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Rebranding your coaching business doesn’t mean slapping a new logo on your website and calling it a day. It’s a strategic process that involves redefining how you and your business are perceived by others.
In this AI-powered age, the world is changing faster than ever before. But refreshing your online brand presence can foster a genuine connection with your audience in ways that AI cannot. Whatever kind of coach you are, understanding how to rebrand yourself is crucial for staying relevant and standing out online. It’s how you achieve the long-term success you want.
Personal rebranding involves deliberately transforming your public image and professional persona. It’s a way to showcase your personal growth and adapt to changes in your career or industry.
By reshaping your brand, you can better align your identity with your goals and ambitions, like:
But remember: rebranding is an ongoing process that requires careful planning and execution.
Rebranding lets you present a refreshed image to potential clients and audiences, enhancing your appeal and creating new pathways for success.
For example, if you have developed new skills or a more powerful unique value proposition, rebranding helps highlight these aspects and positions you as a thought leader in your field. And being recognized as a thought leader is crucial in the coaching industry, where your expertise is the core of your business!
What happens when you get rebranding right?
Successful rebranding can lead to:
Let’s dive into the five steps you can take to achieve peak rebranding success.
You want to change your brand, but what is your brand right now?
It’s crucial to evaluate your current brand identity before you start creating a new one. Understanding where you are will help you identify areas for improvement and set a clear path for transformation.
This process involves analyzing your existing brand strategy, online presence, and how your current target audience views you.
Take a serious look into your existing brand to understand its strengths and weaknesses. Reflect on your brand’s:
Are there parts of your brand that no longer align with your goals or personal growth? Assessing your old brand will help you understand what needs to change and how you can develop a new personal brand that better reflects your current ambitions and skills.
What makes you stand out as a coach? Your unique selling proposition is what sets you apart from the coaching competition, helping you stand out.Evaluate how your existing brand communicates your unique value and how it can be enhanced more clearly in your new brand. Consider the skills and experiences that make you the best coach for your potential clients, and how you can leverage these in your rebranding efforts to inspire them to hire you.
This step is the foundation of a successful rebrand. It involves setting clear objectives, understanding your target audience, and creating a narrative that resonates with them.
Define what you aim to achieve with your rebrand. Setting specific goals will guide your rebranding efforts and help you measure success over time.
What are your goals? Could they be:
Maybe it’s all three? Deciding on this earlier in the process will help keep your rebranding process focused.
When you know your ideal clients inside and out, you know how to communicate your value to them. The best way to learn about your target audience is to ask!
Identify the needs and preferences of the audience you want to attract with your new brand so it meets their expectations.
Reach out to your existing clients or potential customers to gather insights into their needs and preferences. Use online surveys or conduct one-on-one interviews to uncover valuable information about what they value most in a brand and what challenges they face.
Study the branding strategies of successful competitors in your industry. Identify what works for them and what doesn’t, focusing on their messaging, design, and customer engagement tactics. By understanding how they connect with their audience, you can differentiate your new brand and fill gaps in the market.
Develop comprehensive profiles of your ideal customers, including their demographics, interests, and buying behavior. Use these personas to guide your branding decisions and ensure your messaging resonates with the right audience. Consider factors like age, occupation, and lifestyle to paint a vivid picture of who you’re targeting.
Have you ever read a story where the plot randomly changes in the middle? Your brand is like a story, and you want your audience to understand why your story has a new chapter.
Incorporate your past experiences with your new brand identity in a way that makes sense. A coherent narrative will help your audience understand your journey and the reasons behind your rebranding.
Use this narrative to highlight your unique value. Keep your messaging consistent and share it across all your online profiles, including your personal website and social media, to have the largest reach.
Enhancing your digital footprint can significantly impact how your new brand is perceived by potential clients and audiences. This step involves optimizing your social media profiles, enhancing your personal website, and using various content platforms to expand your reach and establish authority.
Update your social media profiles to reflect your new brand identity. Use relevant keywords that highlight your new skills and expertise that make your online profiles stand out.
(Now’s the time to add that new logo you have. 😉)
Social media accounts are like your brand’s front porch, welcoming leads and giving them a taste of your hospitality. But your personal website is where you invite them in and have the time to form a deeper connection.
Make sure your revised website offers valuable content to your target audience. Use your website as a platform to showcase your unique value proposition and the services or products you offer.
Between Spotify, Amazon, and Apple, there are millions of people eager to hear from people who can help solve their problems. What better host to do that than a coach like you?
With a podcast, you can share insights and connect with your audience on a deeper level. And it accomplishes many brand building strategies at once: it establishes your expertise in your coaching field, builds your online audience, and offers another way to guide people through your customer journey to turn leads into customers.
Creating a podcast is optional, but it can be a game-changer. Many of Kartra’s most successful customers have leveraged podcasts to significantly boost their income, especially if they don’t have a massive audience. For example, Dielle Charon, Kartra customer and Business Coach with under 10K followers, earns over 7 figures annually. She attributes much of her success to Kartra and her podcast.
An effective marketing strategy will support your rebranding efforts and help you reach your goals faster. There are many strategies of marketing for coaches, but three key areas to focus on are content creation, partnerships, and constant improvement.
In addition to a podcast, you can create valuable content with blogs and YouTube videos to demonstrate your expertise. You could also consider hosting webinars or speaking at industry events to showcase your expertise on a more personal level.
Collaborate with industry leaders and influencers to expand your reach and gain credibility. Partnerships can enhance your brand’s visibility and attract new opportunities.
Look for opportunities to guest blog, co-host podcasts, or participate in joint ventures that align with your brand identity. These collaborations can introduce you to new audiences.
Sometimes a marketing strategy doesn’t work out like you hoped it would. That’s okay! When you keep track of your marketing strategies, you can make the necessary adjustments to improve them.
How is your audience responding to your messaging? That should be your marketing North Star. As a coach, your brand is YOU.
Make sure your messaging is communicating how valuable you are to your audience. Without third party cookies in marketing becoming the reality, it’s even harder to navigate how to grow your audience. That’s why it’s so important to communicate your value clearly to people interested in buying.
Rebranding is not a one-time event but an ongoing process of adaptation and growth. You probably already knew that if you’re considering a rebrand!
Continuously refine your brand so it remains relevant and meets the changing needs of your audience. Embrace change and be open to new opportunities that align with your brand identity. Regularly update your online presence and content to reflect your personal growth and evolving skill set.
When you maintain your brand’s momentum, you can foster a community around your new personal brand – even if it changes again!
Engage with your audience and build a community around your brand. Encourage feedback and foster relationships to strengthen your brand’s presence. Use social media platforms and email newsletters to maintain communication with your audience and keep them informed about your latest endeavors.
You could also host:
This will help you connect with your audience on a personal level and reinforce your brand’s value. And group coaching is a great way to establish your brand’s community while increasing your revenue at the same time.
Use metrics to evaluate the impact of your rebranding efforts. Track key performance indicators like engagement rates, follower growth, and website traffic to see if you’re heading in the right direction.
But it doesn’t all have to be about the numbers. Be sure to take time to celebrate the progress you’ve made. It’s both exhilarating and challenging to rebrand, and acknowledging both is important.
Personal rebranding is a powerful tool for achieving growth and success in your coaching business. By embracing the opportunity to reinvent yourself, you can unlock new possibilities and create a brand that truly reflects your values and aspirations.
And when it resonates with your new target audience, that means you can help even more people!
View rebranding as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. By embracing change and taking control of your brand identity, you can create a new persona that aligns with your unique value and skills.
This journey of reinvention is not just about enhancing your online presence or updating your social media profiles. It’s about transforming your career and positioning yourself as a thought leader in your field – an essential step for any coach looking to scale.
Want to make your rebranding journey easier?
Get started with Kartra and create your entire online brand in one place, including landing pages, email marketing, online courses, and more.
