Whoot Whoot! You finally succeeded in launching your long-anticipated coaching program.
It’s finally live; your dream is about to come true.
However, have you ever thought about the process of attracting new clients and growing your business?
Ever wondered how to go from working with a few clients here and there to establishing a well-known presence with your ideal clients?
In this blog, I’ll share expert tips related to marketing for coaches. Read along as I dive into the depths of scaling a coaching business - the right way…
The Significance of Marketing for Coaches
Let’s face it: coaches - whether your focus is fitness, consulting, healthcare, etc. - are not professional marketers. However, if they want to make money they need to promote their services to solicit new clients.
Usually, some coaches try to avoid marketing themselves – either because they’re afraid or because they’ve got a big client taking all of their time and attention – and that’s where the problem lies.
It’s important to understand that when it comes to marketing for coaches it is quite different. Instead of hiring coaches, most individuals prefer to find solutions to their problems on their own.
That’s why you need to have a solid persuasion tactic to attract clients.
You must convince your audience that the problem they are facing requires the help of experienced professionals - like you. It’s essential to highlight how your unique offering will solve their problems instantly.
And, this is only possible if you adopt a marketing strategy that sets you apart from the competition.
15+ Top Tips & Strategies of Marketing for Coaches
Now that you understand the importance of marketing for coaches, it’s time to dive into the top tips on how you can advertise yourself and grow your coaching business.
1. A Website is Your First Stop
Even if it’s just a landing page, you need some online real estate that can advertise your coaching business and inform your ideal clients of the benefits and transformation – even when you’re sleeping.
Without a website, you’re forcing your clients to rely on you being available to get the information they need and potentially enroll or apply for your services. This can be a barrier.
You can hire a web developer to create a new website from scratch or you can use free website builders or templates to develop one by yourself. On this website, you’ll want to include information about your offer, the benefits, who the offer is for, pain points of your ideal clients, desires of your ideal clients, the promised transformation, your recent clients’ experiences, testimonials, pricing information, FAQs,, and a prominent call-to-action (CTA).
2. Be Active on Social Media Channels
Social media is a key strategy when it comes to digital marketing for coaches. It not only allows you the opportunity to connect with ideal clients all over the world at any time, but it allows you to establish your personal brand, and share your story, framework, and results as a way of positioning yourself and your expertise.
If you want to grow your coaching business, you must invest your social media presence and strategy as well. Almost 50% of coaches find social media to be the best way to find new clients and grow their business. So, don’t miss the opportunity.
Some top social media platforms to consider include Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, and YouTube. But just creating a profile won’t cut it. You should post regularly, engage with your community, and answer their questions or respond to them in the comments(not all of them). Show your followers you are there to help and that you’re a real person.
3. Sell Without Selling Via Content Marketing
Content marketing is a powerful form of marketing that relies on delivering information and promoting yourself without actual promotion. Confused? Well, let’s put it this way.
You write a post to answer a popular question and craft it with all your experience and stats. People find it valuable and start following you. Voila! You get a new lead and potentially a future client.
So, this form of marketing deals with answering questions that people have and showing your expertise in the niche. As a result, they acknowledge your skills and find you to be a reliable expert. Hence, it becomes an impressive form of marketing for coaches because it costs 62% less than traditional techniques and generates (approx.) 3x more leads.
4. Don’t Overlook SEO
While all the above digital marketing techniques are effective, one of the most common ways to grow your business is to appear at the top of the search results and steal the spotlight by leveraging search engine optimization (SEO).
Search Engine Optimization (or simply SEO) is the solution. Every search engine (whether it is Google or social media) ranks results according to various parameters, such as keywords, user experience, and content frequency.
Although you can consult an SEO expert, Google and Youtube are already filled with the basics about how you can improve the SEO of your website and blog content. So, adopt the techniques available and start ranking your business.
5. Advertise When Necessary
Don’t confuse advertising with marketing for coaches. Advertising is a component of marketing and is the act of promoting your business and offers through paid channels. Marketing is the activity (or mix of activities) to promote and sell a product or service.
Depending on your marketing budget, you can ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram , and/or LinkedIn that target your intended audience and create your product awareness.
This approach is not normally recommended to beginners because they don’t have a large enough marketing budget and/or don’t know enough about their ideal clients. However if you do decided to leverage paid advertising it can definitely help to answer“How do I find coaching clients?”
6. Participate in Events
It’s important to step out of the digital world and incorporate offline channels into your marketing strategy. Online marketing is important and lucrative, but it’s not the only way to establish your coaching business. Leveraging associated events or events where your ideal clients will be can be vital to the success of your business.
Do your research and look for expos, seminars, or public gatherings related to your niche. Attend these gatherings and meet with new people to increase your network.
