Blogs on business websites these days are best practice – writing about something you know might be easy, but identifying and producing content that’s sparked by an opportunity to connect with your audience – that’s a lot harder. And sometimes, such as with this post for Kelley Kinetics, it’s simple, yet rare.
If personal coaches are blogging, they’re typically talking about things clearly related to their sport. Things like ‘how to prepare for race day’ and ‘nutrition for marathon training’ are common. These are helpful to athletes looking to get tips and advice, and beneficial to coaches, working to establish their expertise across another touchpoint.
With Kelley Kinetics, we discussed at length the importance of standing out, and one way to do that is to maintain a good sense of transparency, value, and what an ideal coach-athlete relationship looks like. Head coach and owner Kim Kelley has a big heart (emotionally, not anatomically) and truly loves all of her athletes, and because of that, it really matters to see them hit their goals. Creating a solid training plan is one thing, and one thing that Kim is an expert at. But the difference between being a good plan-maker, and a good coach is often in the relationship.
It was conversations like these that sparked me to concept and write this post – Getting More out of Coaching. It’s a simple list, not a long read, but it offers valuable insight that we haven’t seen among the “best shoes for trail runners” and “best dog breeds to have as a running buddy”. It’s so simple, yet offers some critical information to potential clients.
Beyond the obvious advice listed in this piece, it illustrates that when you work with Kim, you’re going to have a coach that understands this, that wants you to get the most out of your investment, and will show you not just workouts to do, but how to work together to maximize your efforts. It also subtly nods to the fact that yes – a coach, and Kim in particular – is worth it, especially compared to trying to do it all on your own.
I love this greater concept of communicating working relationships like this – no matter the nature of your business, your brand personality has human elements, and because of that, you are indeed building real, interactive relationships with clients. It’s easy enough to put together, but offers incredible potential impact, and is often not even touched in marketing and lead generation communications.
This easily translates to a number of industries and communities. Many websites and communications communicate the ‘why’ and the ‘what’ and maybe even their own ‘how’. But the collective ‘how’ is rarely addressed. What’s it like to work with a creative agency? How can I get the most out of my dentist appointment? How to order your complicated coffee drink without making your barista hate you? These are the important questions. Give your audience the road map on what a successful working relationship is like. Manage those expectations from both sides. And most of all, instill that confidence that you’re not just an expert at whatever your skill is, you’re also an expert on making it all worth it.