I hope everyone has had a great weekend. In the coaching industry today, whether you are a life coach, business coach, relationship coach, or anything in between, there is a great push to get you to write and publish your book. This weekend alone I had 14 emails from different thought leaders with book writing and publishing programs and products. There is so much information to sort through. Which program is the best? Or, which would work best for you?
I have found an excellent free coaching resource, or should I say, 3 free coaching resources. Mark Coker of Smashwords has 3 free Kindle ebooks on how to write, format, and publish your ebook. Each of these free ebooks takes on a different subject in writing your own ebook. If you have never heard of Mark Coker, you probably had heard of Smashwords. Smashwords is a platform for indie book writers and publishers to market their books. I could do an entire post on Smashwords by itself, but it seems more appropriate to also tell you about the ebooks, so you get an idea of how to optimize your Smashwords experience. You can check out Smashwords at: www.smashwords.com
The first thing you need to do is format your ebook. Mark has shown exactly how to do this in his ebook "Smashwords Style Guide - How to Format Your Ebook." Mark covers the various points on editing and formating your ebook before sending it to be published. There are tips in here that I have not heard of and I have paid for workshops that teach this subject.
Click here for this free Kindle ebook
The author has a book on how to market your ebook for free. Smashwords is an excellent way to market your ebook if you have no marketing budget. He goes over tips on using social media, blog postings, and other various means to get the word out there about your ebook. He also provides a strategy to get this done.
Also, Mark has a book on Ebook publishing success. "Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success" is a treasure trove of information to get your ebook published and noticed by the people who matter most. He gives 29 secrets that can make the difference in your book standing out, or just getting lost in the shuffle. His practical advice can be a life saver when you are overwhelmed by the options out there today.
Also, for my new readers, we have over $1700 in free coaching gifts available for you. Simply fill out the sign in form at the upper left side of this page. You will be taken to the download page right away. Or, if you would rather, you can get them at www.100coachingtips.com
Usually I do not post to the Free Coaching Resources blog in the morning, but when it is something this good, I make an exception.
Christian Mickelsen, who is a life and business coach, has just released his new book. "Change the World: Make Big Money Teaching, Training, & Serving Humanity" is now out on Kindle. It is free for a very limited time. From personal experience, I know that it will be free for no more than 2 days, and then it will be full retail price on Kindle. This is how Christian usually releases his new books on Kindle.
If you have never heard of Christian Mickelsen, he started out about 9 years ago as a coaching client, first. And then, made the decision to become a coach and help people. Also, like so many of us, he hit plenty of road blocks along the way. If you want to look at some of his websites, check out http://www.coachingbusinessrocketlauncher.com/ which has excellent information and some free reports, and http://www.coacheswithclients.com/ which also has some free coaching resources, as well as some programs that can be purchased.
I personally have read 2 of Christian's books, and purchased his program Free Sessions That Sell. Christian's products are excellent. He does a first class job in presenting his information. His books are very concise, no fluff, and get straight to the point.
If you want to shave years off of your learning curve in coaching, I would highly recommend anything by him. He has a great story telling style and tells everything, the good, bad, and anything in between.
In this book, Christian shows how to start from nothing and build a thriving practice by helping people. He also shows how to build an email list, create training programs, and sell information products. It is a blue print for success. All you have to do is follow it.
As I said earlier in the post, this will be free for 2 days at the most. After that, it will full price on Kindle. I have waited before, and missed one of Christian's free launches. Learn from my mistake.
Also, after you get Christian's new book, fill out the form at the left side of this page toward the top for over $1700 in free coaching resources and tools. Or, you can go to www.100coachingtips.com and sign in there. Once you are signed in, you can start downloading the coaching tools and resources.
Today's free coaching resource is a 2 for 1 special. These are free Kindle ebooks that can help you build your coaching practice. They cover two very important topics to building a coaching practice: blogging and writing Kindle ebooks.
Both of these books are quick reads. They get right to the point and skip the unnecessary fluff. Whether you are new to this, or you've been around for a while, there is plenty of good information in both of these books that can put you ahead of the competition.
The first is a book on blogging by Steve Scott. "How to Start a Successful Blog in One Hour" is a roadmap to getting your blog out there and getting traffic. The author explains where to start and how to set up a blog that gets noticed by the search engines, and gets you readers and subscribers.
I like how the author gets right to the point, and covers all of the valuable tips that separate successful blogs from everyone else's. This is some of the same information that I find myself having to cover with new coaching clients that do not have a blog yet. I will definitely be recommending this ebook to all of my clients and prospective clients.
