If you aren’t already publishing, you should be! Publishing a blog or newsletter is a great way to show readers that you are up-to-date and well-informed about new trends. By reading your blog or newsletter, potential clients will begin to feel confident in your expertise and trust you as a forward-thinking health coach.
Blogging Basics
There are many benefits to blogging. First of all, it is inexpensive. In addition, it’s relatively simple. Explore hosting sites, such as WordPress or Blogger, to see which is the most user friendly for you. After a few posts, you’ll become a pro.
The internet is full of blogs and great health resources, so it is smart to combine your blogging with e-mail marketing or with your social media marketing, to actively gain readership. Look for ways to share what you’ve written with local companies (i.e. health food stores, restaurants and fitness centers) and ask your clients to spread the word, too. Another great resource is Ezine.com. They are the world’s largest article marketing directory. You will immediately gain credibility once you begin posting your articles within Ezine.com.
Get Inspired
Before you register at a blogging site and begin writing (or even if you already have a blog), get inspired. Spend a couple of hours searching for and reading blogs of other health professionals that you admire. Arm yourself with a blank notepad and pen and write down design ideas and topics that you like. Make a list of what you dislike and want to avoid, too. Jot down any creative ideas that pop into your head while looking around.
If time is a concern
Get started quickly with pre-designed blog templates. They are usually free on blogging host sites. Hire freelance writers or local college students to contribute by writing a few blog entries for you when you have a full schedule. When you find yourself with some unexpected free time, write several blog entries and save them as drafts. You can publish the posts later on, when you’re booked with appointments and too busy to write. Carry a notepad for spontaneous inspiration that usually comes when not at your computer.
Newsletter Nuances
Newsletters are nice, because they can be used both online and in print. They are a great addition to an email marketing campaign. They can be added to your website or you can send them by snail mail. However, newsletters can present more of a logistical challenge than blogging. Designing a newsletter layout can be difficult and your newsletters should have a strict publishing timeline. Research shows that in order to gain a loyal following you should publish a newsletter no less than every other week. Ideally you should send a newsletter every week. However it is most important to be consistent. Pick a timeline that you are 100% sure you can handle and plan in advance.
If you have the money to invest in printing and mailing a well-designed newsletter, it will definitely be noticed in today’s internet centric world. People enjoy the look and feel of newsletters. After all, who doesn’t love getting a good letter in the mail?
If time is a concern
You can purchase unique newsletter templates online from designers. Or try using free templates that are already available in Microsoft Word or Publisher. You can always adjust and customize general templates to suit your brand.
Don’t be afraid to keep your newsletters short and sweet, especially if they are online. There’s no need to try to imitate your local newspaper. Readers will inevitably prefer a one page newsletter with a couple of quality articles over many pages of mediocre articles.
Coaching people on health & wellness is a personal business. Adding a paragraph that is “new and good” about you to your blog is encouraged. This will build rapport and a connection with your followers.
Newsworthy Success
When you write posts and articles, remember that blogs and newsletters are marketing tools. Make sure that the content of your newsletter or blog is aligned with your business offerings. If you want to have a “Friday Fun” post each week in your blog or offer an “interesting facts” article in every edition of your newsletter, go for it! However, it is wise to keep it to a minimum. The majority of what you publish should be closely related to your health coaching business.
The goal of blog and newsletter marketing is to display your knowledge and expertise, as well as build trust among your readers. Avoid writing sales pitches. Instead, focus on providing useful and relevant information in your newsletter mailers, which will keep the reader interested and keep your newsletter out of the recycling bin.
As a business owner, blogs and newsletters are a great way to spread the word about your health coaching service, but there are benefits on a personal level, as well. Use your blog and newsletter as a creative outlet to talk about what you do best as a health coach. Write about how the latest technology in medicine can enhance holistic practices. You can also discuss your opinion on recent studies in the benefits of meditation.
Contribute your thoughts and opinions on current trends. Infuse some of your own ideas on every subject. Tell your readers how they can benefit from this new knowledge. Later on, you can always expand on an article that you wrote for your blog or newsletter. For example, your next blog post could be great inspiration for the book you’ve always thought about writing.
Get Attention with Titles
In order to build a good following, readers need a reason to click on the link to your newsletter or blog. Deliver interesting, relevant, informative and consistent content straight to your audience. You’ll find that it helps build your reputation as both a source of great information and as a knowledgeable health coach. The titles you use for your blog or newsletter articles will either get noticed and attract attention or get ignored. So be creative and think about what you would find interesting.
