Looking for the
perfect way to mesh your love for travel with having your own online business
and helping others?
These are the 6 strategies to go from a world traveling backpacker or a travel blogger to starting your own entrepreneurial journey as a business owner.
1. Solve a common problem
2. Speak to a specific audience
3. Leverage your story
4. Deliver value
5. Stay true to yourself
6. Be strategic
I will break the 6 strategic steps down for you in this post.
Solve a Common Problem
The most successful
businesses are built on solving a common problem. Just think about it. Even if it’s a dumb or odd item but it solves
a problem that many people have, it can generate millions in sales. For instance, think of the Snuggie for
staying warm and comfortable, the Scrub Daddy brush for doing the dishes, or
Facebook which allows people to connect in a way unlike any other, or websites
like Skyscanner that allows people to find flights that are more suitable for
their budgets.
The common factor that all of
these have, whether they’re a website, an app, a retail item, a program, a
virtual item, a book, or anything else, is that they offer a solution to a
common problem that many people have.
The solution that you offer
is crucial to your business. If it
doesn’t answer a common problem that many people have, no one will care about
it.
Once you are clear on the
solution that you offer you can build your online coaching business based on
that. Everything stems from your
solution. By knowing what solution you offer,
you know who your audience is, who your ideal client is, what to focus your
coaching sessions on, what to focus your products (programs, courses, ebooks,
etc) on, who to market your products and services to, and more.
If you have no clue what
solution you can offer, it’s totally ok. There are many ways to figure that
out.
Some helpful ways to
figure out what solution you can offer
What do people tend to come
to you for answers on?
Is there a problem that you
encountered that you wish there was a solution to?
Is there a problem that you
heard or seen many people face?
Is there a common question
that is often asked in Facebook groups or in online forums that you notice?
Is there something that puts
you at a crossroad or complete uncertainty in your life that you wish there was
an easier option for? (for example, I wished there were more options on ways to
make money if you love to travel other than blogging, virtual assistant and
other typical digital nomad work, being a travel agent, or working for a
corporate that included business travel.
I stumbled upon being a Travel Coach and ran with the idea)
Spend time doing research on
your niche (for example, I learned as much as I could about the travel industry
and about budget travel)
Find a void in the industry
(what is everyone else NOT doing or offering?)
What are your competitors NOT
doing or offering?
Do market search
yourself. Post in relevant Facebook
groups and online forums, as people in person, ask your friends and
family…basically ask, ask, ask!
What is something that you
struggled with and then found a unique solution to?
Do some soul-searching on
your experiences and your desires
Has a big transformation
occurred in your life? What was the “thing” or solution that was the turning
point for you?
Speak to a Specific Audience
Once you have established the
solution that you offer, you need to know who wants that solution. I call these people your “Seekers”. They are seeking what you offer.
Who is facing the problem
that you offer a solution to? Knowing
who your audience is important for not only marketing purposes but also in
mastering your offer (your product or service).
You’ll learn even more from your audience and sculpt your offer into
their ideal solution.
If you try to appeal to
everyone, you’ll appeal to no one. This
is so true because being broad and general will water down the potential of
your offer. If you are not specific on
whom your offer is for, you will not stand out to the right people, ultimately
losing the potential for paying clients.
Therefore, be as specific as
you can. Create an ideal client
avatar. Who does your content speak to
most? Who can you help best? Who can
your solution help the most? Who is in the shoes that you were once in?
Knowing who your target
audience is will also help when you write the copy and create content for your
business. You’ll know what attracts and appeals to them best.
Learn as much as you can
about your target audience. Study
them. Who do they follow? What podcast
do they listen to? What publications do
they read? What social networks do they use most? What interests do they have?
What do they care about most? Be active
in Facebook groups and online forums that your audience hangs out in. Ask questions, create posts, and ask for
feedback or opinions.
Leverage Your Story
Now that you know what
solution you offer and who your target audience are, it’s time to hone in on
your story. What journey and
transformation occurred in your life that inspired you to become a coach? What
is your story? What are the struggles that you had which led you to your lowest
point in life (your pit)? Then, what was it that changed in your life that lead
you to where you are now (your breakthrough)? Your story is what will set you
apart. It’s your truth. It’s what will
build connection with your seekers. Your
story will resonate with your seekers.
It will build trust and likability. Your story will build credibility
and authority on what you teach and offer because it’s your truth, it’s what
happened and worked for you. When you know
how to leverage your story, it will help in building your following, attracting
ideal clients, attracting quality clients, building organic growth through
word-of-mouth when people share your powerful story with others, posting on
social media, marketing, promotions, scaling your business, and more. Your story is the key to your business and
it’s important to know how to use it.
Deliver Value
You can never deliver too much
value! Delivering value is another way to establish your authority and
credibility as a coach. When you provide
value to your seekers, they see you as the go-to person on that topic and a
place for them to get helpful tips. You want to lead with your best
information. Tell them what they won’t hear or read about elsewhere. Some
coaches and people in business limit the amount of value that they give out
because they feel like if they give away too much free information, no one will
want to pay for it. That’s not true
though. It doesn’t matter how much free information you provide, people are
always going to need more help and want even more information. People may still need help in implementing
and executing the free information that they received or be unsure on how to do
it all on their own. People may watch
and read your content because they love what you teach and they trust you as an
authority on that space but, they may never buy from you. That’s totally okay though! Although they may
never buy from you, they are crucial to growing your following and audience and
are likely to tell others about you.
Those people who they tell may pay for your products and services! As a
Travel Coach, deliver value on topics that helped you the most, your favorite
travel resources and websites, or how you overcame certain hurdles throughout
your travels. You can also talk about
how travel transformed your life, how it lead you to your career, how it helped
you find your purpose and life direction, how it helped you learn more about
yourself and what you wanted out of life, and how travel helped you learn new
skills or master your favorite ones. You can deliver value in various ways
including Facebook live, Instagram stories, video, social media posts, blog
posts, commenting in Facebook groups or online forums, and freebies.
Stay True to Yourself
To be a coach in general, you
need to be true to yourself. This goes
along with telling your story. The reason why staying true to yourself is one
of my strategies to becoming a travel coach is because staying true to yourself
is essential for your branding and marketing.
When you teach from within, from what you know best, and from where your
heart lays, then you’ll attract who you’re meant to work with and help (your
ideal clients) and you’ll feel good and confident about what you do.
Be Strategic
The last strategy is to be
strategic! Everything that you do in your business should be with intent. Don’t always throw noodles at a wall and just
see what sticks. That usually just
results in a waste of time, energy, and money.
Throwing noodles at a wall and seeing what sticks is good when you are
toying with ideas and getting feedback and seeing what type of responses and
interaction you receive. You want to be
intentional with what content you post, what you spend money on, what you talk
about in your videos, where you drive your traffic to, why you want more
followers on Instagram, why you want to grow your Facebook page or group, why
you want to grow your email list, and everything else. Know why you do what you do. This will benefit you and your business in
the long run!
Download your own Beginner's Guide to Travel Coaching here
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