this is where things get exciting because we are reaching the end, but also disappointing because the series is coming to an end. Throughout the series so far, I hope you have picked up some great strategies to implement to your blog, which will help increase your traffic and brand awareness. Coaching sessions are an effective strategy to implement into your blog’s marketing, however, I believe there is a time and place, which is why I decided to present this in Part 21 and NOT earlier. You’ll learn what I mean later on, but this is a strategy used by many authority bloggers and has been very effective in building brand awareness.
Let’s get started and explore this user engagement strategy further. I’d like to take this time to go over the fundamentals.
What are Coaching Sessions?
These are one-on-one sessions where the influential bloggers will mentor and guide a student independently. Unlike content that you’ll publish and let people read while leaving comments, coaching sessions are strictly one-on-one. Many people prefer to be part of coaching sessions because it gives them a chance to ask the questions they want to and learn strategies to help grow their specific blog. For example, the problem you’re facing might NOT be a problem anyone else is facing so you’d like to have coaching session with an expert to be able to go through ways you can overcome any obstacles you’re facing.
The idea is very simple but these types of sessions must only be made available if certain criteria are met on both ends, the blogger and visitor. Here’s what I mean…
The Blogger
If you are an experienced blogger, then you know offering private coaching sessions cannot come easy. You have to be someone who has built credibility in the industry before offering your expertise. Fellow bloggers will come to you asking for personal blogging advice and one thing that will destroy your authority more than anything is NOT being able to provide the substance your student is looking for. I’ve noticed through my experience, coaching sessions so far have only been offered by those fitting the following criteria:
- Authority within your niche
- Years of experience in your niche
- People already follow your advice
- A loyal following
- Proven track record of success
As the Student
If you plan on approaching an authority blogger about private coaching sessions, then there are a few things you have to keep in mind. First, these sessions are NOT cheap and can be very expensive because they are one-on-one sessions. Remember, you are taking part in a coaching session targeted for your needs, which, in the long run, can convert into great knowledge and profits. Authority bloggers know this and will charge you an arm and a leg for their advice. Secondly, you have to be careful when paying for private coaching sessions because you want to make sure you’ll get the value you’re hoping to get. The last thing you want is to pay for sessions and find they provided NO value afterward. As mentioned, these sessions can be very costly and the last thing you want to do is pay for something WITHOUT getting anything in return.
Just to add on to the points above, you want to make sure you approach someone you trust within your niche and that they are willing to help you achieve your bottom line.
How Does This Build Engagement?
Simple…
You are building a one-on-one connection with someone, which leads to growth of your blog. For example, one of the best ways to build engagement is through trust and even though these are coaching sessions, it can produce enormous loyalty in the long-run. The person you have coached will implement your strategies into their blog and even mention you to their followers, which can boost your brand and engagement.
- Great for long-term engagement
- Build more loyalty
- Great for brand awareness
- Increase visibility online
- Increase traffic
- Increase conversions
No Distractions
This applies to everything, but if you want to make sure you succeed no matter how you write and publish content, then make sure you’ve eliminated your distractions. WordPress has some cool plug-ins that allows you to stay completely focused on your screen by providing step-by-step tasks you can complete for your blog. I don’t personally use them because I work in a location where I have ABSOLUTELY no distractions and can completely focus on the work at hand. However, I encourage all of you to work from a location you feel will be bring out the best.
It’s that simple…but very effective!