The next free coaching resource of the day is a Kindle ebook by Anbu Rayappan. His book "Non-Fiction Writing Machine: How to Write a Book in 5 1/2 Days in 3 Simple Steps" is an excellent foundation to use when writing your first book. If you have never tried writing a book, this can be a blueprint to build an empire of your life's work in a digital book form. When writing Kindle ebooks, you do not have to get publisher approval, worry about creative control, fret over deadlines, and the multitude of problems that occur when using a publishing service. With the Kindle platform, you write the material, upload it to Kindle, and it is listed and live for your prospects. Just like that, no middle men, no unnecessary fees, and best of all, you keep entire control of your body of work.
The author provides his information in a simple "paint by the numbers" if you will. Steps like choosing the right topic, how to structure a non-fiction book, the writing process, and a helpful checklist to make sure you don't leave anything out. The author shows a realistic plan to write your book of 10,000 words (only 40 pages) in 5 days, but only 2 hours a day of writing.
How many books could you write in a month, if you went by this plan? Don't have any published works yet? This can be a game changer for you and your coaching practice.
Also, remember that the Kindle reader is free for any electronic device. Simply go to www.kindle.amazon.com and set up a free Kindle account and you can start downloading Kindle ebooks, even if you do not own an actual Kindle device.
I hope everyone is having a great weekend.
If you are one of my new readers, we have over $1700 in free coaching resources for you to download. Look at the left side of this page towards the top. Sign up in the sign up box and you will be taken to the download page where you can start immediately downloading this valuable coaching tools and resources. Or, if you would like to go to our website: www.100coachingtips.com
If you would like to contact me: info@100coachingtips.com anytime. I enjoy speaking with our readers.
Wishing you More Clients, More Money, and More Life!
This is a frequent question asked of us here at Free Coaching Resources. It's a very good question, too. And there is a surprising answer, too.
Most web designers and coaches that do their own websites use Google's free keyword tool. There's nothing wrong with that, but you are only getting a small part of the picture of what people are looking for on the web. Google's free keyword tool uses adwords as its metric to show which keywords are getting traffic. This means that it is not showing the organic searches, only the paid adwords results. On a best case scenario, if your site is at the top of adwords, you can expect 47% of the traffic that it shows. If you are not in the top spot, the drop in percentages is exponential.
There are plenty of organic searches done. When I say organic, I mean search engine listings based on content on the web. If you write an article for an article directory, and back link it to your site, this creates a search engine listing for your site.
Before you go writing an article, please read the entirety of this post. One article will not rank you on the first page of Google. It might not even rank you on the 100th page of Google in a keyword search. It takes lots of articles, which creates backlinks to start showing up. How many? That's an excellent question.
Each keyword, whether "long tail" or "short tail" has a set of results that Google has indexed for it. The indexes are fluid, in that they change when new content is produced. Google loves fresh, original content and rewards the producers of it with higher search engine rankings.
But, content and backlinks are not the only piece of this puzzle. There are other factors, like domain age (how long a website has been up), directory listings (DMOZ and Yahoo), authority backlinks ( sites with .edu or .gov that link back to a site) all factor into search engine results.
Don't let your head explode yet. Take a breath. Instead of doing all of these search metrics by hand, which takes a lot of time, and constantly changes, you can do it all in one place.
I found a remarkable tool that allows you to do all of this with out having to use multiple tools to accomplish this. Market Samurai has an excellent tool that does all of the computations for you, and then lets you download it into a csv (spreadsheet) file.
I first discovered Market Samurai about 2 months ago, and I was hooked! All of the tools I had used before that now seem obsolete. I have used it to determine which keywords are the best value keywords, and which are the easiest to get.
Market Samurai lets you set the phrase to broad ratio, and then generates a list of keywords from your root keyword. Then, it will analyze this for you in real time and have the results in minutes. They factor in adwords and organic traffic. After this, it will organize them in order or the most valuable or least valuable, according to your preference.
Just because you think a keyword is good, or perfectly relates to your website, if it's not getting any traffic, it's a worthless endeavor. For instance, the keyword "online life coaching" sounds like an excellent keyword to try for. There's a decent price on the cost per click adwords. But, if you research further, you will see that on a broad match, there are only 75 searches on the best day. And an exact match keyword search has less than 10 searches globally per day! There is even stiff competition for this less than favorable keyword.
Don't be fooled by high priced Google Adword pay per click prices. This only means that websites are bidding higher to get this keyword without knowing how much someone will buy on a click through.
Another mistake people make in selecting keywords is creating a keyword they think will do well. For instance, the keyword "life coaching audios" may sound good, but it does not even index or rank in search engine traffic ratings.
Basically, to give a synopsis of what I just said: Do not try to pick a keyword you think will do well, and expect everyone to come to you. You must find out where the traffic already is, what they are looking for, and make sure you are there and easy to find.