Sometimes, the biggest shifts in life lead to our most impactful successes. Business Coach Louise Henry’s journey is a perfect example. Starting with a small jewelry making business, she realized that to achieve her dreams of making a global impact, she needed a change—a change that led her to online education and, eventually, to Kartra.
Louise began her entrepreneurial journey in the world of jewelry making, but she soon recognized that the limitations of a hands-on business weren’t aligned with her larger aspirations. She wanted to make a broader impact and build a business that allowed her the freedom to live life on her terms. This realization sparked a major shift in her career.
Determined to empower others with the knowledge and tools to succeed, Louise transitioned into creating and selling online courses that taught entrepreneurs how to build business automations that save time and scale growth. However, as her business took off, so did the complexities. Managing multiple software tools became overwhelming, the costs were snowballing, and the “tech headaches,” as she describes them, were getting in the way of her true mission.
In the midst of her challenges, Louise discovered Kartra—a platform that promised to simplify her business operations
Kartra’s all-in-one solution streamlined her business processes, allowing her to focus on what she does best—teaching and inspiring others. Because of Kartra, Louise was able to streamline everything she needed into one platform, which reduced her overhead costs and made it easier to grow.
Kartra became the backbone of Louise’s business, helping her scale her online course sales and enjoy more freedom. Meanwhile, she grew her YouTube channel to over 140,000 subscribers, which further snowballed her online course earnings.
For Louise, success was never just about making money—it was about making a difference. Inspired by her younger brother, she founded a nonprofit called Tim’s Club, a specialized day program for adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. The mission of Tim’s Club is to help these individuals live full and meaningful lives.
Beyond making a difference with her nonprofit, Louise also wanted to fulfill her lifelong dream of traveling the world. Thanks to the flexibility that Kartra provided, she embraced a globe-trotting lifestyle, working from some of the most inspiring places. From the beaches of Bali and Thailand to the vibrant cultures of Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, Australia, and the US, Louise experienced the true freedom of running a business that could operate from anywhere.
Now settled in Panama, Louise has purchased her dream beach house and is living the tropical lifestyle she loves. Her journey is a testament to how the right tools, combined with a powerful platform like her YouTube channel, can facilitate a life of freedom, adventure, and impact.
For Louise, Kartra wasn’t just a software solution; it was a catalyst for her business’s growth and her ability to live the life she didn’t need to take a vacation from.
Here’s why Kartra made such a significant impact:
Louise’s use of Kartra has led to significant growth in her business. By optimizing her online courses and marketing strategies with Kartra’s data-driven insights, she has been able to support over 2,500 clients worldwide. This success has fulfilled many of her professional goals and continues to fuel the expansion of Tim’s Club.
Her journey around the world, combined with the flexibility and power of Kartra, has changed her life and created a positive ripple effect in the lives of others.
For those new to Kartra, Louise’s advice is clear: “Create templates for everything you do frequently—whether it’s sales pages, emails, or entire marketing campaigns. The next time you need to create something, you don’t have to do it from scratch, saving countless hours.”
Louise Henry’s story is more than just a success story—it’s a blueprint for those who seek to make a lasting impact through their business while living a life of freedom and adventure. If you’re ready to streamline your operations and take your business to the next level, Kartra is here to help.
Get started today and discover how you can grow your business with the same platform that helped Louise Henry achieve her incredible success.
From consultants to creatives to influencers, individuals who create a personal website have the power to grow a small business and build a brand their way.
Unlike social media platforms, personal websites give you complete creative control over your online image!
Here at Kartra, we’re passionate about giving people the tools they need to turn their unique experiences and knowledge into a powerful brand — one that makes an impact on others and frees you up to do the work you love.
Let’s take a look at how to build a personal brand website that makes a great impression on your audience. We’ll look at multiple pages of just one website to see how to implement these ideas across a single website –and then we’ll analyze 7 personal brand website examples to see how they put these principles into practice!
Online Business Expert Louise Henry’s Website: louisehenry.com
Every website has to have a homepage. But what goes into making this important landing page stand out, and how do you move visitors beyond the front door into the rest of the site?
It all begins with your personal brand statement. This should be a short, simple, and to-the-point communication about who you are, what you do, for whom, and why. That’s a lot of information to pack into one or two sentences, but it’s worth the effort!
This is your chance to capture your audience’s interest and convince them you’re worth listening to.
Try following this formula.
[Name]: [Title]
I help [target customer] [goal-based verb statement] by [verb statement]
Example:
John Smith: Designer
I help new businesses break into the market by designing cutting-edge logos and websites.
And since this is, after all, a personal brand website, visitors will want to see the person behind the pitch. The best designs make “eye contact” with site visitors by featuring personal professional photographs—relevant to your industry of course—right on the homepage. Don’t make them dig to figure out who they’ll be working with.
Louise Henry’s free live webinar landing page used as a lead magnet
Make sure each landing page (and especially the homepage) includes a clear and prominent call to action (CTA). Whether your goal is for site visitors to contact you for a quote, book an appointment, subscribe to your podcast, or shop your best-selling products — it’s vital that potential customers can quickly identify how to take the next step.
One word of caution —
Too many competing CTAs on the homepage can be confusing and might actually reduce conversions! The best personal brand websites focus on the main goal and make it easy to navigate the site so visitors can find the rest of the content on their own.
Testimonials from the Passive Profit Accelerator course
Whether you dedicate a page to testimonials and case studies or you feature them throughout your website, you need “social proof” to build trust with potential clients and back up your brand. If you don’t have testimonials already, don’t sweat it. Just make sure to ask for client feedback and quotes at the end of each project and add them to your site as you’re able.
Louise Henry’s about page highlights her mission and backstory
An “about” section is key to connecting with your audience and going deeper into who you are, what you do, and why you do it — even if you already have a killer personal brand statement.
Your bio can be placed on your main page or on a separate page. It can be a simple paragraph, a series of “fun facts,” a video of you, or whatever format you’d prefer.
The thing to note here is you can (and should) reflect who you really are!
When someone hires or purchases from an individual, they aren’t just shopping for services or products they could probably find from dozens of businesses. They want to hire a real, live human being. They want connection, a personal touch.
Use your about section to tell your personal story, share details about yourself that may not be directly work-related, and let people get a sense for your personality. Highlight the details that are most relevant to your brand’s message and mostly likely to strike a chord with your audience.
Louise Henry’s contact page features FAQs and a simple button for email contact
It shouldn’t be a hassle to find your contact information. Sometimes people will go directly searching for your personal site. But other times, they may find it while searching for the type of services you offer or discover your site while browsing the internet. However they find you, make it as easy and intuitive as possible for potential customers to reach you.
There are a few ways to go about this, depending on the products or services you offer and how much you want to know about potential customers before communicating with them directly.
The most straightforward option is to include your direct contact information on your site. This should include a professional email address as well as your social media profiles.
Another option is to include a contact form on your page where visitors can send you a message directly through your site. The contact form can be as simple or detailed as makes sense for your business. Even if you plan to provide direct contact information, we recommend having a contact form as an alternate method. It’s just convenient!
If you offer appointments or consultations, you can also add a calendar right to your contact page so people can immediately schedule a time with you.
Before you dismiss Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as something that only big companies do, know this:
93% of online experiences begin with a search engine. And the top three ranking search results get about one-third of the total search traffic. So it literally pays to be at the top. Here are a few best practices for building an SEO-friendly website.
Let’s see how entrepreneurs from different fields are using these principles to develop their own personal-branded websites.
Emily Osmond’s website engages visitors with a vibrant color scheme, bold fonts, and high-quality photography — every design element conveys her personality and establishes the tone for her business. She’s also crystal clear about what she does and who her target audience is. This website design is a great example of how a brand identity can be fun and personal while still conveying value and professionalism.
Camille DePutter’s homepage immediately connects the user’s needs with her expertise. Speaking from the user’s perspective, she establishes how she will use her communications mastery to elevate others’ success. The excellent writing throughout reinforces her expertise. Notice how she integrates all of the recommended website elements with an optimistic, encouraging, can-do tone which creates a strong personal brand.
