Dear Reader,

When I first dipped my toes into the world of online business, I felt like I’d accidentally walked into someone else’s staff meeting.

People were throwing around words like “lead magnet,” “conversion copy,” “tripwire,” and “evergreen funnel”… and I just wanted to figure out how to get my first student.

Sound familiar?

It’s a little ironic, right? Education has its own alphabet soup (IEPs, RTI, PLCs), and now here we are again — learning a new language just to follow the conversation.

But here's the thing: You don't need to speak fluent "marketing" to start your private teaching practice.
You just need to understand a few key terms — and how to use them in real life.

So let’s break down some of the most common ones I wish someone had explained in plain English:

ICA: Ideal Client Avatar​
If you want to teach the littles, you'll have two of these. One is your ideal student and the other is your ideal parent. Make these as real as possible, even modeling them after people you actually know. These are the people ALL of your marketing should speak to and about.

VOC Analysis: Voice of Client/Customer Analysis​
Have old thank-you cards, parent emails, or testimonials? Toss them into a Google Doc and ask ChatGPT (or your AI of choice) to analyze them. You’ll discover the exact words your people use to describe their struggles, wins, and love for working with you — and those words are marketing gold.

Hook​
Whether you're using social media, email marketing, or flyers, you need a "Hook". This is a short statement or question that calls out your ICA and makes them want to learn more. No matter how great your content is, without a hook, it's not likely to get noticed.

CTA: Call to Action​
Again, this is most often referring to social media, but I find it also works with "old school" marketing like email and flyers. Your CTA tells your ICA exactly what you want them to do with the information they just received. Examples: Follow, Comment, Scan, Reply, Schedule, etc. Don't overthink this. It should be the next easiest thing for them to do after seeing your content.

Funnel (aka Client Journey)​
You should have a plan for your ICA to help them move from awareness that you and your business exist to becoming a paying client. With each step in the funnel/journey, your ICA chooses to interact with you and content more and more. You create a clear path for them, but your ICA chooses if and how far to go on the path.

Example: Social media → Follows you → Comments → Subscribes to your newsletter → Books a free call → Becomes a client.

Lead Magnet​
This is your "freebie" — the thing you offer in exchange for someone’s email address. It could be a downloadable PDF, a short YouTube video, a checklist, or even a mini-lesson. The key? It solves a real problem for your ICA right now. Think of it as a sample of your teaching style and approach — like a taste test that makes them want more.

Conversion Copy​
This just means words (aka "Copy") that help someone make a decision — ideally, to work with you! It’s not about being slick or salesy. It’s about being clear, specific, and aligned with your ICA’s needs and values. Good conversion copy sounds like you, makes your offer feel safe and doable, and includes a clear next step (aka your CTA).

I know it can feel like a lot — especially when you're already learning how to run a business, teach well, and navigating the rest of your life. But this gets easier. And you don’t have to do it alone or all at once.

Just one new term, one new tool, one next right step at a time.

And I’ll be right here, translating as we go. 😊

Best wishes always,
Rachel

PS: Did I miss a term that’s been driving you nuts? Reply to this email and let me know what jargon you want me to break down next — I’ll include it in my next blog post!I

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