As more people join the pool of 2.8 billion estimated buyers online, learning digital marketing skills is more important than ever.
Even physical businesses are starting to build their digital presence. In summary, this is the best time to carve out a space for yourself as a digital marketing coach. This guide will walk you through what you need to know to start.
In this article, you’ll learn the following:
- What is a digital marketing coach?
- How to start a digital marketing coaching business
- How much do digital marketing coaches charge per session?
- Digital marketing coach vs. business coach
- Digital marketing coaching certifications
What is a Digital Marketing Coach?
A digital marketing coach guides business owners to develop and implement online marketing strategies to grow their brands.
Digital marketing is a field that comprises various marketing skills and niches. Thus, as a coaching expert, you can be a full-service digital marketing coach or specialize in one or more of these areas:
Content Marketing
This area involves creating and distributing high-quality content, such as blog posts or videos. The purpose is to attract and convert specific audiences on:
- Social media
- Search engines (via Search Engine Optimization, or SEO)
- Other marketing platforms
Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing is the use of social platforms such as Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn to:
- Promote content and offers
- Increase social engagement
- Get more leads and customers
For example, Jasmin Alić coaches his clients on how to use LinkedIn specifically for business.
Email Marketing
Email Marketing involves the use of lead magnet opt-ins and regular newsletter email campaigns to take leads through:
- Nurturing
- Segmentation
- Qualification
- Conversion
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Through SEM, a brand can improve its visibility and conversions on the search engine results page. This can be done through search engine optimization (SEO) or paid ads.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing involves becoming an affiliate partner with a brand. You refer people to a product and earn commissions whenever they buy through your links. With the global affiliate marketing industry valued at over $20 billion and projected to grow to nearly $40 billion by 2031, it has become a lucrative revenue stream for digital marketers and online coaches.
Affiliate management software helps you monitor your referrals and commissions more effectively.
While they can offer any or some of the specialized services above, they’re sometimes simply called online marketing coaches.
Pro tip: If you want to create your own beautiful digital marketing coaching website, try Paperbell for free to get scheduling, payments, messaging, and more built right into your branded site.
How to Start a Digital Marketing Coaching Business
Getting started as a digital marketing coach shouldn’t be a complicated process. Here’s how you can start in 6 steps:
1. Define Your Niche
Digital marketing is extensive and crowded. So, consider choosing a coaching niche to quickly stand out and position yourself as a go-to expert.
Identify your area of expertise or interest and pick a niche.
- Are you skilled or experienced in SEO, social media, or content marketing? Are you interested in the niche?
- You can also niche by “target market.” Determine who you want to serve. Will they be other coaches, small businesses, agencies, freelancers, or large businesses?
Then, assess the market demand. It’s better to choose a niche with high demand and low competition. However, your final choice, regardless of competitiveness, should be based on what you want.
2. Develop Your Skill Set
The digital marketing industry lives on trends, new technologies, and the latest products. To stay relevant, you have to keep up with:
- Reports
- Marketing tools
- The newest marketing trends
There’s a need for continuous learning and upskilling as a digital expert, which can be done by taking courses, attending webinars, and reading industry blogs.
Let’s take advertising coach Laurel Portié as an example. Laurel first gained advertising expertise by working for 20+ years for television studios. Now, she has a coaching membership teaching small business owners how to run Facebook ads.
But Facebook ads are known to constantly change. And Laurel makes sure to stay on top of the game. Right now, she’s running a series of workshops to teach her membership students about the Andromeda update.
Not everyone gets to work for a television studio for over 20 years like Laurel. To gain practical experience, you can work on your projects and volunteer for non-profits or businesses that fit your target client avatar.
3. Create a Business Plan
Building a successful coaching career requires a well-thought-out business plan. It guides your business and keeps you focused on your objectives.
Here are some tips to build an effective business plan:
- Clearly define your brand mission
- Establish long- and short-term goals
- Build out your services and pricing structure
- Find your unique selling proposition
- Develop a marketing strategy and brand messaging
- Clarify your financial plans
Also, outline plans for creating value-driven online booklets that can serve as cornerstone content pieces in your marketing funnel.
4. Establish Your Brand Presence
As a “digital” marketing expert, establishing an online presence for your business is non-negotiable.
Create social media profiles and a professional website to establish a strong brand presence. This makes you an easy choice for your target audience.
You can also use Paperbell to launch your branded coaching website.
5. Develop Coaching Packages and Systems
Next, you must create coaching packages and frameworks so people know how to work with you. There are free coaching templates and resources to do this easily.
Provide systems to make lead generation and the client experience smooth, such as:
- Landing pages
- Scheduling and appointment tools
- Invoicing and payment options
- Contract and survey forms
- Onboarding and coaching sessions
- Note-taking features
- Instant messaging
With Paperbell, you can access all these features in one place, allowing you to run a smooth online business. Keep reading to learn more about Paperbell later in this article.
6. Market Your Services
Effective marketing and sales strategies are essential for client acquisition. You can use marketing and promotion strategies like the following to get coaching clients:
- SEO
- Blogging
- Video marketing
- Podcasting
- Email marketing
- Social media
For example, Jen Berson of Jeneration Academy coaches PR pros to get their clients placed on podcasts and other media opportunities.
You can also join niche forums and communities, attend industry events, and collaborate with professionals to connect with potential clients and referrals.
How Much Do Digital Marketing Coaches Charge Per Session?
Your coaching fees as a digital marketing expert can vary widely based on your niche, experience, location, timeline, and deliverables.