In the first few seconds on Jonathan Goodman’s website, you know exactly who he serves, that he is an industry leader, and what action you should take. His heading is creative but clear, and it’s formatted to emphasize his specialty. Additionally, he offers two lead magnets on the first page with wording that is enticing but not pushy. As he dives into his services, he sets up a clear problem/solution framework for the health and fitness professional.
Jen Moore takes a people-first approach to photography that is evident immediately on her website. Her homepage features a clear and engaging headline coupled with a carousel of newborn photographs to highlight her work. The about page further connects to expectant parents through her own parenting experience. Jen doesn’t just describe her business, she creates a cohesive brand image that accurately conveys who she is and what clients can expect.
Real estate brokerage founder Melanie Everett integrates all of the key components of an effective personal brand website — beginning with her homepage that features an engaging personal photograph and a short, clear, well-written elevator pitch. Social proof is woven throughout the web design, and excellent photography reinforces her real estate expertise.
Gonzalo Jimenez incorporates candid photography on his personal brand website, looking toward the text instead of “facing” the website visitor. This tactic draws the reader’s eyes to his message. He feels approachable and friendly and builds trust with his audience by incorporating lots of social proof — written testimonials, videos, and hard numbers that prove his strategies work. This website is simple and straightforward, focusing on the details that matter.
Patrice Washington creates an engaging user experience on her personal brand website, with videos, interactive elements, and a distinct brand voice. This site proves just how many ways you can leverage your online presence to drive actual revenue. After introducing herself and what she does for others, Patrice guides website visitors to check out her podcast, books, online courses and coaching services, membership, and speaking engagements.
Whatever your niche, Kartra offers solutions to establish and grow your personal brand.
Our all-in-one platform provides digital marketing tools that enable you to build a bigger following and monetize your website through online products and services — whether you’re starting from scratch or it’s time to expand your reach.
Already have a website builder you use? Kartra integrates with tools like WordPress or Squarespace so you can effortlessly take your brand to the next level.
Building a personal brand is one of the most effective ways to open up opportunities for yourself in terms of both impact and income. Here at Kartra, we’ve seen how entrepreneurs have leveraged their personal brands to build the lifestyle they want, share their passion with others, and diversify their revenue streams.
If you’ve decided it’s time to invest in your own brand instead of someone else’s — here’s our inside scoop on how people build successful personal brands.
You might think that you have to pick and choose aspects of your personality and experiences to “market” to the world. But actually, niching your personal brand is about finding a specific purpose — a message that you want to share with the world around you.
Whether you’re raising awareness for a cause, selling a product or service, or proving your expertise in a particular field, an overarching message is what makes the difference between an online following and a true personal brand.
And remember, you can put the whole weight of your personality into your brand’s message — your sense of humor, your hobbies, your experiences, your likes and dislikes.
The message you’re sharing is what brings it all together.
And like any brand, personal brands succeed most when that message is unmistakably clear! One of the most important initial steps you can take in honing your message is to craft a personal brand statement.
Whether you call it an elevator pitch, a value proposition, or a personal brand statement — this pivotal sentence or two encapsulates who you are, what you do, and for whom.
Don’t worry about getting it perfect the first time — chances are, you will go through multiple iterations over the years. Here’s a template to get you started, but feel free to make it your own!
[Full Name]: [Title]
I help [target audience] [goal-based verb statement] by [verb statement]
Examples:
Your brand statement should be front and center anywhere you promote yourself. There might need to be slight variations of your statement depending on the context — such as a website homepage vs. a social media profile — but be as consistent as you can. You want your brand statement to be recognizable and memorable.
Self-branding has become a buzzword in the digital age. With so many voices vying for attention on social media and various online platforms, it’s tempting to imitate what seems to work for others. But here’s the thing—the most successful personal brands aren’t copycats.
Your personal brand should be as unique as you are. It’s not about creating a perfect online persona, but about showcasing your genuine self. This authenticity is what will help you build trust with your audience.
As you develop your brand, ask yourself:
Your brand message should relate directly to your goals. Are you aiming to launch an online course, become a thought leader in your industry, or build a community around a cause you care about? Whatever you want to do, don’t get distracted from your end goals.
Remember, you can’t be everywhere or do everything. It’s not about being active on every social media platform or jumping on every trend. Focus on the channels and activities that align with your message and resonate with your audience.
It might feel strange to think about your personal brand’s audience — after all, you’re happy to connect with anyone who wants to! But all messages have an intended audience, and your branding strategy needs to be tailored to the people who will experience your brand.
Think of building your personal brand like writing a resume or showing up for a job interview. You need to be yourself, but you also need to consider who you’re talking to — your audience shapes how you communicate. After all, the whole concept of a personal “brand” is about how others see you!
Challenge yourself to go beyond demographics (e.g. “young professionals” or “new parents”) and consider the underlying motivators, pain points, and experiences that characterize your audience.
Here are some questions to ask as you identify your target audience and curate a brand voice that will speak to them:
Your brand’s message will have a much bigger impact when your audience feels seen and understood.
Some personal brands are inherently built on content creation — think food bloggers or travel influencers. Others have seemingly little to do with it — like music instructors or business consultants trying to stand out in their industries.
Regardless of the niche, the people with successful personal brands are successful content creators.
Sharing valuable content is how you…
Personal branding is a give-and-take. If you want people to notice your value, keep up with your journey, maybe even give you testimonials one day — you have to give them something that benefits their lives!
And you don’t have to be a marketing professional or graphic designer to create valuable and engaging content.
Whether you write value-packed posts on your LinkedIn profile, host a weekly podcast with industry thought leaders, or send a newsletter via email— content creation is about translating what you have to offer into something immediately beneficial to your audience.
And remember the first secret we talked about — strong personal brands don’t follow the crowd. Invest in whichever content format best complements your message, your personality, and your audience.
But won’t people get tired of hearing the same thing?
It’s a common misconception that you have to mix up what you say for people to keep listening. Of course it’s important to be creative with your content, keep people involved, and adapt to their needs. But that’s not what we’re talking about.
Spend some time observing people with personal brands that you follow. They’re complex people — with many different personality traits, interests, and skills. They might even discuss a wide variety of topics. But chances are, you follow them because they’re saying or doing something specific, and they always return to that central theme. It’s what made them resonate with you in the first place, and it’s what keeps you interested in what they have to say!
If you want to build brand equity and be known as an expert in a specific topic, a consistent brand message and brand voice is absolutely necessary.
People are surrounded by individuals and companies vying for their attention. We encounter countless messages every day. The only way your message is going to stand out — and sink in — is if you’re unashamedly consistent.
The sky’s the limit in terms of creativity — innovate new products, offer new services, create new types of content, come at your main point from another angle — but stay true to who you are and the message you want to share. Your followers will thank you for it!
Developing a strong personal brand is an ongoing pursuit. The people who succeed don’t get caught up in perfectionism or fear of failure! They stay focused on the big picture and use their time efficiently.
Start simple, consistently showing up for your audience. Pay attention to what moves your brand forward and focus your efforts on those things — whether a particular social media channel, type of content, or digital marketing strategy.
Create time in your schedule to focus on building your brand by taking advantage of automation.
With all-in-one marketing software like Kartra, you can set up automated email sequences, tag leads as you build your email list, and even create sales funnels that nurture potential customers toward a purchase decision.
There’s so much you can do with the right focus and the right tools!
This post was written by guest author Dr. Kim Foster, founder of The Wellness Coach Academy
It’s no secret that the demand for online health and wellness services is booming. In today’s digital age, most people seek health, fitness, and well-being advice online first. For those in the health and wellness industry, this shift presents a prime opportunity to reach a broader audience and expand your client base. However, the competition can be fierce, and a clear online marketing strategy is essential to stand out from the crowd.