These gatherings are perfect opportunities to meet potential prospects. But don’t just meet with them one time. The fortune is in the follow-up so be sure to connect online or via email and keep in touch to nurture the connections as potential prospects or brand ambassadors.
7. Start Vlogging
Here’s a secret that can enhance your personal brand presence like never before: Start vlogging.
YouTube might be the first thought that comes to your mind, but it goes for all social media channels. Create short clips or detailed videos and share valuable, relevant content with your audience as reels or Tik Toks. This is also a form of vlogging.
But how does it increase the importance of marketing for coaches? According to Statista, an average US adult consumes three hours of video content through digital devices (which is expected to exceed 200+ minutes by 2027). That visibility could be game changing for your business!
Hence, creating vlogs will be optimal for attracting leads and finding new coaching clients. And worry not. It doesn’t require professional equipment; your smartphone’s camera is sufficient..
8. Leverage a Lead Magnet
As you’re increasing your visibility, it’s important to have a system in place to capture those leads and begin nurturing them. A lead magnet is an excellent device that you can use in this case. Your lead magnet doesn’t have to be super complicated, it can literally be a basic coaching 30-minute coaching session, an e-book, pre-recorded masterclass training, or a quick consultation. The point is to get your ideal clients attention and provide value that addresses a problem they could be having now.
I am not not advising you to under-sell your services. Just to provide a quick solution to a problem they may be having or answer a question they may be asking using your framework.
You can see an example of my lead magnet in action by watching my free Five-Figure Sales Funnel Training:
5-Figure Sales Funnel Training
Learn the 10-step process that has helped dozens of clients automate their marketing and make more money without spending more time and becoming overwhelmed.
9. Referrals Are Your Best Friend
A rule of thumb for almost every business: turn your previous clients into brand ambassadors. It is a solid marketing tool for coaches. These clients have already experienced your genius and they’re primed to share it with their networks as a trusted source.
Don’t hesitate to ask them to spread the word or refer your services to someone in their family or friend’s circle. Since you have already delivered the “wow” result, they will usually be happy to share their transformation with friends and family.
You incentivize their referrals by offering a 10-15% commission or discount for anyone who enrolls in your program using their link. This is a very simple process that can be automated using a tool like ThriveCart or UpPromote.
10. Profitable Platforms
Let’s chat about one very common, but often overlooked method to market your business: partnership.
If your goal is to increase your visibility and to get in front of more of your ideal clients but you don’t have a large platform, Profitable Platforms are an excellent strategy. You can try collaborating with complementary organizations, small businesses, and influencers.
Partnering with a team or professional with a greater audience can really boost your coaching business. It will allow you the opportunity to get in front of a larger audience and you can leverage that opportunity to increase your email subscribers by sharing your lead magnet or low-ticket offer and asking them to sign up. I provide specific strategies on exactly how to find your profitable platforms, connect with them, and use the opportunities to grow your leads in my Profitable People Program. You can learn more and get immediate access here for only $27.
11. Focus on Community Building
While looking for new clients, many coaches tend to focus less on engaging and nurturing the people already in their community.
This is a massive mistake. You never want to compromise the relationship you have with the people who are already engaged with and learning from you. . These clients can alway become brand ambassadors and provide referrals like I mentioned above in point 9.
However, you also cannot neglect your marketing and promotion to new clients because you need to be consistently generating leads and revenue for your business. So how do you do both?
One way is to focus on community building with your current clients.. You can create a Facebook community or paid community for the clients and create a cadence for how you engage. Similarly to the Marketing Masters community that I host.
Community allows you to continue serving with boundaries while growing your lead pipeline and eliminating overwhelm. Also, if you consider a paid community it allows you the opportunity to introduce a recurring revenue model to your business.
12. Use the Power of Newsletters
You might have seen websites where a popup appears asking for email addresses in exchange for a free pdf e-book or masterclass training. This is what we talked about #8 regarding lead magnets and it’s an excellent nurture strategy.
Once you have your lead magnet squared away and you’re consistently attracting new leads into your business, the next step is to begin regularly emailing your subscribers.
Your weekly newsletters should be related to your coaching framework or the work that you do and nurture your audience to work with you. You can see examples of how my newsletters are set up by subscribing to my newsletter here.
Pro Tip: The best method is automating this process by using email marketing tools such as ConvertKit . However, don’t spam the recipients’ inbox.
Pro PRO Tip: Consider cross-publishing your newsletter on LinkedIn for additional visibility. It automatically sends to all of your followers the first time and then they can decide if they want to stay subscribed or not.
13. Consider Offline Marketing
Well, we sure have covered plenty of stuff regarding digital marketing for coaches. Let’s shift the focus to offline marketing techniques. Recall, what were the best advertising means for businesses before the internet (which is still one of the best today). Billboards, right?