If you go fishing, you don't just go to water standing on the side of the road and expect to catch fish, or any fish for that matter. You must go where the fish already are. This is true with websites. Go where people are already searching.
If you do not select keywords, Google will do it for you, and you will not be happy with their choices. They will not index you for the best keywords. They will index you for the most common keywords showing up on your page.
The best feature of Market Samurai, in my opinion, is the SEO Competiton feature. Once you have keywords selected, you can then search and see who the top 10 are for each keyword in the global searches. They create a spreadsheet of this showing the domain name, domain age, pages on site, backlinks, and several other metrics used in determining these results. Best of all, they show you which of your competitors will be easier to outrank.
You do not have to have the best site on the web, but you do need a site that is better than your competitors. If you find out that a new site has a number 1 ranking and only has 15 backlinks, you can outrank them by getting 16 backlinks. There are several variables to this equation, but I hope you see where I am going. Market Samurai can show you which keywords that you can rank for, that are profitable, and you can see results for.
I consider this my favorite tool in my seo marketing and website building endeavors. They have tutorial videos that are free which show you how to use their product proficiently. Best of all they have a free 12 day trial for new users. You don't even have to use a credit card for the free trial. You can also use this for as many sites or keywords as you like. My advice is give it a try. You will be surprised at the results. I know I was.
As always, if you have any questions about the products I profile here, email me at info@100coachingtips.com
And, I have made some changes. We now have an optin box here on our blog. Look at the upper right corner. Sign up and you can start downloading over $1700 in free coaching resources. Or, you can go to our main site at www.100coachingtips.com
Wishing you More Clients, More Money, and More Life!
Today's free coaching resource is about weight loss. The dreaded subject. No matter what your current status is, everyone has a strong opinion about this. I had been debating for some time now about doing a blog on weight issues. Frankly, because I, myself am trying to lose weight. But, I feel it is of utmost importance in the USA and for that matter, everywhere.
In coaching, there are 3 large categories that cover most of the coaching business. They are: 1. How to make more money 2. Weight loss and 3. Finding your soulmate (relationships). They also fall into that order in the money people spend to help them with those issues.
As far as consumer money spent, weight loss actually edges the money subject to number 2. People, whether they are hiring coaches or not, are always spending money on weight loss products. Whether it is diet books, supplements, and fitness videos. Add in the gym memberships, and you can see why weight loss ranks so high in the amount of money people spend.
I won't go into the other 2 subjects today, because weight loss is significant enough to warrant its own post. But, I dare say, if you are a life coach, your niche and coaching practice falls into one of the 3 subjects.
I am a big believer in mindset retraining and reconditioning. Whether it is business or personal matters, your mindset determines the likelihood of your success. I have found over the last 4 years, that when my mindset is right about a matter I am dealing with, 90% of the battle is won. Weight loss is no exception. If your mindset is right, you can accomplish so much more in the areas you desire to change.
I found a free Kindle ebook on this subject this morning. "how to...Stop Fighting Your Weight: 10 Things You Wish You Knew" by Daniel Speraw is an excellent free coaching resource that every life coach should have.
Click here for this free Kindle ebook
I started reading some of this book this morning and I have to say, it is sound in its philosophy. This is not a lose 30 pounds overnight plan. Or, a fad diet, that guarantees unbelievable results. This ebook goes into the mindset issues around weight loss, and may give you a different perspective on it. The author gives several methods to apply to your current mindset. Again, this is not a "radical cure" or a "miracle drug." It is several principles designed to help you change your mindset about weight loss.
I have been on the same hamster wheel that so many people are on. Lose some weight, and then gain it back with some extra. However, I have spent the time to change my mindset about my own weight and how to lose the unwanted weight I have carried around for over 20 years now. I had come to these conclusions through personal study, and lifestyle changes. I have seen results in my own journey.
I have not seen anything really new or ground breaking in this book, but it would have really helped when I was trying to figure these things out on my own. I encourage all of our readers, if you have issues about your weight, get the book and read through it. It will help get you on the right road to seeing the results you desire.
Also, seeing as this is the day after July 4, when so many of us find it hard to stick to our diets, I feel that its a fitting time to broach the subject. Let me know what you think after you read this book. My coaching specialty is not weight loss, but I do enjoy discussing all subjects with fellow coaches.
I hope everyone enjoyed a safe and happy 4th of July. My thoughts and prayers to those injured in the unfortunate accident in California. It is a shame when accidents like that happen. Hopefully, the appropriate steps can be taken to prevent occurences like that in the future.