My name is Dr. Kim Foster, MD and founder of the Wellness Coach Academy. As someone who successfully transitioned from a stable medical career to building a thriving online coaching business, I know firsthand what it takes to attract and retain clients in the wellness space. This post will cover six essential tips that can help you achieve maximum reach growth.
One of the most important steps in marketing your wellness business online is to define your niche. You’ve probably heard this advice before, but it’s never been more important. The health and wellness industry is vast, encompassing everything from nutrition and fitness to mental health and personal growth and development. Narrowing down to a specific niche allows you to target your ideal clients and differentiate yourself from the competition.
Many of my clients and students start off wanting to help everyone, and I understand their reasoning. The desire to make a positive impact on as many lives as possible is admirable; however, trying to appeal to everyone often means your messaging comes across as general and unrelatable. As a result, you risk appealing to no one. Therefore, it’s much more effective to focus on serving a specific group of people who will benefit from your unique skills and approach.
For instance, one of my coaching students initially aimed to offer general wellness coaching, but she struggled to gain any traction. With some guidance, she decided to focus on helping new moms regain their energy and find balance, which is a passion of hers. This clear niche enabled her to tailor her messaging, create targeted content, and ultimately attract a loyal client base. Another client of mine specialized in plant-based nutrition for busy professionals, which quickly distinguished her in a crowded market and led to significant business growth. When considering your business, think about what you’re passionate about and have real experience with, so you can define your niche.
A clear niche helps you attract clients who are specifically looking for the services you offer.
Specializing in a niche allows you to become an expert in that area, making it easier to stand out in a crowded market.
With a well-defined niche, you can create more focused and effective marketing campaigns.
Analyze the market to identify gaps and opportunities. Look for areas that are underserved or where you have a unique advantage.
Evaluate your skills, interests, and passions. Choose a niche that aligns with your expertise and enthusiasm.
Start with a broad idea and refine your niche based on feedback and results. Be flexible and adjust your focus as needed.
Your website is often the first impression potential clients have of your business. A professional and user-friendly website is essential for establishing credibility and attracting clients.
One of my students initially resisted building a website because she felt overwhelmed and intimidated by the technical aspects. However, with support of a gorgeous template, she managed to launch her site without having to struggle!
After launching her website, she was suddenly proud to talk about her business and point people to her site to learn more. This newfound confidence boosted her sense of legitimacy as a professional. She also began to see increased traffic and attention, which ultimately propelled her into a successful career. Her website became a crucial tool for connecting with her audience and growing her business.
Your website should clearly communicate who you are, what you offer, and how you can help potential clients.
Use professional photos that reflect your brand and resonate with your target audience.
Ensure your website is easy to navigate, with a clean and organized layout.
With more people accessing websites on their phones, it’s crucial to have a mobile-friendly design.
Select a website platform that suits your needs.
If possible, invest in a web designer to create a polished and customized site. If that’s not in your budget, you can use a beautiful personal brand page template, like those offered by Kartra.
Use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results. This isn’t necessary to do if you’re using other channels or platforms to bring awareness to your brand and send traffic to your website, but it never hurts to double down on several marketing strategies.
Content marketing is a powerful tool for establishing authority and attracting clients. By providing valuable and informative content, you can build trust with your audience and position yourself as an expert in your field.
In the early days of my coaching business, I started a blog where I shared tips and advice based on my experiences. My blog posts not only attracted a lot of traffic but also helped me build a loyal community of followers who appreciated my insights and trusted my expertise. Some of my most successful students do something similar, although it doesn’t have to be a blog. It could be a podcast, YouTube channel, or social media platform like Instagram.
Write articles on topics relevant to your niche, offering tips, advice, and insights.
Create engaging videos, such as tutorials, workout routines, or client success stories.
Start a podcast to share your expertise or interview other experts in your field.
Plan your content by identifying topics that will resonate with your audience. Create a content calendar to help you plan, implement, and stay consistent.
Focus on producing content that is informative, engaging, relatable, and well-researched.
Share your content on your website, social media, and email newsletters to reach a wider audience. If it’s in your budget, you could also run paid ads.
We emphasize this strategy inside the Wellness Coach Academy. One of my students was initially skeptical about the value of an email list, but she decided to follow our advice. She created a simple, yet highly targeted guide specifically designed for her dream clients—busy working moms who wanted to eat healthier but felt they didn’t have the time.
She offered the guide as a free download in exchange for email addresses on multiple platforms: Instagram, guest blog posts, and podcast interviews. This approach helped her build a substantial, highly engaged email list. When she launched her course on healthy meal planning for busy moms, she had a ready-made audience eager to purchase. This resulted in a successful launch and a thriving business.
Develop resources that address common pain points or interests of your target audience.
Use social media, email marketing, and your website to promote your free offerings.
Engage with participants and follow up with them to nurture relationships and convert them into clients.
Webinars and online workshops are incredibly effective ways to engage with potential clients, demonstrate your expertise, and build trust.
I remember hosting my first webinar — I was terrified! My first fear (what if nobody signs up?) was quickly replaced by my second fear (oh my gosh, so many people have signed up!).
However, in spite of those fears, I successfully hosted the webinar and it was a huge factor in elevating my business to the next level. It led to several new coaching clients who resonated with my message and approach; it encouraged me to keep hosting more webinars, so I could improve my delivery with each event. I learned so much from the direct interaction with my audience and sharing knowledge in real-time.
Engage with your audience in real-time, answering their questions and addressing their concerns.
Use webinars and workshops to showcase your knowledge and skills.
Capture leads by requiring registration for your webinars and workshops.
Choose topics that are relevant and valuable to your audience. Consider addressing common questions or challenges.
Use social media, email marketing, and your website to promote your webinars and workshops.
Encourage participation by asking questions, using polls, and offering interactive elements.
Send follow-up emails to participants, thanking them for attending and offering additional resources or consultations.
Writing guest blog posts and articles for established health and wellness websites and magazines can significantly increase your exposure and credibility.
For many of my students, writing guest articles for various health and wellness blogs has been a game-changer. Each published article brings new visitors to their website and also enhances their credibility as an expert in their niche. For one of my students, a single guest post on a popular wellness blog resulted in a flood of new leads who appreciated her unique perspective.
Reach a wider audience by leveraging the readership of established publications.
Position yourself as an expert by contributing high-quality content to respected outlets.
Get popular websites to link to your website (known as backlinking), which can improve your search engine rankings.
Research and identify websites and magazines that cater to your target audience.
Craft compelling pitches that highlight the value and relevance of your proposed articles.
Ensure your articles are well-researched, informative, and aligned with the publication’s guidelines.
Share your guest posts on your website and social media to maximize their impact.
In the bustling realm of online health and wellness, standing out and attracting clients is an art that requires a savvy and multifaceted approach. And, even though I’ve packed this article with numerous strategies, my advice is to start with just one.
By harnessing the power of a single strategy to start with, you can begin to masterfully market your wellness business and see your client base flourish. From there, you can level up and layer on additional tactics.
So, dive in, stay inspired, and get out there — your dream clients are waiting for you!
Dr. Kim Foster is an MD-turned-coach and founder of the Wellness Coach Academy, where she helps aspiring coaches launch and grow successful businesses that give them freedom and fulfillment. Subscribe to her popular YouTube channel or visit her website to sign up for free business and wellness tips.
Photo credit: Linda Mackie Creative
Your packaging and pricing says a lot to potential clients about your value and what they should expect from a purchase! Many coaches struggle to find the best way to offer their coaching services to clients (and at what cost), especially because the right combination is unique to every coach. In this ultimate guide, you’ll learn how to put together profitable packages that serve your brand and your clients well.
Whether you’re a fitness coach, business coach, career coach, or any other type of coach, niching down is an extremely important part of success. Only once you’ve honed in on your unique brand and message, can you package your services in a way that aligns with your audience’s specific needs.
