9 Ways to Market Your Workshop or Group Coaching Program | By Jennifer Britton

We often spend a lot of time on program design, but not so much time on marketing. Yet filling seats can be a big challenge in running your group coaching program, workshop, webinar or retreat. Which means that getting the word out to prospective attendees is a critical part of the program planning process for coaches and trainers.

This article explores 6 strategies/considerations for marketing your group coaching along with 9 specific ways you might consider promoting your upcoming programs.

6 Things to Think about Before You Develop Your Marketing Strategy

1. Coaching is all about the client. As part of your program design, do some research as to the preferences of your group. For example consider how programs are delivered (in-person, virtually), when they are delivered (time of day, day of week), what to include, how to approach the topics as well as pricing. This information will help you create a program that is valuable and a good fit.
2. Consider the marketing methods your clients prefer. Knowing your clients and their preferences around how they want to connect and engage with you, and what topics they are interested in is a foundational part of successful marketing. What marketing approaches will work for your group members? Are they people who engage with and look to social media? Do they value face to face connection? Would they prefer a referral? Do they read noticeboards in coffee shops? Consider their preferences.
3. Leverage your strengths. Marketing is an ongoing process that doesn't end after your first year in business. Marketing is an ongoing process of dialogue (written, verbal, images, video) with your audience. As such, consider where your strengths lay. Are you a great writer or an exceptional speaker? Where do your talents lie? Find ways to build on your strengths while matching the needs of prospective members. For example, if you're a great speaker and your group hangs out on social media, you could record a short video and post it on Facebook or LinkedIn. If you love writing and you have a newsletter list, you could write a post and send it out.
4. Create a plan and execute. There's a project management adage which says that ten minutes of planning can avoid two hours of unfocused efforts. So create a plan for your marketing—and execute it. Who could help you make the plan? Who could help hold you accountable? Who will help you get over the hurdles when they show up? How often will you revisit and revise the plan?
5. Consistent, Tracked Action. I often hear from coaches that they didn't have as many registrations as they would have liked. Daily action is important in creating momentum around your event—so make a plan, and stick to it. Likewise, track your results. Make a note of which approaches are having an impact in the short, medium and long-term. Then you'll be able to market your program better next time.
6. Keep on the gas, right to the end. Some months, 75% of my registrations for virtual programs come in in the last week before the program. Are you following through right up to the end? Are you timing your communications in a way that is regular and adding value? Also, how are you sharing what programs are coming up, so that you give people plenty of notice?

And here are 9 Specific Marketing Ideas for Marketing your Webinars, Team and Group Coaching Programs

In addition to your marketing strategy, below I share specific marketing ideas and approaches. As you read through them, consider:

• Which ones draw on your strengths?
• Which ones match the preferences of the clients/people you want to attend?

1) Blog

Establish a blog and write regularly on topics of interest to your audience.

One of the benefits of a blog is that it's a vehicle where you can announce your programs, in addition to creating regular posts.

Don't know where to start? Take 10 minutes and create a mind map or list of all the topics you could possibly communicate around.

2) Create Facebook Events

Start the conversation about your program. Once you have a Facebook Page for your business, create a Facebook Event page (with photos and additional info).

Then offer regular tips or questions for people to consider.

TIP: Photos and other visuals really help messages stand out.

3) Trade shows

Trade shows can be a great way to get out and connect with a large group of prospective clients. They're also a great way to create targeted visibility within niche markets.

Hosting a booth creates an opportunity to provide short sample sessions. It's a fantastic way to illustrate coaching and also to practice and hone your own message about what you do as a coach. And you can always share a booth with other coaches.

In the first few years of my business several trade shows hosted with colleagues led to some of my initial group and individual coaching clients. More importantly it got me out talking about what coaching is and what I do, allowing me to hone my message based on those conversations.

4) Coaching at conferences

Getting out and demonstrating our coaching work is a key part of marketing and promotion.

