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How to Market Yourself Successfully in 10 Simple Steps

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How do you market yourself?

Marketing yourself doesn’t have to be “sleazy.” When done right, you build strong relationships with your audience – and you attract your ideal clients. 

So, today, we’ll cover the 10 easy-to-follow steps to create a powerful brand.

Ready to get started?

Let’s dive in!

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Biggest takeaways: 

  • You need a niche to market yourself – that’s the foundation for your marketing. 
  • Some of the top ways you can differentiate yourself is to ask yourself: How are you different? What is your special sauce? By answering these questions, you can stand out. 
  • There are ways to market yourself regardless of whether you’re an introvert or not. (I am and it hasn’t kept me back!)

If you prefer learning through video, take a look at this detailed walkthrough: 

1. Find your niche

Step one in marketing yourself is finding your niche.

But what exactly is a niche?

A niche is a specialized but profitable segment of the market.

Now, you might think, “Bigger market, bigger success,” right?

Not necessarily.

Beginning entrepreneurs often overlook the goldmine of focusing on a smaller, specialized segment.

So, why should you go niche? Here are three big reasons why:

  • Stand out: In a sea of generalists, being a specialist makes you the go-to person.
  • Deep insights: You know exactly who your clients are and what they need.
  • Better reach: Instead of shouting into the void, you know how to reach your target audience in the most effective way.
The benefits of picking a niche

Now you know the benefits, it’s time to find your niche.

Start by asking yourself WHO you want to help and with WHAT.

Not sure? Then this video is for you:

Finding your niche is a great start.

But to run a successful business, you also need to become an expert in your field.

Let’s tackle that next.

Quick recap: 

💡Find your niche so that you can stand out and speak to a specific audience. Understand who is willing and able to pay for your service or product to find a niche. 

2. Become an expert

Step number two is creating “top-of-mind awareness.”

This is about being the first to pop into someone’s mind when they think of a specific industry.

Consider this:

We only have space in our minds to remember one person for one specific area.

That’s why your goal is to secure that top spot in your industry right from the start.

I know this might sound intimidating at first, but here’s the thing:

Being an expert really comes down to your clients thinking you’re the best in your industry.

For many new entrepreneurs, this feels overwhelming. You might think, “I don’t have a large audience yet,” or “My brand isn’t well-known.”

But guess what?

Your audience and brand are important. But they’re not what make you unforgettable to your ideal clients.

Instead, the trick is to highlight your methodology.

How is what you offer not just good, but the best for your specific client?

Understanding and refining this is key to setting yourself apart.

It’s also super important for creating a distinctive brand, which we’ll look at next.

Quick recap: 

💡Highlight your methodology to become unforgettable for your clients and build your brand as a thought leader in your space. 

3. Create a stand-out brand

As a business owner, it’s your job to show:

  • What makes you different
  • Why people should choose you over any other business

To figure this out, answer these five questions:

  • How are you different?
  • What’s your “secret sauce”?
  • How are your values and beliefs different? 
  • How’s your audience different? 
  • How’s your offer different? 
Diagram showing the key elements that define your brand

Take my own business, for example.

I help busy and ambitious people build online businesses that replace their 9-5 incomes.

Technically, many people are offering similar services.

But here’s how I differentiate myself:

I use my own experience of having built my first business while still working a 9-5 job.

That’s why I’ll never rush you to leave your job ASAP. Instead, I help my clients set up their businesses for lasting success.

My advice is to the point and concise — perfect for busy entrepreneurs.

And the aim is to make enough money to replace your income, not just make a few hundred dollars a month.

This is what sets me apart — it’s my unique selling point.

Do you know what yours is?

In this video, I talk more about branding your business in a unique way. (The focus is on coaches and consultants, but the advice can be applied to any business.)

Know what else makes you unique?

Your weaknesses. And once you learn to transform them into strengths, they become powerful tools.

Let’s explore that next.

Quick recap: 

💡Understand what makes YOU different (your audience, secret sauce, values or beliefs). That’s your unique selling proposition. 

4. Turn your weaknesses into strengths

Step number four is my favorite:

Turning your (perceived) weaknesses into strengths.

What makes this approach so effective is that it teaches you to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset.

Instead of focusing on the negatives, you learn how to make things work for you.

Turning weaknesses into strengths

For example:

I love watching TV shows and Netflix. But I used to feel bad about it because I saw it as a lack of discipline and motivation.