If you’ve plenty of budget, invest in banners, billboards, pamphlets, television ads, print media, and many more. However, these offline marketing techniques are mass marketing channels and don’t target a specific audience group. If your target audience is quite diverse, these marketing approaches might be suitable.
14. Organize an Event/Workshop
Another method for increasing your visibility for your coaching business is to organize a workshop, conference, or virtual event. You can introduce your framework or provide actionable strategies for your ideal clients to experience a specific transformation and use that as the lead in to promoting your offer.
I leverage this kind of strategy during my annual Launch Live Show event.
15. Spread Your Word Through Podcasts
Another popular marketing strategy that is popular with coaches is podcasts.
Here, you have two options: either start a podcast channel for yourself or get featured on another podcast with a greater audience.
You can talk about the problems in your relevant industry and how you - as a coach - help clients overcome them. Sharing valuable advice and life lessons is an excellent way to intrigue listeners and establish your authority over the subject matter.
However, don’t expect an immediate jump in your subscribers as one podcast won’t be enough.
So, “How can you find coaching clients with podcasting?” You’ll want to leverage your lead magnet, and share your social media and website when the host asks “how does the audience connect with you?” I recommend having a static link on your website like yourwebsitename.com/podcast and having your lead magnet as well any introductory offers listed. You’d share this link with the podcast host so that it is embedded in the show notes.
I provide more specific strategies and instructions on how to do this in the Profitable People Program. You can enroll and get immediate access here for only $27.
16. Harness the 5P Framework for Positioning
The ordeal of branding is toilsome if you don’t answer the 5 questions of marketing for coaches. Find answers to the following points before executing any marketing strategy.
Who are your people?
Who are your ideal clients? Think about their demographics like age, relationship status, location, income, etc. But also consider their motivations, objections, and desire transformations. What are they thinking and feeling?
What is your positioning?
What do you want to be known for?
What is your process?
What are the specific steps that you have your clients walk through in order to accomplish your promised transformation?
What is your proof?
What qualifies you to serve? Where did you learn or gather the skills/expertise to serve them? Include past transformations, what past clients have said, qualitative and quantitative data to support that your framework works.
What is your promise?
At the end of working with you what will your clients have accomplished?
Bonus Tip: Create an Exceptional Premium Package
You are here to make money with your coaching business, not just create content on social. And that’s not going to happen unless you create a premium, flagship package for your clients where you promise exceptional value and deliver transformation.
You might be wondering how a premium package helps in marketing for coaches? It sets you apart and allows you to become well-known for a specific transformation. This helps you attract clients who might be experiencing the same struggles.
Some Common Mistakes Of New Coaching Entrepreneurs
Wrong Audience: Remember, not everyone will need your service. Many beginner coaches formulate their marketing plans by talking to everyone. This is the number one mistake. You must understand your audience and really know them so you can target their specific problem in your marketing.
Marketing is NOT Just Social Media: Social media is indeed an excellent marketing channel, but it’s not the only one. From SEO and paid search to influencer and offline marketing, the advertising arena continues to grow. You want to be sure that your marketing strategy is diversified.
Not Consulting Marketers: Although you are an expert in your field, you might not be familiar with the ins and outs of marketing. So, whenever the need persists, consult with a professional marketer who will help you formulate a sustainable and profitable marketing plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Where Can I Market My Coaching Business?
While you have plenty of options to market your coaching business, social media channels, such as Instagram and Facebook, will always top the list. On the other hand, forums like Quora and Reddit may also prove to be the gold mines for marketing your coaching business.
What is the Importance of Digital Marketing for Coaches?
In this digital world, businesses without an online presence are often overlooked. Even if you don’t use it to get new clients but as more of a bulletin on what’s happening in your business, it serves as social proof and is often the first place people look when deciding to work with you or not. People spend more than half of their day on the internet. So, if you don’t market your coaching business on a digital platform, you are missing out on a golden opportunity.
How do I Find Coaching Clients for the First Time?
If you’re looking for clients for the first time, consider launching a beta offer, asking for referrals, collaborating with Profitable Platforms, running ads, or just promoting consistently via social media and email. I provide specific strategies on launching your business in my program Clarity to Coins.
Final Thoughts!
Launching a coaching business is truly a challenging and exciting endeavor.
However, you also need a solid marketing plan to attract clients and keep your business growing.
If you’re facing issues with marketing your coaching business I’d love to connect with you. Or you can enroll in my coaching course - Clarity to Coins - The premier coaching program for corporate women who want to learn how to package their expertise, create their signature offer, and plan a five-figure launch in 90 days.