And remember — today’s online “shoppers” are accustomed to having options. It gives them a sense of safety and control when choosing products and services. So as you consider various coaching models, don’t think in terms of one-size-fits-all. You can mix and match elements of multiple models or perfect a specific one. Either way, decide what you will do based on your ideal client.
Read on to learn about the four most common models for online coaching — and how you can layer these together to offer upsell and downsell options that maximize signups and keep clients coming back.
Model Type | Advantage | Challenge |
---|---|---|
One-to-one | Simple and personal | Limit on scalability |
Group | Versatile middle-tier option | High turnover |
Membership | Most scalable long-term | Demands the most resources |
Program | High revenue opportunities | Requires a steady pipeline |
In this classic model, coaching clients pay you for your time — often at an hourly rate or by a monthly retainer. You can also incorporate 1:1 coaching calls in memberships and programs.
This model is simple and proven. It’s the most intuitive way to coach clients, and it’s where most coaches start. One-to-one coaching is also a versatile model, as you can provide sessions in-person, online, or in a hybrid setting.
It’s difficult to scale! If your only pricing option is direct access to you for an hourly rate, then finding time to market and grow will always be a struggle. You’ll also hit a revenue ceiling — there’s only so much time in your schedule for individual coaching sessions.
Mix in lower-effort/higher-profit service models (such as memberships) to diversify your revenue streams and free up more time for growing your business.
Also, make sure you understand how much it costs you to acquire and service a client to ensure you’re not losing money. If you’re newer to coaching and don’t yet have the level of expertise to charge top dollar for 1:1 coaching services, you’ll need a plan for raising your rates and introducing exclusivity as you grow.
Many coaches pivot to group coaching when they find themselves booked out with one-on-one sessions. Group coaching can be part of a membership or program experience or simply another option for clients who want to interface with you at a more affordable price.
Group coaching is a good middle-tier option, making the hours you spend servicing clients stretch further. Clients still get direct access to you, but you can template programs, utilize group communication, and serve many people at one time.
Groups tend to have high turnover, so the biggest challenge to scaling your business with this model is keeping clients engaged so that they don’t drop out.
Because you’ll be running a more standardized program than with 1:1 coaching, a lot of your service time will be spent developing onboarding and FAQ documentation, collecting feedback, and improving your program on a regular basis.
Group coaching is a different ballgame than one-on-one sessions and requires significantly more structure. You’ll need to set clear expectations, have a plan for keeping everyone engaged, and ensure your model is scalable. Learn more in our in-depth guide to group coaching.
In a membership model, coaching clients pay a monthly or annual subscription through an online platform. The membership may include a designated number of 1:1 or group coaching sessions, or it can give members access to online courses and other coaching materials that they can work through in their own time.
A membership is the most scalable model for online coaches. Packaging your programs for independent use enables you to reach potentially hundreds of clients at a time!
Building a membership model alongside other types of packages is a great way to diversify revenue streams and enhance client satisfaction by providing options that meet different needs and budgets. This approach also comes with a couple unique marketing advantages:
It can be expensive and time-consuming for coaches to develop the pipeline needed to keep business flowing. It’s also a challenge to successfully manage a large number of clients.
Make sure the membership can essentially run on autopilot so it doesn’t take over your time. Choose a robust membership platform with automated tools for tasks such as scheduling, client communication, and progress tracking. Membership and course platforms are also helpful for managing a library of exclusive videos and resources.
High-ticket coaching programs involve structured coaching with a defined start and end date, often focusing on specific goals. Clients typically pay a fixed rate upfront or choose a payment plan.
These programs often command higher prices due to their intensive nature and promised results. To successfully market high-end coaching programs, emphasize your unique selling points and success stories. Even if you’re less experienced, you can start with a pilot program and gather testimonials to build credibility.
By their nature, high-ticket programs are fixed in length, so they require a steady pipeline full of potential clients if this is your only model. The program also needs to deliver tangible results within a specific time frame, making it less flexible than coaching services with an indefinite length.
Like memberships, programs can actually serve as a pipeline for the other parts of your business. For example, you can upsell your one-on-one or group clients into this temporary program, or when clients complete the program, you can downsell your membership option to them as a way to maintain their results.
“What should my coaching package include?”
There are so many different ways to put together a coaching package that it can feel like there’s no real system for deciding what does or doesn’t make it in.
To avoid uncertainty or randomness, start with your audience’s goals and design the whole package around what they need to accomplish those objectives.
Every part of the coaching offer — the number of sessions in the package, period of time, 1:1 vs. group elements — should be worked out based on how effectively it moves your client from Point A to Point B.
Don’t worry if you make some wrong assumptions at first. The more you interact with your clients, the more you will understand what they need! And if you already have a few clients, pay attention to their feedback, their questions, and their common challenges. These insights are invaluable as you build out your coaching business and present new packages.
A common mistake that new coaches make is offering a variety of packages or tiers without clear distinctions between them. Each offering might be slightly different, but it’s not readily obvious why a client would choose one over another. The result is that most clients choose the cheapest option — or worst case scenario, they’re not compelled to choose any.
There are many ways that packages can be distinguished from each other:
We can’t tell you the best way to divide your packages. But what we can tell you is that each package or tier needs a distinct purpose!
For example — if the main difference between two packages is that one of them offers 1:1 coaching while the other offers group coaching, don’t assume that is enough distinction. Why should certain types of clients pay more for individual sessions? Why would another type of client get more value out of a group dynamic?
Providing multiple choices isn’t just a marketing tactic — the options need to reflect a true variety of needs.
Once you decide the best way to deliver your coaching services, you’ll need to set a specific price. As you probably guessed, there’s no magic number that works for everyone. The good news is — you have the freedom to charge a coaching fee that works for you and your clients!
Here are three tips on how to arrive at the best price for each coaching package.
You can’t completely avoid thinking about cost. After all, you need to consider your target audience’s resources and what makes sense for their lifestyle. But ultimately, pricing your services is about worth. People make buying decisions based on what they expect to receive from their investment!
Business owners who are worried about sales often fall back on the idea that lower prices will attract more clients.
While this can be true in some situations, many consumers actually associate higher prices with higher value and would rather pay more for a better experience. However, that high price point can backfire if students don’t feel they got what they paid for.
Ultimately, people want a product or service that is worth their money. Overpricing and underpricing both discourage sales in different ways — one by overpromising and the other by underselling.
Here are some categories to think about while you assess the value of your services:
Competitor research is helpful for gaining insights about your market and your audience. But don’t set a price that is purely based on what other coaches are doing. It’s common for service providers to analyze their competitors and find a middle-of-the-road price that seems safe. The problem with this approach isn’t that the number is always wrong — but that it’s all about the competition instead of your brand!
Once you’ve found your coaching niche, you don’t have to be as concerned about what everyone else is doing. Your biggest consideration is whether your coaching price aligns with your brand — because your brand is already something different from the competition.
Whether coaching is your weekend side-hustle or your full-time job, having a specific revenue goal helps protect you from undercharging clients or overstretching your time. A goal also puts hard numbers to a particular coaching model — showing you your earnings potential and what it will take to get there.
Here’s a simple pricing formula that breaks down how much you have to charge based on a revenue goal and the number of clients on your roster.
[Revenue Goal] / [Number of Sales] = [Price of Offering]
Example of a 1:1 coaching model: $2,000 per month / 20 sessions = $100 per session
Example of a membership model: $2,000 per month / 20 members = $100 monthly fee
Wondering where to find new clients and how to grow your business? Check out our guide to Marketing for Coaches: Practical Tips & Strategies
As we discussed at the beginning, online coaching is a varied industry with no single model or package or price. You have to find the best system for your business — and adapt to meet client needs as you grow!
This is one reason we’re excited about the possibilities for online coaches who run their online business through Kartra.
Our all-in-one platform was designed with all the tools you need to create, market, and scale your online business — so that what you offer your clients isn’t limited by your software.
