Getting Comfortable with Showing Up Online

November 5, 2021

Lumia

The Everything Life Coaching Podcast, featuring Lumia Coaching founders John Kim and Noelle Cordeaux, is a deep dive into the experience and business of being a life coach. Subscribe to get new episodes weekly!

If the idea of developing an online presence has you running for the hills, we’re here to help! In this episode, our resident online expert John Kim (@theangrytherapist) coaches Lumia's CEO - the social media skeptic Noelle Cordeaux - on how to dip a toe in and develop her online presence authentically.

How to Use Social Media In Your Life Coaching Business

Social media itself can feel like an ever-changing carnival ride. Just when engagement strategies start to get dialed in, hot new online platforms pops up or the algorithms change. There’s two ways to approach this reality: with frustration, or a spirit of exploration.

We’re recommending the latter.

If you would like to try expanding your social media presence alongside Noelle, here’s some tips to help make the process more comfortable.

Be Clear About Your WHY

The first thing to consider about your social media presence is simply this: What are you doing there?

Do you want to:

Stimulate audience growth?
Join a community?
Build a community?
Create a sales funnel for your coaching business?
Create content for the public, or for a select group of people?
Build a personal brand?

If you’re not sure yet, it’s perfectly fine to hold as an objective something simple, such as “trying out” using your voice online to see how it feels for you. An experimentation stage can help clarify whether or not social media is where you actually want to dedicate more of your business marketing time and resources.

If you discover along the way that social media isn’t your jam, that’s OK! There are many life coaches who don’t use it at all. The fact is you don’t HAVE to make social media a major part of your marketing strategy. Many coaching businesses thrive without it.

Understand Your Blockers

What are the challenges and concerns that make showing up online feel difficult for you? For some people, this may look like wanting to be perfectly put together whenever you hit “record” to create a video. For others, it could be trepidation about dealing with potential online meanies and trolls. And most of us wonder how much time it will actually consume… and if it’s actually worth it.

Most likely, there’s more than one fear that’s weighing on your mind. If so, consider yourself completely normal! Showing up online and being seen is a vulnerable process. It also takes time and practice to get comfortable. Bring a healthy dose of self compassion to the process.

For resources on how to take care of yourself as you step outside your comfort zone, check out Self Compassion is a Coaching Superpower.

Know Your Boundaries

“If it’s not empowering, it’s not sustainable.” - John Kim

Yes, social media can be a time suck for life coaches… but only if you allow it to be. Having clear social media strategies in place can help to put you on the right path from Day 1. If you go into it knowing it’s going to be a balancing act, you’re less likely to get burned out.

So what does this look like in practice?

Limiting the amount of time you spend online
Posting content at your own pace
Taking breaks when you need them
Giving yourself permission to not respond to every comment
Not engaging with negative or critical comments if you are sensitive or just don’t want to take it on
Blocking and deleting trolls
Ignoring the “rules” about how to show up online if they don’t resonate with you
Hiring a social media coordinator if you'd like to establish an online presence but don’t actually enjoy it

There’s a lot of advice for life coaches on the importance of “engaging” your audience, and there’s certainly value in it! With that said, if managing followers and developing an online community is depleting rather than enjoyable, it’s OK to pull back.

“Social media has become a giant ‘should’ in many industries. Figure out a way to peel that ‘should’ away. Use social media to have fun and find your voice. When you use it as a tool, it can be really potent. That’s when you can start building communities, get traction, and create something real.” - John Kim

We’re willing to be you didn’t set out to become a life coach in order to torture yourself with tasks and obligations that don’t actually light you up. As a small business owner, you’re pulled in a lot of directions. When you consider how you want to use social media for your business, take into account both what you have time for and what feels right.

This is your business, and your life. There’s no one “right way” to do it - just your way.

Want more social media strategies and tips for life coaches? Check out:

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