Also, for my new readers, we have over $1700 in free coaching resources available for you to download at www.100coachingtips.com . Sign up and you can start downloading these valuable tools to restructure your coaching practice.
And, don't forget, we are running a special sale on our Gold Download Package. This is 26 interviews with some of the best coaches in the business today. Along with pdf transcriptions, and interview notes. This sale ends soon, so don't let it pass you by. Go to http://100coachingtips.com/special-july-4th-sale/ and take advantage of this one of a kind offer.
One of my favorite holidays is upon us. The birthday of our great nation, July 4. This is a great time of celebration. Food, fireworks, and family, have always been the hallmark of this holiday in our family. I wish each of you a safe and happy Fourth of July.
Sometimes I come across free coaching resources that are a limited time offer. Such is the offer today. On my Facebook timeline, I had a post from Mark Hendricks. He is offering his Ultimate Success Program, which is in Kindle ebook form for free until 11pm July 5.
I have perused a few of these ebooks, and they are good. They are written in an interview form, which may be kind of different if you have not read books in interview form before. But it is 18 volumes that teach valuable principles to succeed.
I think we all could benefit from these books, either personally or helping our clients with the information included. And, they can be a valuable resource for future reference.
The great thing about the world wide web is it is bringing together the great minds that are out there. Almost everyday I hear of someone doing a great job in their niche, some even doing 6 and 7 figure businesses. Today was no exception. If you would like to look at Mark's website, click here. Mark is a successful coach and internet marketer, just to name a few niches he is in.
Also, as I close each post, please get your $1700 in free coaching gifts from us. Go to www.100coachingtips.com and sign in and you can begin downloading these practice transforming resources. And, thank you to the many of you who already have signed up. I saw a great increase in the number of signups these last 2 days.
And, the best news of all, we are running a once in a lifetime sale. If you have looked through the 100 Coaching Tips website, you may have noticed we have a series of 26 interviews with some of the greatest coaches on the planet. People like John Assaraf, Chris Wieder, Morgana Rae, and Melanie Benson Strick, just to name a few. We are running this sale until July 7 at 11pm CDT. There will be no extensions or exceptions. You can view the details at: http://100coachingtips.com/special-july-4th-sale/. If you have thought of buying these interviews in the past, but hesitated, now is the time.
One of the biggest reasons I hear for coaches not getting enough clients, or even any clients at all, is always the same: "I can't afford it." Let me implore you right now, coaches, strike those words from your vocabulary. I'm not saying go into debt, but I am saying you need to shift your mindset.
During our Season 1 interviews, Melanie Benson Strick talks about this. I like what she said, "Stop saying I can't afford it, and start saying I'm going to find a way to make it happen." I think this was probably one of the most powerful statements made during the entire series of 26 interviews. This is mindset shifting at its best. And, I totally agree with Melanie, find a way to make it happen.
We are beginning the second half of 2013 today. Let's make sure our mindsets are geared up to find a way to make it happen. In fact, we are going to help you make it happen. I have been ending each of my posts urging you to go to www.100coachingtips.com and sign up and download the free coaching tools. Some of you have, but many of you haven't. Maybe some of you already have, or you downloaded them before this blog was created. But, some of you I know, are not downloading them for reasons that you justify through not wanting to accept help. I don't quite understand this. I would have loved it if someone came to me when I was first starting out and offered free coaching tools.
The tools we are offering are a diverse blend of coaching resources that can transform your coaching business from an expensive hobby to a thriving business that gets you the lifestyle you deserve.
Several of our speakers from Season 1 were kind enough to supply coaching resources that will help you get unstuck and moving forward again.
We have:
An audio from Chris Widener "The Best Test"
Audios and pdf handout from Bart Baggett "The 3 Keys to Life Transformation & Manifestation"
A pdf from Rhonda Hess "The 5 Secrets to a Highly Profitable Coaching Niche"
An audio and pdf from Michelle Schubnel "7 Group Coaching Models"
A 6 audio CD program from Eric Lofholm "The Art of Time Management"
A pdf workbook from Carey Peters "Niche Starter Kit"
An audio from Pat Mussieux "7 Steps to Growing Your Own Business"
A pdf copy of Sam Carpenter's book "Work the System"
Once you have these tools and start using them, is there any reason why you cannot grow your coaching business exponentially? Even better, we will soon be adding to these free coaching resources.
If your coaching practice is not where you want it, go to www.100coachingtips.com and sign up in the optin form and you will have access to the coaching tools and resources listed above. As an added bonus, you will also get our free report "Top 3 Mistakes Struggling Coaches Are Making Everyday Which Stalls Their Career & Sends Hot Prospects Running Away"
Also, we will have a huge announcement this week that will go out to everyone on our list. You will want to hear this announcement.