Many conferences today offer coaching samples as a part of a way to lock in learning and distill results. Could you help offer that service? And if you belong to a coaching group or ICF coaching chapter, going to a conference as a group is a great way to take the coaching conversation to the public.

5) Create a podcast/audio or video about your program

People like to hear about what we're doing, not just read about it. Post your video onto YouTube or put your audio on iTunes, Spotify or Soundcloud to make it even more accessible. You can then also include it in your newsletter, on social media and more.

6) Conference speaking

Face to face interactions are invaluable in today's virtual world.

Conference speaking will put you in front of audiences of decision makers. Make a list of possible conferences you could speak at and/or attend.

TIP: Note any deadlines for submission of proposals to speak as they're usually well in advance of the conference itself.

7) FAQ

Develop a Frequently Asked Questions page (FAQ) for your program.

Include areas such as What is the program? Who is it for? What you can expect? Time Commitment? What Coaching is and is not? When and how the program is offered?

Then link to this page from your other communications, such as on social media, in emails, videos or audios about the program.

8) Host special calls

Hosting special calls regularly on topics of interest to your clients can be another useful way to build a following and conversation space.

You can mention your upcoming offerings, and if they have helpful content you can record them. Your recordings then become an added bonus and can provide additional learning for ongoing programs or for your marketing efforts.

9) Word of mouth

Word of mouth is an extremely valuable marketing tool: when people get to experience your work they get to know, like and trust you.

Who are your raving fans? What can you do to put things out in your network? How could you get more word of mouth promotion of your programs?

Final Tip

There's a big difference when marketing and finding clients for Group Coaching/Public Workshops 'v' Team Coaching.

To get team coaching clients, the person you want to engage and reach may be a manager, team leader or someone from Human Resources. This is different from a public workshop or group coaching engagement where you want to reach the attendees themselves.

Wrap-up & Question For You

Taking consistent action, adding value and tracking your results is essential in developing a marketing strategy that matches your clients' needs and leverages your strengths.

When marketing team and group coaching, helping people understand what coaching is can be important. But building solid relationships and an ongoing dialogue with prospective group and team members is essential. Who do you need to engage in the dialogue?

YOUR QUESTION: As you review the different ideas for promotion and marketing strategies in this article, what are your next steps to market your workshop or group coaching program?

If you liked this article on marketing team and group coaching, you may also like:

• Add Group and Team Coaching To Expand Your Practice! also by Jennifer Britton
• Why Your Brand is so Important & 7 (Free) Ways to Build Your Coaching Brand Online!
• Cake, Coffee - and Clients! by Sue Leslie

Contributing Author:

Jennifer Britton, MES, CHRP, CPT, PCC, is the author of seven books and has influenced a generation of coaches in the realms of team and group coaching. You may have read her writing, including Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010), the first book in the world to be published on the topic of group coaching; From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching; or her latest, Reconnecting Workspaces: Pathways to Thrive in the Virtual, Remote and Hybrid World (2021).

Since 2006, Jennifer's Group Coaching Essentials and Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum programs have become known as the must-do training in the area of group coaching. Focused on providing coaches with best practices in designing, marketing and implementing group coaching, these programs have helped thousands of coaches launch their own group and team coaching programs in a wide variety of settings (public, corporate, non-profit). Together both courses are approved for 18.75 ICF CCEUs. These are the first two of 10 course pathways leading to certificates in Group and Team Coaching.

Potentials Realized's ICF-CCE programs are geared for aspiring group and team coaches, especially those wanting to work toward the New Advanced Credential in Team Coaching (ACTC) with the ICF.

Also check out our neuroscience course for group and team coaches (NLE-A), Team Coaching Essentials  and ACTIVATE Your Team and Group Coaching Superpowers. Prefer podcasts? Listen in to the Remote Pathways podcast, which explores the many different pathways to remote work, business and leadership.

Learn more about Jennifer & see all their articles here >>