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Marketing overwhelm? Check this out.

March 18, 20236 min read

Hi, hey, what's new, how ya doin'?

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We're Linda and Kelly, the marketing pros and advertising experts behind Unearth Advertising Agency. We've built a successful business helping early-stage entrepreneurs, online coaches and other small businesses effectively market themselves following our proven, holistic and outside-of-the-box approach.

What's cool? We work with established businesses who are looking to scale, but we've also got a full client roster of early-stage entrepreneurs who are ready to grow...and do so in the right way. A way that sets them up for success. A way that helps them avoid the costly (avoidable) WTF marketing mistakes. A way that allows them to automate and streamline so they can ultimately increase their sales.

new unearth blog post - tips to take the WTF out of marketing your early stage coaching business

Marketing your early-stage coaching business can be confusing, especially if you're not sure where to start or what strategies will be most effective. Follow these tips when investing in your marketing (but only if you've got your fundamental systems like email nurture, CRM, Automations and Sales funnels set up already!)

Tips to help take some of the WTF confusion out of the process:

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1. Define your target audience

  • The first step in any marketing campaign is to understand who you are trying to reach. Take some time to think about your ideal customer, and try to get as specific as possible. Consider factors like age, location, income, interests, and needs.

NOW...take it one step further and be sure that everything you do, write, say, post, build is done through the lens of "why would my ideal client give a crap?!"

We work on this all the time with our clients, and paying close attention to this can pay big dividends!

2. Understand marketing is INVESTMENT (a key one) in your business' success

  • Building a successful coaching business isn't just about "being a good coach" - it's about that AND being a strong businessperson.

  • At this early-stage in your business you'll need to invest time (and some money more than likely) into your marketing to ensure your business has the proper opportunity to get off the ground!

See, you can be the world's best coach or small business owner, but if no one knows you exist...then it doesn't matter 😩

  • So try this: map out your marketing efforts so you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish with your marketing investment. Do you want to increase brand awareness, add names to your email list, drive traffic to your sales funnel or generate leads? Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals can help you stay focused and track your progress.

3. Choose the right marketing channels

  • There are many different channels you can use to market your online business, including social media, email, content marketing, and paid advertising. Consider which channels are most likely to reach your target audience, and focus your efforts on those.

  • For our coaching clients the following are key must-haves:

    • Paid ad campaigns (Facebook and Instagram)

    • Organic content marketing strategy (social media, blogs, podcasts, etc.)

    • Email marketing (to nurture the names you add to your list and encourage action)

4. Choose the right marketing partners

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Chances are if you're early-stage, you're willing to do some extra DIY-marketing vs. spending $$$ on working with a marketing agency or partner. That's fair! But, be sure that you assess the risk of treading water with investing some moo-lah with the RIGHT partners, who can actually (affordably) take some of the key must-do's off your plate...without adding more to-do's to your list.

  • Considerations to not only future marketing partners but also ANY external partner (business coach, mentor, subscription services, etc.)

    • What are the expected results?

    • What's the actual ROI (dollars and cents) based on what you're being delivered

    • What percent of the partnership is DIY for you (our clients have come to us feeling burned by past business mentors who "told" them what to do, without actually DOING any of it for them)

    • Is the _______ you're considering RIGHT for you stage of business? AKA are you being offered a $10K masterclass for marketing, but you don't even have a tech stack set up yet?

    • What's the vibe like? Gut intuition matters, so be sure you feel good about who you decide to work with/outsource to/partner with on your marketing

5. Create a content marketing plan

  • Content marketing involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.

  • Developing a content marketing plan can help you create a cohesive strategy and ensure that your content is aligned with your business goals.

  • Use what you know about YOUR ideal client to understand where your content marketing efforts are best spent

6. Track your results

It's important to track the results of your marketing efforts so you can see what's working and what's not.

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So try this:

✅ Use tools like Google Analytics to measure website traffic and conversions, and pay attention to metrics like engagement and reach on social media...then adjust your strategy appropriately.

✅ If running paid ads be sure you're understanding the industry trends for the campaign metrics in coaching (how much should you be paying in ad spend for a booked call? a new name on your email list?)

This can help you optimize your marketing strategy and make informed decisions about where to allocate your resources...we do cover this and more in our Tangibles 90 Day Accelerator for the early stage coach, BTW!

Finally, here are some targeted "immediate-just-do-it's" to help you take the theory, into practice within your business.

We hope you, the early-stage coach found these tips helpful! Marketing your early-stage coaching business can be overwhelming, but by following the key tips here, you can make the process a little less confusing.

  • Decide if you have more time or money to invest in your business right now and then invest each wisely

  • ...Audit current marketing or mentor partnerships: are they helping you make more $ or are they feeling more like an expense?

  • Tackle one of these to-dos...TODAY. Don't wait. Action = progress.


want someone to do it for ya?

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We covered a lot. I get it. 🌱 If you liked it, show us some love. Share it, comment, save it.

If you want more - we've got your back. We cover this at a deeper level, and so much more in the Marketing Growth Sprint™ - the affordable, actionable accelerator for time-and-money strapped early-stage coaches who want to hack their business growth, presence and messaging online. 👉 Plus, it's focused on the RELEVANT, NEED TO KNOW things that affect your coaching business at this stage, so you can focus smartly and cut the noise.

Comment GROWTH and we'll send you the need-to-know details so you can see if it's right for you!!


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Unearth Advertising Agency

We're no B.S. digital marketing experts, who help small business-owners, coaches and consultants just like you accelerate their business growth through comprehensive, outside-of-the-box strategy, and seamless marketing automations.

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TIM B.

"When working with professionals like Linda and Kelly, I quickly learned what a rare and extraordinary talent they are. Regardless of the challenges we threw at them, they never wavered and consistently dug in with a relentless determination, accompanied by a pragmatic and gifted problem-solving aptitude. They always conduct themselves as committed, consummate professionals and never disappoint. I would recommend Unearth without hesitation."

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