Here’s a ballpark of what other experts charge:
- Beginners typically charge about $100-$150 per hour for virtual coaching
- Intermediates charge anywhere from $200 to $500 per hour (according to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the average is $272 an hour)
- Experienced coaches charge more than $500+ per hour
Some coaches also offer one-on-one mentorship programs, group coaching, memberships, and monthly retainers. This allows them to provide more support and generate consistent income.
Digital Marketing Coach vs Business Coach
Both digital marketing coaches and business coaches ultimately help clients grow their businesses. However, their focus and approach differ.
A digital marketing coach focuses on providing business owners and marketers with tools and strategies to:
- Build their online presence
- Enhance their marketing strategies
- Maximize results and the bottom line
For example, as a digital expert, you can teach a client “how to build a digital marketing strategy.”
On the other hand, business coaches specialize in giving guidance about “building a successful brand.” Their scope of work is broader and covers areas like:
- Business management
- Positioning
- Marketing
- Operations
Simply put, a business coach covers a range of topics, including online marketing. But a digital marketing coach dives deep into the specific methodologies and strategies of online marketing.
Digital Marketing Coaching Certifications
There are several digital marketing coaching certifications you can take to learn valuable skills and build your credibility as an online expert.
While a few are paid, many programs by reputable brands are free of charge. Here are ten digital marketing programs and certifications to try:
Free:
- Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Course by Google teaches you how to build online stores and attract customers through digital channels.
- Digital Marketing Certification Course by HubSpot Academy shows you how to develop a human-centered content strategy to grow your business.
- Content Marketing Courses & Certifications by Semrush offers tips on how to build effective marketing and content creation skills.
- Digital Marketing Course by LinkedIn Learning teaches you the skills to become a digital expert.
- Content Marketing Course by Ahrefs equips you with skills to create conversion-driven marketing assets.
- Advanced Content Marketing Course by Semrush provides the best content marketing and blogging strategies to grow online.
- Google Ads Certifications by Google Skillshop is a compilation of courses to teach you everything about Google ads.
- SEO Course Library by Semrush includes courses to improve your visibility and organic traffic through SEO.
- Email Marketing Course by HubSpot Academy teaches you the best practices for creating emails that convert.
Paid:
- Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate by Hootsuite will allow you to grow your brand on social media. It’s available for subscribers of LinkedIn Premium, which costs $20 per month.
- Digital Marketing Institute offers several paid certifications, such as Digital Marketing Essentials, AI for Business & Marketing, and many more.
- Transformation Academy offers low-cost certifications such as Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and a Business Coach Certification.
How to Use Paperbell as a Digital Marketing Coach
Paperbell is specifically designed to help coaches, including digital marketing coaches, run their businesses on a single platform. It includes everything you need to run your digital marketing coaching business without juggling multiple tools.
Here’s how to get started:
- Create your coaching packages. Build packages that match how you actually work with clients. Offer 12-week programs, 6-month intensives, or ongoing monthly retainers. You can add multiple appointment types with different lengths to each package.
- Set up your pricing. When you create your package, you can choose how clients will pay: full payment upfront, payment plans, deposits, or monthly subscriptions. Clients enter their card details once and get charged automatically.
- Customize your availability. Set general availability and specific times for different session types. Add automatic buffers between appointments. Limit how far in advance clients can book. It’s your schedule, the way you want it.
- Launch your professional website. Paperbell creates a branded coaching website for you automatically once you have at least one package. Customize your colors, add your bio and headshot, and showcase all your packages. Each package gets its own landing page, too.
- Add contracts and intake forms. Upload your PDF coaching contract, and clients can sign it during booking. Create unlimited intake forms to gather information about clients’ marketing goals and challenges before your first session.
- Deliver resources and communicate. Share valuable coaching materials like:
- Marketing templates and strategy worksheets
- Content calendars and planning tools
- Video trainings and digital downloads
- Set up automated emails to remind clients to book sessions, send homework, or provide accountability check-ins. Clients access everything through their dedicated client portal.
It’s that simple. You set everything up once, then you can start marketing your business and onboarding clients ASAP.
Become a Digital Marketing Coach
Becoming a digital marketing coach allows you to help other professionals with the marketing essentials they need to succeed in the digital space. Now you’re fully equipped to start your new career in this niche.
By using Paperbell to create a website integrated with streamlined systems for your business, you can improve your conversions, make sales, provide a positive client experience, and secure customer retention.
Start your Paperbell account today to launch your free website.
FAQs About Digital Marketing Coach
What does a digital marketing coach do?
A digital marketing coach guides business owners to develop and implement online marketing strategies to grow their brands. They can be full-service coaches or specialize in areas like content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, search engine marketing, or affiliate marketing.
How much does a marketing coach cost?
Digital marketing coaching fees vary based on niche, experience, location, timeline, and deliverables. Beginners typically charge $100-$150 per hour, intermediates charge $200-$500 per hour, and experienced coaches charge $500+ per hour.
How to become a digital marketing coach?
To become a digital marketing coach, define your niche, develop your skill set through courses and practical experience, create a business plan, establish your brand presence online, develop coaching packages and systems, and market your services through SEO, blogging, social media, and networking.
What tools do digital marketing coaches use?
Digital marketing coaches use client management systems like Paperbell that provide a coaching site, scheduling and appointment tools, payments, contract and survey forms, onboarding features, note-taking, and instant messaging.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in May 2024 and has since been updated for accuracy.