Some of Kartra’s key features for coaches include:
This post was written by guest author Kate Kordsmeier, founder of Success with Soul
Let’s talk about something exciting yet utterly daunting: Building a Personal Brand. In today’s digital world, a personal brand is not just beneficial; it’s essential.
Gone are the days when a snazzy business card was enough to set you apart. Old-school branding? Yawn.
Think massive billboards, stiff corporate profiles, and one-size-fits-all messaging that’s about as exciting as watching paint dry. We’re not here for that.
We’re here for a personal brand that’s as vibrant and unique as you are! But if the mere thought of personal branding feels like an overwhelming task, you’re not alone.
In this article:
Branding for coaches isn’t just about looking the part with a slick website or a catchy business name (though nailing your visual vibe is a bonus); it’s about creating a deep resonance with your audience where they feel seen and heard.
Your personal brand is the heart and soul of your professional persona, and it needs to represent your values, demonstrate your expertise, and speak directly to your ideal clients—making them feel like you understand them so well, you’re reading their minds.
When you do this successfully, you attract more connections into your world and more loyal clients as a result.
Let’s dive into how you can craft a personal brand that’s not just seen, but felt.
Consider yourself as the host of an ongoing live event. When it comes to branding, your personal experiences, struggles, and victories should weave through your marketing like golden threads, offering both relatability and inspiration.
Your life’s script becomes your brand’s script—every flaw, plot twist, and triumph is a chapter that enriches your story and draws your audience closer.
To become the go-to expert in your niche, you don’t want to squeeze yourself into a predefined box. Rather, you want to share the things that make you uniquely you: your passion, story, and energy. It’s about speaking directly to the hearts of your dream clients, so they feel like you truly understand them. It’s about crafting messages that resonate so deeply, they wouldn’t want to do business with anyone else.
This free guide will help you narrow your niche and create the “soul” of your business. When you do this well, you will attract ideal clients who resonate with the person you naturally are.
Your visual identity is the wardrobe of your brand. It should be a reflection of your personality and values, chosen so perfectly that it boosts your confidence and allure. From your logo to your color scheme, every element should resonate with the authentic you. For example, think of a calm, soothing coach opting for soft blues and greens on a clean, minimalist site that’s easy to navigate.
On the flip side, a financial coach chooses a color scheme that includes neon greens and yellows, hoping to stand out. However, the colors clash, make everything hard to read and do not convey the professional and reassuring image needed to gain trust in financial matters.
Some other things to avoid are the overuse of generic stock photos or inconsistent visual themes across platforms, as this does not yield a cohesive, relatable brand.
Maintain a consistent tone across all platforms. Whether you’re the sassy coach with a heart of gold or the tranquil yogi who calms the chaos, your voice is your brand’s personality. Use it consistently to become a memorable part of your clients’ lives.
If you’re struggling to find your voice and really nail your messaging, check out this Messaging Made Easy course. Oftentimes, when your offers aren’t selling, it’s not because they’re not good. It’s because you haven’t yet figured out how to communicate their value effectively.
Make sure you can articulate the end goal of your products or services in just one sentence, clearly conveying the benefit of your offers.
Engage with your audience where they spend time. Build a community around your brand by being a genuine, active presence. Offer value, support, and a listening ear. Be a host who makes everyone feel welcomed and valued, fostering a space where people are eager to return.
You don’t need to post incessantly on social media, but putting valuable content on your website and email list can draw your community closer.
When it comes to branding for coaches, Kartra, the all-in-one platform, is a powerhouse tool for creating a personal brand with ease. Here’s why it works so well:
Branding isn’t just about visuals; it’s about creating a seamless, enjoyable experience for your clients. Kartra integrates your calendar, emails, and client management into a single, streamlined system.
This unity ensures that every interaction with your brand feels intentional and cohesive, reinforcing your brand identity with every email sent and every appointment scheduled. This consistent, reliable interaction builds trust and enhances your brand’s reputation for professionalism and attentiveness.
Your brand’s visual identity is crucial for making a memorable first impression. Kartra’s customizable templates not only ensure your online presence is visually stunning, but that it also resonates with your unique brand voice. These templates allow you to consistently apply your brand’s colors, fonts, and style across all platforms—from landing pages to emails—ensuring your brand identity shines through in every interaction. The drag-and-drop functionality and AI tools mean you spend less time on tech and more time reaching clients.
Examples of branding templates by Successwithsoul.co
Ever wish you could be in two places at once? Kartra’s marketing automation is like cloning yourself. Now, you can focus on what you love (like coaching!) while your marketing runs smoothly in the background. This helps you stay visible and engaging without overwhelming your audience, or yourself.
Automate your lead nurturing with personalized emails and sequences and segmented content that speaks directly to each of your client’s needs and desires, making your brand feel more personal and less ‘salesy.’ And Kartra’s membership and email platforms make it simple to engage with your community, offering them the value and attention that keep them coming back.
A strong personal brand is built on understanding and adapting to your audience’s needs. Kartra’s analytics tools do more than report; they provide insights into your marketing effectiveness, from open rates to conversion rates.
This data allows you to fine-tune your branding efforts, ensuring that you’re not just reaching people but resonating with them. It’s like having a constant feedback loop informing you how well your brand is connecting with your target market.
The ease of transactions is a crucial part of the customer experience and, by extension, your brand. Kartra simplifies the payment process, allowing for smooth transactions whether you’re selling online courses or setting up subscriptions.
Features like tripwires, bump offers, and one-time upsells enhance the customer journey by offering them more value, which in turn increases their loyalty to your brand. This seamless financial interaction reinforces your brand’s image as reliable and customer-focused.
Compatibility issues? Not here. Kartra plays nice with all your favorite tools, including WordPress and Zapier, ensuring everything works together like a well-oiled machine, and your authentic voice reaches your audience without tech hiccups.
Because a unified brand experience for your clients means you can devote more energy to innovating and less to troubleshooting, keeping your brand dynamic and ahead of the curve.
Are you ready to see your personal brand sparkle like never before? With Kartra, creating a standout personal brand isn’t just a dream—it’s your new reality.
Imagine a platform that understands the essence of branding for coaches, especially tailored for the unique challenges and aspirations of coaches.
Ready to build a personal brand that’s as unforgettable as you are? Get started with Kartra today.
Kate Kordsmeier is a feminist business coach from Atlanta, revolutionizing entrepreneurship by prioritizing self-care and dismantling systemic norms. Founder of Success with Soul, she guides entrepreneurs to profit without social media, using sustainable strategies that honor personal well-being and systemic change.
How do you turn your expertise into an online business that makes money? At Kartra, we’ve known many entrepreneurs who leveraged their knowledge to create profitable online learning experiences! This guide covers what it takes to achieve success as an online course creator.
Making money from your course is the obvious goal, but think about what that looks like for you on a practical level.
In learning how to sell online courses, do you hope to create a lucrative side hustle? Drive brand awareness for an established business? Replace your full-time salary?
Whichever goal you choose, quantify it. Set a number. Create a target.
For example:
You can always adjust the goal later, but having a clear target will keep you on track as you develop course content, set a price, and market your new product.
Online courses are all over the internet today. That doesn’t mean it’s not a worthwhile business opportunity — it just means that you need to differentiate your course from the rest if you want to succeed.
Most course creators don’t realize how many sales they miss out on by trying to be everything to everyone!
To stand out from the competition, create a course that is mega-valuable for a specific audience. From the content of the course to the way it’s marketed, your ideal audience should be able to recognize immediately that this product was made for them.
Researching your competitors is a great way to understand what resources already exist and analyze how you can bring something new to the table. But let your audience research shape your course idea. Their questions and pain points will tell you what information they are willing to pay for — and for how much!
What if my course idea is valuable for a wide audience?
Even if that’s the case, you don’t need everyone to buy your course, just a certain number of people. And to convince those people that your course is worth it, they need to feel that it’s been created to meet their specific needs.
The basic rule of audience research is to spend time where they spend time!
