One of the biggest challenges of marketing your programs and services is the behind-the-scenes sales, squeeze, landing and splash pages if you're a coach, trainer or consultant. Yes, it's great to have a team of qualified people working to help make it happen.

What do you do if you're doing it yourself?

You look for the hottest marketing tools to simply the process so you can be really productive.  You want your marketing tool to help you:

• Design compelling sales campaigns to showcase your coaching program.
• Easily attract ideal clients to your website with color and splash.
• Incorporate videos to make your marketing campaigns rock.
• Create highly attractive opt-in boxes.
• Invite website visitors to spread your message via social media with just a few simple clicks.

After years of fighting with my website trying to make it look and feel pretty despite my limited web development skills, I've discovered THE tool that makes my marketing easy-peasy!

My #1 marketing tool is Optimize Press.

I share this tool with all of my clients and colleagues.  It makes marketing easy! I love being able to add built-in buttons and homemade videos to all of my sites.  Yep, it's so easy I've licensed it on all of my sales pages. That's just for starters!

I also love the 24 hour user-friendly membership area with comprehensive how-to videos and support. It's been a wonderful addition to my marketing toolbox and I had to share it.  The developers created this powerful tool to help you look like a real pro every single time.  How kewl is that?!

What's your number one marketing tool? Let's share the wealth!

It only takes ONE ideal client to make real money. Not 10, 30 or even, 5.  One.

Unfortunately, I see coaches make a huge mistake by trying to serve far too many clients at one time.  Most of the time, the clients aren't even ideal.  You're diluting your marketing efforts by trying to be all things to all types of clients.

I think the belief is by focusing on just one ideal client, the market is somehow limited in the number of people you'll reach. You may also think speaking to just one ideal client will eliminate clients who can truly be served by your message.  That's the farthest thing from the truth!  Knowing your ONE ideal client intimately well helps you know exactly what she reads; where she goes, what she does and  how to reach her in the spaces and places. You're cooking with gas now!

Look at the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books.  The very first book was written for a broad audience.  Authors soon discovered a wider appeal in the "Chicken Soup" series by creating subsequent books for Teens, African-Americans, Grandmothers, New Mothers and more. Each book in the series was targeted to ONE specific group of ideal clients. You get the idea.

One ideal client - just one.

Focusing on ONE ideal client leverages your marketing time while honing your expertise and skills to provide exceptional service to your community of ideal clients made up of the one. That's priceless and yields HUGE benefits for the amazing people served by the programs and services you create. Get really comfortable with the group of ONEs you're serving since you're well-positioned to dig deep in the services and programs you offer to support them.

In my next post, I'll tell you how to carve out a highly profitable niche with your one ideal client.  Kewl, heh?

Who's your ONE ideal client? This is your opportunity for shameless self-promotion.

Is getting publicity hard? Hard work, yes… But not difficult.

After all, publicity is the act of relaying crafted messages to target markets with the objective of influencing them. It happens to you each day. And you do it each day, too.

In my world, it's simple to catch a glimpse of how publicity and public relations operate. No, it's not because I'm already in the PR business. My twin daughters are great examples of how PR and publicity work every day.

"Mommy, look at my picture!" And of course, not only do I look at it, but sing its praises it and tell her dad about it too.

Get it? Publicity in action.

If you don't think you're geared up for publicity for your group coaching program, how about taking a few training tips from my girls:

1. Brag a little. If you want visibility, you've got to tell your target market. Good deeds (and good work) often go unseen otherwise. When Lyra finished her stuffed toy arrangement, she needed to let us know, otherwise it would have just been a mass of stuffed animals to us.
2. Dress for your dream. Playing dress up is constantly a fun game that boosts energy and creativity. Sometimes dressing up is sufficient to get you going and feeling like you really ARE someone!
3. Be sociable. Sasha always says hi and hugs people she meets. Good PR is all in the relationships, so pick up the phone and connect. (Hugging isn't always necessary, but also nice once in a while!)
4. Silence is not golden. In our home, it often means something big is brewing and disorder is near. So don't be quiet; speak your mind, as it often gets people talking more - which adds to your visibility.
5. Sharing is not optional. We all know someone who just takes and takes and takes. And no one wants to play with a taker. Share your wisdom and ideas, and you will become known credible and receptive.

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Shannon Cherry, Publicity Expert

Shannon Cherry is the publicity/media expert for Group Coaching Mastery, and the founder of Be Heard Solutions.

Known as The Power Publicist, she helps coaches, entrepreneurs, consultants and solo professionals attract more clients and customers through the power of publicity.

For more PR and publicity tips, get the free publicity power pack at Be Heard Solutions.