After all, you rarely hear famous entrepreneurs bragging about their TV-watching habits, right?

For the longest time, I tried to quit this habit, but then I realized:

Life is too short not to enjoy what you love.

So, I started openly discussing my favorite TV shows in my content, like live streams, social media posts, and email newsletters.

And guess what?

People actually reached out to me.

They told me how much they appreciated the lessons I learned from shows like ‘The Good Place’ and ‘Billions.’ And they said they really resonated.

Why?

Because they could see that I have a life outside of my business.

In other words:

By simply being more myself, I turned a perceived weakness into a strength.

Being yourself is not just awesome life advice, though — it’s also a great business strategy.

Quick recap: 

💡Ask yourself: What parts of yourself do you perceive to be “weaknesses”? And how can you turn them into strengths? 

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5. Be yourself

For me, the goal of being an entrepreneur is to have a true freedom business.

That means being able to spend your time the way you want.

But it also means growing your business to impressive figures while always staying true to yourself.

For instance, I’m quite a private person. So, how does that work with building a personal brand?

Well, you don’t need to share your whole life story to market yourself. Instead, you can pick the parts of your story that bring your experience and background to life.

Image of a dog
For example, Falco, my dog, and Stephen, my husband, often feature in my content.

Similarly, if you’re naturally very open, you don’t need to market yourself as more mysterious or introverted.

Because the thing is:

To stay motivated enough to keep a business running, you have to be able to be yourself.

So, build your marketing strategy around you, not the other way around.

Quote by Luisa Zhou

This authenticity makes people connect with you in a deeper way. And that’s how you attract your ideal clients.

In my case, being an introverted entrepreneur with an engineering background means I naturally think deeply and systematically. I love analyzing problems and figuring out solutions.

And you know what?

My clients love that about me.

In fact, so many of them have told me that this is the exact reason why they decided to work with me or buy one of my programs, like the Employee to Entrepreneur program.

This wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t dare to be myself.

Of course, just being yourself won’t do business miracles.

You also need to deliver real value…

Quick recap: 

💡Ask yourself: What parts of yourself and your life do you want to talk about? Create a list of the things you want to talk about and those that feel too private. 

6. Offer value to serve others

The secret to success? Always lead with value — not selling.

A great way to showcase your value is by offering tasters.

I call this the “Taster Technique.”

Let’s face it:

When you start a new business, no one knows who you are yet.

That means you have to build trust and credibility ASAP.

​​This was my exact situation when I launched my first coaching business.

To tackle this, I started offering free 15 to 20-minute coaching calls — a “taste” of what I could offer.

Why give these for free?

Well, it might seem counterintuitive…but it was because I was 100% confident about the value I provided.

You see, I knew that once people experienced what I offer, they’d likely become paying clients.

So, at the end of each call, I’d simply ask if they’d like to keep working together.

Most times, the answer was yes.

When starting out, this method of offering free tasters helps people see the worth of your services much faster. And it’s a technique that works well for other types of businesses too.

A flowchart showing the steps from offering a free taster to gaining new clients

With that in mind, how do you find these people to offer your tasters to?

Start by tapping into your network.

Quick recap: 

💡Offer value upfront by offering a taster of your services. On the call, you can ask people if they want to talk more about working with you.

7. Tap into your network

One of the most straightforward ways to market yourself is by tapping into your network.

And no, that doesn’t mean bombarding your friends and family with sales pitches.

Take my student Emily Liou from Cultivitae, for instance. She got her first clients by posting on LinkedIn and letting her contacts know she was venturing into career coaching.

My student Emily went from Fortune 500 recruiter to top career coach

Besides your current network, here are some other ways you can expand your reach:

  • Pitch guest posts: Share your insights on other blogs and tap into their readerships.
  • Appear on podcasts: By picking relevant podcasts, you can reach more potential clients. It allows you to build trust and establish credibility instantly.
  • Visit specific events: The #1 mistake? Showing up where your audience isn’t. Instead, choose events where your potential clients are.

Remember, it’s never just about selling. Rather, it’s about creating value and building relationships.

That’s how you get people to pay attention to you.

Another key part of your marketing?

Being easily found where it matters most — online.

Quick recap: 

💡Understand if there are people in your network who want to buy from you and look for ways to expand your network with strategies like podcasting or guest posting. 

