Standing Out in a Saturated Market

Hey Tribe! I’m so glad you’ve chosen to check out the podcast today! Seriously, I am so grateful for each and every one of you. Sharing with you guys is an essential part of my purpose, so I am super excited to connect with you all this way!

Let’s talk for a minute about the name of my mission: Impact to Income. I am an entrepreneur who fundamentally believes that the more impact you make in this world, the more income you make as a result. “So,” you may be asking, “how can I make the maximum impact?”

Now you, reading this post, you’re probably an entrepreneur too, right? If you are — a lot of my audience tends to be — you’re probably a coach in the online space. But here’s the thing: the coaching market is supersaturated right now. And by that, I mean that there are many people doing coaching work, both online and in person. I remember a couple of years ago when I first became a nutrition coach, thinking, “Should I really do this? Should I really grow this?” And the market has only become more saturated since then. 

But here’s the thing: Although the market is saturated, it’s not necessarily competitive. That means you can still stand out, even in a saturated market. You still have something unique to offer, and you can still grow your online presence in this industry.

So how can you stand out, grow your business, and create the maximum impact for the maximum income? Here are my best tips for standing out even in a saturated market:

Be Authentic

I’m just going to come right out and start with the bottom line: If you’re going to stand out and have an impact, you are going to have to be stronger with your brand messaging. You are going to have to be stronger and more passionate and lead a little bit differently. You have to be empowered as an entrepreneur to find your intuitive strategies — which is my term for the strategies that are going to work for you, your business, and your audience.

The number one, absolute, most important way you can do that is by being authentic.

The truth is that people need you because you are you. You are the only person who has your experience, your story, your wisdom, your unique genius. There are people — potential clients — who need your expertise and coaching strategy specifically, but they’re never going to find you if you aren’t growing an authentic presence online.

I have met so many coaches who are wonderful people and fantastic at their jobs, but who make me think, “You are so awesome! Why are you not showing yourself?” And the truth is that authenticity online and on social media is a new thing, but even so, it is essential.

Clients want to connect with someone real, so make it a priority to be transparent. You guys know that I am transparent with you! I will always peel back the layers and show you the truth of what’s going on with me because that allows me to help more people and have a greater impact.

I remember last summer my husband, Pat, and I were going to go on a vacation. We were trying to get ready to go camping, and it was one of those situations where everything went wrong, and we had this massive fight. I had to take some space, so I went for a walk. And while I was out walking, I got on Instagram and shared that experience with my followers. I just honestly told them that Pat and I had a fight. I said, “You know guys, a really important lesson here is: It’s not always sunshine and rainbows. Like, shit happens. This is the reality of life.” 

And what’s so fundamental here is that people in my audience can relate to that experience of fighting with a spouse or partner, so by showing them that I’m human too, that I fight with my husband too, I become someone relatable. And people trust relatable people. So by being authentic, I was able to grow my opportunity to lead and to increase my impact.

So be open, let your uniqueness shine, and let your strengths show. Be yourself. And don’t be afraid of what that brings!

Be Vulnerable

So the next way you can grow your presence online and create a stronger branding and follower base for yourself is to be vulnerable. And I want to distinguish the difference between authenticity and vulnerability. Authenticity is about being real. It’s about presenting yourself as someone who is real and relatable to your audience.

Vulnerability takes that a step further. Vulnerability is all about being raw. It’s about connecting with people on a deep level. It’s about showing things that you genuinely and personally struggle with. Being vulnerable with people creates a real connection. 

Let me walk you through an example. I could go on Instagram and say, “Hey, Tribe! I really love Cherry Garcia! Do you?” and have people vote yes or no. That would be authentic, and it would be a fun way to connect with my audience! It’s always hilarious to have fun debates over things like that, and it helps me get to know you guys, creating some trust and relatability.

But I could also take it a step further and be a little more vulnerable. I could post about my experiences having an eating disorder and being hypersensitive about ice cream all the time. That’s a real and challenging struggle I personally have lived through. And what if I took it another step further? I could be totally candid and say, “You know, sometimes I still struggle with being my relationship with food. Do you?” Now I’ve shown a weakness I have, and that will allow me to connect with people about deep personal struggles.

It comes back to making yourself a leader people can trust. If you and your message are out there in an authentic and relatable way, people will naturally be drawn to you. You’ll have no problem finding ways to make an impact and grow your business.

Show the “You” Behind the Scenes

The final piece of advice I have for you today is this: show yourself behind the scenes. Many of our posts on social media are things like, “Here are the Top Five Tips for XYZ,” or they’re interesting infographics or useful articles, and all that is great! But it’s also essential to show the “you” that exists behind that polished front.

What do you look like behind the curtains? What does your daily routine look like? What are the mundane things you do every day? Post pictures of those things on Instagram! Tweet about them! Clients and audiences want to see more than a fully-prepared businesswoman. They want to see a real person!

If you can, and you’re comfortable with it, show your family too! If you have a partner or children, post about them! Guess what: a lot of your future clients have partners and children, and they need coaching from someone who understands what it’s like to balance a business and a family! So make sure to share your behind the scenes life with your family. Especially right now, while so many of us are quarantined at home with our families, be sure to show your followers what your life is like and how you’re continuing to grow and thrive even in the midst of a pandemic!

It all comes back to being relatable. No one is going to seek out a coach who doesn’t seem like a relatable or trustworthy person. Certainly, no one is going to pay for a coach like that! So when you aren’t showing your client base that you can be authentic, vulnerable, and a real person behind the scenes, you shrink your opportunities for impact.

But when you emphasize your struggles and present yourself as a simultaneously real and empowered businesswoman, audiences will be drawn to you. I promise they’ll show up!

Don’t Worry About The “How” if the “Why” is Great Enough

How are you going to lead? How are you going to make an impact, even in a saturated market? How are you going to change people’s lives? Because you can do that even in a saturated market.

Remember that you are you. You are you. You are the only one out there with your specific story, wisdom, intuition, strategy, motivation, and passion. If you continue growing your presence online by being authentic and vulnerable and by showing yourself behind the scenes, the right clients are sure to come to you.

And remember this: you don’t have to worry about the “how” if the “why” is great enough. If you have a strong enough passion for your work and you genuinely want to have an impact and help people change their lives and grow their own business — if your “why” for building your own business is strong enough — you’ll figure out the how. You’ll figure out what you need to do to stand out in a saturated market and continue attracting people to your business.

Okay, guys, go have fun today! Show us all who you really are, make an impact, and look forward to the income that will just flow naturally. I’ll talk to you later!