Discussion forums and online communities, for instance, can be goldmines. Read the discussions and pay attention to recurring questions, challenges, and the language used by participants. You can even engage in conversations, ask open-ended questions, and listen actively. This will help you identify common pain points and knowledge gaps.
In addition to forums, social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram offer valuable opportunities for audience research.
Join relevant groups and follow industry influencers to stay updated on trends and discussions. Analyze the content that garners the most engagement and take note of the topics that spark interest and debate.
If you already have a brand and an existing client base, use interviews, surveys, and quizzes to gather direct feedback. Your course isn’t just something that you’re selling — it’s the answer to someone’s question and they’ll be happy to know you’re working on a solution.
Your value proposition clearly states what your course does and for whom.
However you end up phrasing it, this summary sentence or two requires you to know exactly who you want to teach (your audience), what your course will cover (the solution to a problem), and why it will be worth your students’ investment (the results).
The value proposition is the selling point of your course. The best version of your value proposition should be central to your website, your course landing page, and your social media.
It’s what sets you apart from competitors and attracts your ideal clients.
Here’s a template for drafting the first version of your value proposition (it’ll likely go through many iterations!) While this particular template is in first person, feel free to mix it up and phrase what you do in the most compelling way for your audience.
I teach [audience] [solution to a problem] so they can [results]
Example: I teach urbanites how to garden in small spaces so they can enjoy the mental and physical benefits of being close to nature.
Iteration: Yes, you can garden in your apartment! Learn how to grow happy, healthy plants in this course for busy urbanites.
Perhaps the most common misconception about selling an online course is that your revenue comes from the product itself.
Every sale is an act of trust —people don’t just buy products, they buy from a particular brand. This is especially true for online courses which aren’t consumable products. When someone signs up for an online course, they are investing valuable resources with the expectation that it will pay off!
The only way to make significant sales from an online course is to sell the brand behind the course. People need a reason to trust you.
The word “brand” is often associated with logos, fonts, or business names — but it’s a much bigger concept than that. Your brand encompasses everything about how your business is perceived.
From your website and social media accounts to your course content, you should be sending the same message to your target audience about who you are and what you do.
And rest assured you don’t have to know how to design or code to create an online brand! Digital marketing tools like page builders and email software come with professionally designed templates to get your business up and running.
Building a compelling brand is also the only way to scale your business effectively. When you build a whole brand around your expertise, not just a particular course, a world of opportunities opens up.
Instead of a disengaged customer base, you’ll have a community that genuinely values your expertise. Previous students will want to stay on your mailing list to get your latest insights and will be the first to sign up for new courses. People who have signed up for your membership program will feel there is lasting value in their subscription and recommend it to others.
How far you want to scale your program is up to you. Just remember you’re ultimately selling your expertise and your unique perspective.
For a first-time course creator, organically building a following from scratch can seem daunting, but this long-term strategy is the best way to sustainably grow your business. “Organic” content marketing — as opposed to paid marketing — involves creating valuable, relevant content that naturally attracts and engages your target audience.
By focusing on quality and consistency, you can build a loyal following of people who are invested in what you have to say. Specific examples of organic tactics include:
As more people discover and engage with your content, your credibility and influence will grow. Plus, there are marketing efforts you can implement in the short term to kickstart your business.
For instance, paid ads can boost visibility when you’re first getting started, and you can encourage referrals by beta-testing your course or running limited-time offers.
Online courses are versatile digital products that look very different from business to business. There are many ways to package an online learning experience!
Here are several pricing models to consider:
There are pros and cons to each type of course package, so take time to identify what works best for your idea. To hone in on the right price and pricing model, go back to the course’s purpose. What do you need it to accomplish for your brand? What is it going to accomplish for your students?
For example, if you want a hands-off online course business that runs on autopilot, it probably makes more sense to offer your course for a fixed price. You’ll have to have a solid marketing strategy to generate new course sales, but you won’t need to continually release new materials like you would if you ran a membership program.
To settle on the price of the course itself, calculate your revenue goals and do in-depth audience research to judge how much students will be willing to pay for your course. These numbers may change but getting them on paper is a good start!
[Revenue Goal] / [Number of Sales] = [Price of the Course]
Example: $2,000 / 10 sales = $200 course
Always remember that the price of your online course needs to accurately reflect its value. And while competitor analysis can help you understand the market, you don’t have to do what others are doing!
Want to avoid overpromising or underselling your course? Check out our step-by-step guide on How to Price an Online Course
To make real money from an online course, the best place to sell it is your own website.
Selling courses on your website gives you exclusive ownership of your products and your audience — allowing you to take home the profits and build a scalable brand.
To do this, you will need an online course platform that lets you upload course content and gate it behind a paywall.
An effective course sales page facilitates the sale, giving interested students the information they need to make a purchase decision. The page should walk potential customers through the benefits of your course, what to expect, and where to sign up.
Be sure to include social proof for added credibility — such as reviews, testimonials, or success stories.
Also consider providing a course outline to show potential students what they can expect to get out of each module. Your course landing page will be the foundation of your sales funnel!
Kartra’s all-in-one software makes it easy to upload video tutorials, ebooks, downloadable PDFs, and any other materials. You can even set membership tiers where paying customers only get access to the course materials that belong to their plan.
Our platform was designed with everything you need to create, market, and scale your brand while providing a high-quality experience for your students:
Key Kartra features include…
Although you could find these features in individual programs, a comprehensive course platform keeps you from paying for multiple subscriptions and managing software integrations as your business grows.
There are three main types of course publishing platforms in the e-learning world: independent membership sites, online course marketplaces, and learning management systems.
Membership websites give content creators the most control over their products, but it’s important to understand the purposes of alternative learning platforms:
A massive open online course (MOOC) is a course marketplace that educates large numbers of online students on a wide range of subjects. Not intended for independent course creators, a MOOC (such as Udemy or Skillshare) is its own platform with its own member base. Educators upload either paid or free courses to these platforms for online learners to access.
A learning management system (LMS) is used primarily by schools or businesses to facilitate online classwork and training programs. It integrates more administrative tools than an online course platform and is not intended for independent course creators. Popular learning management systems include Canvas, Google Classroom, and WordPress LMS plugins like Learndash.
Successful online course creators aren’t afraid to fail.
There’s a lot involved in producing and marketing an online course — and a lot of advice on the best way to do it — but the fastest way to success is to start with what you know!
You might even find that what works for you looks different than what other course creators are doing.
Focus on giving your students a valuable learning experience and then be willing to adapt your strategy as you learn and hone your skills. We’re excited to see where the journey takes you!
→ How to Create Your First Online Course
→ How to Price an Online Course: Steps and Strategies
→ How to Launch Your Online Course: A Step-by-Step Guide to Maximize Revenue
→ How to Market Your Online Course: Successfully Grow Your Business
If you’re challenged by the marketing side of running an online business, you’re not alone. Many content creators are unsure how to successfully promote their product, whether it’s a new course or a published course that isn’t gaining traction.
The good news is that marketing an online course is a lot more intuitive than you might think — and there is an abundance of marketing tools that streamline your to-do list. Here at Kartra, we’re passionate about giving online course creators everything they need to grow a sustainable online business around their expertise.
Read on for our top marketing advice that will put you ahead of the competition!
Here are 26 practical strategies to help you boost brand awareness for your online course and increase course sign-ups.
Good marketing doesn’t impose on others — it presents solutions to real problems and builds trust. This principle is especially important to remember when your product isn’t consumable. Your customers are investing their resources in something they expect to improve their lives! In order to make that purchase decision, they need to trust you.
To build a successful, sustainable business from course creation, you can’t think in terms of the product itself. You need an online community that believes in the value of what you have to say.
For course creators, the best way to build trust and loyalty with your target audience is to create high-quality content as part of a long-term, organic marketing strategy. Develop a cohesive brand that resonates with your audience and fosters a community of loyal followers. Ensure that every interaction with your brand, from social media to course content, reinforces your brand values and builds long-term relationships with your customers.
