There’s a lot that goes into running your training business. And knowing how to market yourself is a major part of finding success in your industry. It may feel overwhelming at first, but it is entirely possible to accelerate your training business with fresh marketing strategies when you break it down. Below is our marketing tips for your instructor-led training business.

Developing your online presence

Just because you are promoting in-person training, doesn’t mean you don’t need to have an online presence.

With social media being widely used more than ever, it is always a good idea to consider it as a tactic for your overall marketing strategy. Your social media accounts should have a mix of informative and inspiring content that is useful and enjoyable for your audience.

Many marketers don’t give enough informative content on their socials because they don’t want to give away too much for free. Remember, if you are giving quality content for free, your prospective customers are only left to think “Imagine what I could get if I paid.”

For your social media strategy, make sure your key messages are consistent. End your posts with a “call to action” such as:

• Book your free 30-minute discovery call with me to learn how I can help you meet your goals.
• Call today to learn more (#).
• Learn more on our website (LINK).
  
  

Still not sure what to write in your posts? Consider how you can relate to your audience. What emotions could you portray that will resonate with them? And what problems or challenges are they facing that your training services will help them resolve? Make sure you’re posting consistently on your social media platform to increase credibility and manage a strong reputation.

Developing an online presence for your business also means performing a complete site audit to ensure your current online presence is as you’d like it to be. Ensure you can easily be found on the top search engines by maintaining strong Search Engine Optimization and considering running ads.

Know what makes you different

Everyone is different, and what you have to offer is exactly what someone needs.

Presenting your brand in an authentic way will make you stand out and draw in people who can truly benefit from your services. To do this, you should find and establish your niche.

If your market is people looking to receive training services, your niche could be what your training specialty is. Perhaps it’s sales, marketing, communication, team building etc.

If you aren’t sure what your niche is, below are some questions that may help you uncover it:

• What topics are you most passionate about training in?
• What problems are challenges are you most often helping your clients solve?
• What makes you different from your competitors (in services, approach, etc.)?

The ways in which you can differentiate from your competitors are also referred to as your Unique Selling Point. Knowing your niche is knowing your value, and it will make marketing and communicating what you offer easier and more genuine.

Print Marketing

Flyers, handouts, and booklets can be extremely effective when employed properly. Print marketing, while more traditional, can still be very effective. When conducting in-person training, you have a particularly exciting opportunity to leverage print marketing.

Your print marketing can be demonstrated in a number of ways. Flyers for your training sessions can promote and build excitement. Your materials for your training session are also an opportunity to market yourself through print. Whether it is activities, PowerPoint slides, or any handouts, customizing them to your brand will make you stand out.

Our Self-Publishing Library is another way to distribute informative and substantial print marketing materials. Be ready to impress at your next training session with customizable books that match our Soft Skills Library. We provide everything print-ready, simply insert your name as the author, add your edits/anecdotes to make it your own, and complete the About the Author section.

Remember, print marketing is like the cherry on top of the sundae of your marketing, it is nice to have and is nice to look at, but should be a supplement to the rest of your marketing strategy, not the sole strategy.

Promote a consistent brand image

Brand image is what makes you memorable. It’s that distinct font, iconic color, or that clever slogan or jingle that gets stuck in your head all day.

Consider this in the context of your organization’s training. What words or emotions do you want your brand to be associated with for its public?

Trust? Reliability? Value? There’s no wrong answer, but it is an answer you should know, and keep consistent through all aspects of your organization, including your training.

With that being said, it’s safe to say branding is a crucial part of how your organization is perceived both internally and externally.

When managing and running a brand, consistency is key. Consistent branding throughout all aspects of your business demonstrates your reliability and ensures that everyone remembers you. Use your logo and design elements consistently and provide access to employees, if applicable.

The best way to maintain a consistent brand, whether it is just you or a group of employees managing it, is to develop brand guidelines. Brand guidelines are a document that provides a comprehensive structure of everything your brand encompasses, from design to communication style to brand story. You can learn more about developing brand guidelines in one of our recent blog posts.

When it comes to keeping a consistent brand, preparation and planning is key. The more work you do initially to draft out your brand the less you will have to make up as you go along and risk lacking consistency.

Conclusion

We hope this guideline will help you optimize your marketing for your in-person training sessions. It all starts with knowing your brand and what you have to offer. Authentically showcasing your brand allows you to reach the market that needs you the most.

What tips do you want to hear from us next? Let us know in the comments!

Posted by Katelyn Roy on May 26, 2022