How to Get Your Coaching Practice Featured on Media Outlets

The subject that I am going to write about today is very close to my heart – for the simple reason that I believe branding and marketing are powerful tools for a professional coach to gain exposure, build a following and build a platform.

Unfortunately, as coaches, we sometimes focus more on delivering our content and creating transformation then on letting people know more about who we are, what we do and how we can help them.

Getting seen in the media is one of the major ways that coaches and heart based professionals can do this.

I, myself, enjoy all the media coverage that I can get for my business and try to take deliberate steps to successfully leverage the new found attention. My articles have featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Forbes Woman to name a few and I love the way it has helped me to grow my brand.

If you want to know more about how I started on this journey of getting featured on top media outlets and what are some tried and tested ways to do it successfully and consistently, read on.

First and foremost, when I started my business, I realized early on that I had to gain mastery over my subject in order to ensure followership and attract clients. This is the first lesson I learned –

Number One: Stay current and focus on perspectives that are changing the world.

If you are in wellness coaching, identify the areas your clients or potential clients most identify with. Get really good with your niche (for example: IBS, or Depression). Then work towards offering opinions coupled with research based articles, in that area. You want to let the world know that you are 'the expert' and have the confidence to shout it from the roof tops. That visibility alone will begin attract media to you and then the message will spread to other outlets.

But it starts first with you owning your craft.

Number Two: Create a compelling story

Once you have committed to an area of expertise, I suggest you create what some call a storyboard. Stories have a compelling way of reminding the audience that you connect with them. So, create an exciting story based on the challenges that your clients are currently facing and the unique perspectives that you have. Reach out to media houses with your story [first] and make sure that it is aligned with your area of expertise. This will help the media to gain clarity on how they can best use you and if you are a fit for their audience.

Gain some ideas on who online blogs (for example) are currently looking for by googling "write for us ______[life coaching]" or "write for us _______[weight loss]" . By searching the web for potential media to send your story to, you will begin to see that the media is actually already looking for you.

You just need to show up.

Number Three:  Identify the type of media your clients use

I am on the board of several organizations and the fact that my network mostly consists of senior leadership, professors and heads of businesses I focus on publications like Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes and the like. If your practice is centered more on lifestyle or something very niche like trauma, there are specific media avenues that your potential clients pay very close attention to.

Be a good steward of your time and efforts by focusing 90% of your content writing on these avenues. Identifying and zeroing in on the type of media your clients use is a critical and necessary step in reaching out to media with your message.

Number Four: Know the competition

Once you have your story and message ready to go out to the intended media houses, keep an eye out for what your competitors or other players in the market have to say about your intended topic. You can leverage social media and technology for this purpose while also getting to know about the media houses that are willing to publish similar stories or issues as yours.

Number Five: Keep in touch

Once you are published, it is essential that you maintain contact with the editor of the publication. Let him/her know that you would be interested to stay in future opportunities. It is critical to build long lasting relationships with media personnel. They need content - and you have the brains to provide that.

So package up your brilliance and become an influencer and leader in your space. Your clients are out there looking and waiting for you darling - let's shine.