Storytelling is one of the most powerful means that you as coaches and entrepreneurs can influence, teach and inspire. Through stories, you can forge connections and build relationships. This is important in the world of social media.
Social media isn’t what it used to be anymore. The landscape has completely changed and it has gone to a whole new level. It’s no longer about the beautiful, highly edited photo that you share or the number of followers that you have. It’s now an intimate relationship online.
Let me share my story with you about the later half of my adult life and how I got into the coaching space and social media management.
I found my passion at a really young age. I must thank my mum for this because for any 16-year-old, we just want to bum around and hang out with friends and do nothing productive at all.
My mum said to me that I should get a part-time job and stop bumming around. Instead of a part-time job, I took up a new class at the local nail salon where I get my manicure and pedicure done. Yep, from a customer to a student and realised that I really enjoy doing nails. It was at that point in my life that I already knew that I wanted a salon on my own.
I was studying Multimedia Business Marketing at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. The passion inside me was just erupting and burning so I told my parents that I needed to get more experience. I wanted to take another course and work part-time but they were against it because my studies are important.
Coming from an Asian background, my parents grew up with the belief system that graduating from university is a non-negotiable, and it must be done. My brother graduated from university, and they expected the same from me.
Me being me, I don’t usually settle with “No Kelly, you can’t do this”. I’m not the kind of person who backs off and takes no for an answer. The passion is just boiling in me and I really wanted to learn more about nails. I struck a deal with them and little did I know that back then I had some great negotiation skills.
The deal was that I will continue with university and do beauty school part-time but I have to keep up with my grades and promise to graduate. I did graduate from both university and beauty school and the rest was history.
Fast forward, after graduating, I started my own business and own a nail salon (visualisation and focus is powerful and key to living the dream). It was a multi-award-winning salon because of the unique experience and gaining brand recognition through the power of social media and word of mouth referrals which is by far still the strongest marketing tool for any business.
I then expanded into having a waxing salon and a wax supply distributor. Everything was just rainbows and butterflies, a six-figure business but was burnt out, majorly burnt out.
To cut the long story short, I found a problem that most business owners spend a lot of time on, which is marketing, particularly in creating content and attracting the right clients. That is how I got into the space of coaching and helping entrepreneurs with done for you content.
If you want to hear the longer version of this, you’ll be able to find it on the first episode of my podcast.
I do have more stories to share like why I moved to Melbourne, how I cope with being a mom and an entrepreneur at the same time, the struggles, the wins, the lows but I’ll keep these for another time.
With the story that I’ve just shared with you, how did you really feel?
- Did you enjoy my story? Did you feel more connected to me?
- Did you feel inspired?
- Did I share anything that taught you something like the mistakes I made in the business and what not to do?
I’m sure one of those hit home for you.
The reasons why you need to share your story is to build trust. This is a strategy where you take your ideal client on a journey. Whatever stage you are in the business, you will need to consider using this strategy, because there are always going to be new audiences. With every new follower that you have, they start from the beginning.
Let’s start off with the Know stage. This is basically the brand awareness part of your business, your ideal clients need to know that you exist. By telling them your story, they get to know who you are, and how you can help them. Here’s the thing, you don’t only tell it once, you have to keep sharing it in different ways.
The second part is the Like stage. Do your ideal clients like you? You don’t have to try so hard for your ideal client to like you. Just let your personality shine, be authentic and you will magnetise or attract aligned clients.
You definitely need to remember this, not everyone’s going to like you and that is okay. You only need to focus on those who like you, they need to be drawn to you like a special connection.
Once your ideal client is at this stage, then this is the part where you build and foster that relationship. The social media landscape has completely changed. It is now all about human connections and relationships.
The last stage is trust. In order to sell what you’re offering, whether it is a group coaching or a 1:1 coaching, the sales only happen when they trust you.
It will take a while before you get to this stage. It’s a process that you can’t rush. This is an energy exchange – can they trust you that you’ll be able to help provide a transformation? Can they trust you with their problems?
There are so many areas when it comes to trust depending on what you’re coaching or what your course is about. Sometimes the personal problems can come in and they need to trust you with the information so you can help them.
Most importantly, your ideal client is taken through a journey that feels right, safe, and a vibrational match to you. Now is the time for you to tap into the power of storytelling. Go share your story, be vulnerable, be authentic, and just be you.
Start creating that content and you can do it in different forms on social media. Like on Instagram, you can tell your story or do it on Live or Reels. You can write a blog post, record a video to share on YouTube or even record audio for your podcasts whichever that you are comfortable with.
I want you to remember this, you have the power to change lives with your story. Go be super!
P.S.: Need some guidance and clarity on content for your business. I have a mini coaching 1:1 session – SUPER 60, a 60 minutes deep-dive strategy session for your business. Schedule a call now – https://calendly.com/kellytan/60min
