Social Media Marketing for Coaches: 7 Strategies to Success

It’s no longer breaking news, but we’re going to say it anyway: If you’re not making use of social media to find clients for your coaching business, you’re missing out massively. 

Pretty much every online coach and business owner in this day & age has an online presence. Not because it is something ‘good to have’, but because it is an essential component of building and growing a business. Social media is not just meant for funny cat-face filters or dancing on trending TikTok audio anymore – it is an active component for almost every online as well as offline business to spread the word about what they do and it operates as a medium for lead generation & sales. 

According to Statista, there are 420 billion active users on social media. And brands that have a social media presence are said to experience an 88% increase in exposure and 69% increase in leads generated! These numbers say a lot when it comes to conveying the power of what social media can do. 

Whether you are new (or even somewhat averse) to the social media game or are a seasoned user, we are sure you will find these pointers extremely valuable for your coaching business. Social media marketing for coaches is not at all complicated if you understand the basics, put in consistent effort, and stay patient! Let’s get started. 

1. Creating content: Mix it up 

It is essential that you do not restrict yourself to a single form of media, no matter how good and comfortable you are at it. If writing is your forte, consider expanding into video – especially considering that, right now, video is dominating the entire social space. And it can be vice-versa as well. If you find being in front of the camera easy, then see how you can repurpose your video content into short & long-form written pieces.  

That’s not all though. Even within one medium, do not remain restricted to one kind of format. If you’re used to doing 20-30-minute-long videos for YouTube, consider doing 30- or 60-second vertical videos for YouTube Shorts & Instagram Reels to increase your exposure. 

The idea is that different people consume content in varied manners, so think about how you can get the most out of your content by repurposing it, instead of reinventing the wheel every time. Social media marketing for coaches doesn’t need to be all serious – it can be a healthy mix of educational content, entertaining posts, interactive posts, polls, Q&A… there’s a whole buffet to choose from! 

Pro Tip: While we do advocate mixing up your form and medium of content, make sure to choose the right platform for yourself to begin with. Many entrepreneurs are known to make the rookie mistake of trying to do everything and be everywhere all at once (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, podcast…) and all that dispersed effort leads to massive burnout and very little return. 

2. Share content to add value 

When it comes to social media, another common mistake that new coaches can make is that they lead from the mindset of ‘selling’ instead of ‘providing value.’ When we say this, we don’t mean to imply that selling is bad, but that one needs to look at social media marketing for coaches as a long game. And for that, providing value is paramount.   

If you are an expert in a particular field, you are bound to have plenty of information that people will find valuable. If you’re unsure what exactly it is that your audience wants to learn from you, the solution is simple: ask them! Use the polls or Q&A feature to get a sense of what your audience wants from you and communicate that as simply as possible. This will help build trust in the eyes of your audience (if done consistently), give them the content they’re looking for, and establish you as an expert in your field. 

3. Use storytelling to connect with your audience 

While educational and informational content is going to provide immense value to your audience, the one thing that is going to tip the scales in your favour is incorporating the element of storytelling in your communication. 

Storytelling is an art. If done right, one can turn seemingly dry and bare-boned content into an inspiring tale that impacts many people. One of the laws of the business world is that people do business with those whom they know, like, and trust. And the simplest way to build this ‘know, like, and trust’ is through the art of storytelling. 

With the use of storytelling, you can not only communicate your ideas, thoughts, and opinions more interestingly, but also make your brand a lot more memorable and relatable. 

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4. Share your successes… and failures! 

Sharing testimonials and success stories of your past clients is a sure-shot way to boost trust and credibility among those who follow you and your work. So, after each coaching engagement, ensure to take feedback and testimonials from your clients (preferably on video), and feel free to spread the word.  

But one may get caught up in sharing only the highlights and successes. Life, as we all know it, is not like a carefully curated Instagram feed – it is full of ups and downs, successes & failures. And by being honest and open about your struggles and challenges, you will appear a lot more authentic and relatable to those who follow you. 

Relatability is one of the greatest secrets of selling, and sharing your vulnerabilities, every now and then, lets people know that you are just like them and acts as a stepping stone to build trust. 

5. Let data drive you 

While there is no replacement for good quality content, one thing to note and remember is that social media is a game of algorithms and numbers. The more engagement your post receives, the more the algorithm is incentivised to push your content to more people, thus giving your content more visibility and reach. 

So, as you focus on providing value to your clients by pushing out content consistently, simultaneously continue paying attention to patterns and trends about what kind of content is performing better than others, then create more of the kind. 

There is no one right way; social media marketing for life coaches is all about experimenting via trial and error. And a good way to know if your efforts are succeeding and reaching the right number and type of people, is by tracking numbers and analytics. 

Assign varied benchmarks of success for your content to ensure there is a good mix of content. Some posts may end up getting more likes, whereas others may get you more comments or saves. All of these serve your marketing efforts in different ways and also help to show you what kind of content your audience is enjoying and finding valuable, which you can use as a springboard for new ideas. 

6. Add calls to action 

Every single piece of content you create must have a clear purpose and intent. Ideally, you must know that content piece ‘A’ is meant to entertain & educate while content piece ‘B’ is meant to drive sales by converting your followers into clients.  

To ensure that is happening, consider adding a clear call-to-action to every post you make. These are the questions you can ask yourself to figure out what calls-to-action to add: 

• What is the next action step that you want your prospect to take? 
• How will this benefit them and why should they care about it? 
• Are you trying to grow your email list or get more sign-ups for your masterclass or just get more engagement & exposure? 

By adding a clear call to action to every post, it gives your followers an indication to understand how to interact with your content. Want to increase engagement & reach? Ask them to comment and tag someone. Looking to build an email list? Ask them to download a freebie resource.  

Your prospects need to know what you offer, how you can help them, and what action they need to take to help you help them. Having clarity will make it easier for them to move down the sales funnel, thus bringing you more business. 

7. Turn conversations into relationships 

One thing that a lot of marketers are realising is that building a close-knit community of select people is a far more effective way to make an impact than having a large number of followers with whom you have a one-way conversation, wherein you speak and they (hopefully) listen. Time management coach Amanda Warfield emphasizes the importance of community rather beautifully: 

By building a strong community of people with whom you engage in meaningful conversations, take feedback from, offer valuable tips and information to, and build & nurture a genuine relationship with, you can build an immensely solid brand and business that has the potential to soar to great heights! 

Sources: 

Luisa Zhou, Entrepreneur, Paperbell, Teachable 

FAQs 

1. What are the best social media channels for coaches? 

There is no one best channel for coaches. All channels are created equal. It’s all about whether or not your ideal client is hanging out there and the creative ways in which you can provide value and convert them from prospects to paying customers. 

So, if you’re contemplating a social media channel for your coaching business, first ask yourself if your ideal client is on that particular platform. For instance, the chances of a leadership coach finding prospects that fit their profile is higher on LinkedIn than on Facebook. Once you’re on the right platform then it’s all about creating a content strategy that best caters to what your prospect is looking for and providing & sharing valuable content on a consistent basis. 

2. Does social media marketing for business coaches need to be different from life coaches? 

In essence, social media marketing for coaches, no matter what kind, is similar (if not totally the same). The strategies used can be replicated across all coaches. The only thing that would need to change is the actual content of your posts as well as the tonality to match that of the kind of client you are looking to attract. 

About the author

Ipsita Nayak

Content Marketing Manager @Simply.Coach

Ipsita Nayak is a full-time writer-editor-content strategist and a part-time NLP coach & yoga teacher. She believes conventions are overrated, has a disproportionate need for solo time over social time, and loves a good mix of sci-fi and trashy TV in her free time!