Coaching Tools to help Coaches Get More Coaching Clients. Suzan Schmitt: The Coach Marketer

Coaching Tools: Writing Attention Getting Headlines and Client Attracting Articles

July 25, 2009

The hardest part about writing a great life coaching article each week is generating new article ideas so I have discovered several idea generating strategies. Sometimes an idea just enters my brain and screams to be written but that is the least common method of idea generation for me.

Get Coaching Clients with a Great Topic
 
Many times I come across a common problem that my coaching clients have and I address that issue. I know it is a common problem because I hear about it in many ways. Often I get questions on the same issue several times over a week or two. I see that people are talking about the problem when I am in a relevant forum or group.
 
I like to read articles and blog posts from other people in my target coaching niche to see what they are talking about and get ideas from that. I never duplicate another coaches' work but I do get ideas from reading their information. Sometimes those ideas are not related to the main topic but are sparked by a portion of the article or blog post.

I also like to

read articles and blogs in related niches because they often have a great idea that will be of interest to my target coaching niche. Again, I just take the basic idea and never copy the article content.

Write a Coaching Client Attracting Article

The article format I suggest is very simple and easy to follow and duplicate. Articles need to be around 400-600 words because many article distributors require a 400 word minimum. Begin your article with an introduction that tells the reader what your article is about and why they will benefit from reading your life coaching article. It is important to include the reader benefit because you want to make sure your reader has a reason to spend time reading the information.

Include three main ideas in your article. These should be the three most important ideas or pieces of information that you want to communicate to your readers. These ideas should add value to your reader by giving them information that will help them solve a problem or overcome a challenge. Be certain to include ways that the reader can incorporate the information in their own lives or business.

Last, write a conclusion that reviews the three main points. The conclusion should restate the solution or benefit, and include a call to action. Suggest actions the reader can take to implement or consume your ideas and information.

I cover these ideas and much more each week in my weekly mentoring teleclasses for "Zee Inner Circle" mentoring group.

Write a Title for Your Coaching Article

You have six seconds to grab your readers attention and convince them to keep reading your article so your headline in paramount. There are four basic types of headlines that are consistently effective.

First, the "give me blank and I will give you blank". Give me 10 minutes and I will give you ten ways to get more coaching clients. Second, "blank ways to blank". Ten ways to get new coaching clients. Third, "Avoid blank Mistakes". Avoid the top three mistakes most coaches make". Fourth, "Do you want to blank"? Do you want to learn how to get more coaching clients in one day"? Fifth, "How to blank and blank". How to give workshops and get coaching clients on the spot".

Don't reinvent the wheel just use these examples and apply them to your target coaching niche. The opening line of your introductory paragraph could be a sub-headline that relates to this headline. Make sure your articles delivers on what is promised in your headline.

If you enjoyed this post then you will want to read "Repurposing Articles Into Blog Posts, Tweets, and Facebook Updates"

Filed under: Articles & Article Marketing

Tags: article marketing, coaching, coaching tools, get coaching clients, life coaching, suzan schmitt, the coach marketer