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8. Have a strong online presence

Before making any commitments, potential clients will research your business.

So, what does this mean for you?

Simply put, you need to be visible online.

Here’s what a strong online presence can do for you:

  • Build trust: When potential clients can easily verify your business, trust follows.
  • Increase accessibility: It’s easier for clients to find and contact you.
  • Enhance credibility: Through reviews, testimonials, and a professional look, your business will appear more credible.
  • Expand reach: The more visible you are, the more likely new clients will discover you.

That said, building an online presence doesn’t mean you have to rush into building a website.

In fact, I didn’t set up my own website until I hit five figures in revenue.

What did I do instead?

I focused on being visible where my audience hung out, which, for me, was Facebook. I’ll delve into how I made Facebook work for me in a bit.

But for now, just keep in mind that you need at least one active platform to make yourself known.

This could be:

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • A website
  • Other social media platforms

Of course, getting featured in reputable media can also boost brand awareness and attract new clients.

Forbes feature
This Forbes feature on my business brought in so many clients!

Another awesome way to grow your visibility and credibility?

Public speaking.

Let’s cover that next.

Quick recap: 

💡Share content consistently to build your online presence. This will help you get in front of clients, build relationships, and, ultimately, get more sales. 

9. Look for speaking opportunities

Want a fast track to establish yourself as an authority in your field?

Start speaking at events.

It’s the perfect opportunity to:

  • Demonstrate your value
  • Establish credibility
  • Create connections that can turn into new clients

Finding speaking opportunities can seem challenging, but here’s a simple way to start: 

Check out local event listings on platforms like Meetup.com and identify the event organizers.

They’re the ones you’ll need to get your foot in the door.

how to find event organizers

Why am I so sure about this strategy?

Because I’ve used it myself. Despite always feeling nervous, speaking at events has proved to be a game-changer for me.

Gary V talk
I was super nervous for my talk at Gary V Live…But I did it anyway!

Not feeling ready to take the stage just yet? No worries.

It’s something you can build up to.

However, one step you shouldn’t skip in the meantime is leveraging the power of social media. 

Keep reading for more on that next.

Quick recap: 

💡Look for speaking opportunities if speaking is something you enjoy doing. It’s a quick way to get in front of people and market yourself.

10. Use social media

When I say that you shouldn’t overlook the power of social media, I don’t mean that it’s the ultimate marketing technique.

In fact, if you don’t use it correctly, it’s a big waste of time and resources. (Yes, despite the more than 5 billion active social media users worldwide…)

Remember how I spoke about leading with value and building relationships?

It’s still super important here too.

But what matters even more is picking the right platform.

You see, each social media platform attracts a different crowd.

So, figure out where your target audience is, and then show up there as well.

The three steps to connect with your audience on social media

For example:

For my first consulting business, my market research showed me that my potential clients were active in certain Facebook groups.

So, I joined them there.

By answering questions and sharing insights, I became a familiar face.

And gradually, people began to take notice. That’s how I landed my first clients.

Today, I’ve added other channels like YouTube and Instagram into the mix.

But I only did this after I’d mastered Facebook first.

This targeted approach is much more effective.

Plus, it prevents you from becoming overwhelmed by taking on too much too soon. This way, you can build a foundation for long-lasting success.

And it’s this solid foundation that’ll help you achieve the freedom to run your business on YOUR terms.

📘 Read more: How to use social media for your business

Quick recap: 

💡Use one social media platform where your audience hangs out. Share content consistently, respond to comments, and reach out to people. 

Want the 5 Money-Making Secrets

I learned while building a $10 Million+ business? (It's Free)

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Next steps

Great! You’ve learned how to market yourself.

Of course, marketing is only one part of achieving business success.

Curious about the other key elements?

Then check out my free guide where I share the 5 secrets that helped me grow my business to eight figures. 

It teaches you the exact actions you need to take to grow your business from the ground up.

Read more:

How to Finally Go from Employee to Entrepreneur

Your Online Business Checklist and Toolkit

How to Invoice Clients Professionally

How to Market Your Business without Advertising 

About Luisa Zhou

Luisa Zhou has helped thousands of students build and scale their own profitable online Freedom Business. Fun Fact: She used to work as an engineer for the Space Station and holds a B.S.E. from Princeton. Click here to learn more about Luisa.

Hope you enjoy this blog post.

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