Before you market your course, create a detailed user profile that includes your audience’s pain points, frequently asked questions, and motivations for seeking out online learning. Understanding who your target users are will help you tailor your marketing efforts more effectively and ensure that you’re addressing their specific needs. This approach will make your messaging more impactful and increase the likelihood of converting leads into students.
Social media is a powerful tool for building your brand and driving engagement with your course. Focus on a targeted approach by identifying the platforms where your audience spends the most time. Be consistent in your messaging and interactions, and use these channels to foster a strong community around your brand. Balance organic content with occasional paid promotions to maximize reach.
Forums such as Quora discussions or Facebook groups are other great places to share your knowledge and learn about your customer base. Just be sure to add value to conversations and don’t jump too quickly to promoting a product (some groups don’t allow selling at all!).
Sometimes, you need a quick way to access new audiences and drive sales while working on long-term, organic strategies. Using paid ads on digital marketing channels can help you reach new audiences quickly while retargeting strategies allow you to re-engage users who have already shown interest in your course.
For example, Facebook ads, LinkedIn ads, or Google Ads can be great ways to get people interested in what you have to say. Develop a comprehensive paid marketing plan that includes both broad and targeted campaigns to drive awareness and conversions effectively.
One of the fundamental principles of good marketing is to build a cohesive brand image — not just a helpful product. Course creators need their users to have a “tribe mentality” — a long-term commitment to the brand as a whole instead of a short-term commitment to a particular offering.
This emphasis on relationships instead of transactions helps to ensure your brand grows sustainably instead of building sudden interest that tapers off!
Focus on making your brand consistent, different, and appealing to your target audience.
One of the most common—and detrimental—marketing mistakes is expecting isolated marketing tactics to convince someone to buy immediately.
Most people take a long and winding path before making a purchase — especially if they’re investing in their education and personal development. This concept is called a buyer journey, and businesses build sales funnels to move people through each stage. You’ll be ahead of the pack if you market your course with this principle in mind.
Follwing a sales funnel is essential for guiding potential students through the decision-making process. However, it’s equally important to measure and analyze each step of this journey. Use data to refine your approach, ensuring that your marketing efforts are not only nurturing leads effectively but also continuously improving based on real-world feedback.
Online business expert Louise Henry delivers a weekly newsletter to her contact list
Kartra is designed so you can build your online course business from the ground up without stitching together software programs as you grow. Instead, you have access to all the features you need — all in one place — for every step of the journey.
Kartra’s online course platform equips entrepreneurs with all the most important tools to create, market, and scale their business:
In today’s digital landscape, video content is king. Create engaging video content to promote your course, such as:
Share these videos on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels to reach a wider audience and give potential customers a taste of your teaching style.
Nothing sells a course better than the success of your students. Use testimonials and success stories prominently on your website, social media, and marketing materials. Consider creating case studies that dive deeper into how your course has helped specific students achieve their goals.
These reviews and stories act as social proof and can improve your conversion rates dramatically.
Offer potential students a free trial or mini-course to give them a taste of your course content. This allows them to experience your teaching style and course quality firsthand, increasing their confidence in purchasing your full course.
Encourage your satisfied students to spread the word about your course by implementing a referral program. Offer incentives such as discounts on future courses or exclusive content for students who successfully refer new enrollees.
Guest posting is a highly effective way to drive qualified traffic to your course website. By contributing valuable content to reputable blogs and websites in your niche, you can reach a broader audience and establish yourself as an authority in your field. Ensure that your guest posts are well-crafted and provide genuine value to the readers, with a clear call-to-action that directs them to your course or a related lead magnet.
Partner with influencers and thought leaders in your niche to expand your reach and credibility. This could involve guest appearances on podcasts, collaborative webinars, or social media takeovers.
Collaborate with complementary businesses or course creators to cross-promote each other’s offerings. Content partnerships can significantly expand your audience reach and add value to your marketing efforts. Here’s how to maximize these collaborations:
Organize virtual events that bring together experts in your field, including yourself. These events can showcase your expertise, build your network, and generate leads for your course.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a powerful strategy for driving organic traffic to your course website. By optimizing your content to rank for valuable keywords that your target audience is searching for, you can attract a steady stream of potential students. Start by conducting keyword research to identify relevant terms with a good search volume and low competition. Then, create high-quality content that addresses those keywords naturally and effectively. Additionally, ensure your website is technically optimized, with fast loading times, mobile responsiveness, and proper meta tags.
Parenting coach Myla Leinweber offers free parenting resources to website visitors
Implement retargeting ads to re-engage visitors who have shown interest in your course but haven’t yet enrolled. These ads can remind potential students about your course and offer additional value or incentives to encourage enrollment.
As content becomes a more significant part of your online course marketing strategy, don’t forget to repurpose resources. You might have more content to work with than you think!
Producing content across multiple digital marketing channels is far easier when you reuse the work you’ve already done. And your library of useful content will only expand as your business grows!
Sponsoring a relevant newsletter is an excellent way to reach a targeted audience that is already interested in your niche. Find newsletters with a strong following in your industry and offer sponsorships that include a mention or feature of your course. This can help you gain visibility with a new, highly engaged audience and drive traffic to your course landing page.
Create a sense of urgency and added value by offering exclusive bonuses or limited-time promotions. This could include:
These incentives can help motivate potential students to take action sooner rather than later, increasing your course enrollments during key promotional periods.
Build and maintain an active presence on social media platforms where your target audience spends time. Share valuable content, engage with followers, and use platform-specific features (like Instagram Stories or LinkedIn articles) to showcase your expertise and promote your course. Consistency is key in social media marketing, so make sure to post regularly and interact with your audience to build a loyal community around your brand.
One of the most common — and detrimental — marketing mistakes is expecting isolated marketing tactics to convince someone to buy right then and there.
When was the last time you bought something immediately after watching a commercial from a brand you’d never heard of before?
Most people take a long and winding path before they make a purchase — especially if they’re investing in their own education and personal development.
This concept is called a buyer journey, and businesses build sales funnels to move people through each stage. You’ll be ahead of the pack if you market your course with this principle in mind.
Start with the bottom of the funnel — developing key assets like your course sales page and checkout page. These are the resources your customers need to enroll. Next, create resources for people who need more information and more persuading — such as a program overview and a success page with testimonials and other social proof.
Once those bottom-of-funnel assets are established, you’ll be prepared to turn your attention lead generation — educating through valuable content and perhaps running ads as needed.
You can also apply the sales funnel concept to individual marketing campaigns, such as an email sequence that starts with educational content and ends with a direct call-to-action to purchase your course.
Setting up sales funnels is another step you don’t have to do from scratch! Kartra users have access to a sales funnel builder and done-for-you templates that take the legwork out of designing marketing campaigns.
Expand on the affiliate marketing concept by creating a comprehensive program. Provide affiliates with marketing materials, tracking links, and competitive commission rates. This can significantly extend your reach and bring in new students through trusted recommendations.
Offer top-notch customer support to both prospective and current students. Respond promptly to inquiries, address concerns, and go above and beyond to ensure student satisfaction. Positive word-of-mouth from happy students can be a powerful marketing tool.
Regularly update your course content to keep it fresh and relevant. Announce these updates to your audience, as it demonstrates your commitment to providing ongoing value and can encourage new enrollments as well as upsells to existing students.
Create and nurture a community around your course topic. This could be through:
Building a strong community not only adds value for your current students but also attracts new ones as they see the ongoing support and networking opportunities your course provides.
Implement robust analytics to track the performance of your marketing efforts. Use tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and email marketing metrics to understand:
Regularly review these metrics and use the insights to refine your marketing strategy. This data-driven approach ensures that you’re focusing your efforts on the most effective tactics and continuously improving your marketing ROI.…and there’s more!
Discover the features course creators love about Kartra’s all-in-one platform