Email Marketing, Networking, Instagram Reels, TikTok, Live Video, and the list goes on and on…
Needless to say, marketing for life coaches can be totally overwhelming. And overwhelm often leads to not taking action. The end result? No marketing = No revenue.
Marketing is essential for any business…especially if you want to build a successful life coaching business. In most cases, you don’t have a brick-and-mortar business that potential customers walk in and out of every day. So, let’s dig into how to market your life coaching business to find your ideal clients.
Define Your Coaching Niche
First things first. Before you start or continue marketing your online coaching business, it’s critical that you define your niche. Why? Narrowing down your niche will clearly define your area of expertise, which will determine who you serve.
When using any type of marketing, if you aren’t clear on these two pieces of the puzzle, you’ll find yourself struggling to attract your ideal clients. Here are some examples of defined niches:
- A Relationship Coach who helps women get back into the dating scene after divorce.
- A Doula (Birth Coach) who provides support to first-time moms.
- An ADHD Coach who helps entrepreneurs be more productive in their businesses.
You get the point.
When you have a clear niche, the marketing becomes LESS overwhelming.
Talk To Your Customers
Once you decide the segment of society you want to target with your offering, you need to get out there and talk to those target clients so you can fully understand their needs.
Why? Because when you understand the pain points and needs of your ideal clients, you’ll be able to speak directly to the right clients with your marketing messaging and methods.
How? By conducting some customer interviews with people you think are in your target audience. Ask them open-ended questions about why they would hire a life coach and how they would choose one. Asking this type of question instead of questions that you know will give you the answer you want, will give you more unbiased answers and more accurate insights.
You may be wondering where you can find your target audience to talk to. Think about where they hang out, are they on social media, do they contribute to forums or attend real-life events? Once you know where your target audience is present, you can work on approaching them and asking them the right questions.
If you do this before you start to put together your life coach marketing plan, you will have a head start with understanding which tactics to use. You don’t need to try tons of different tactics in the hope they’ll stick; you will be more likely to make informed decisions about how to get in front of your prospective clients.
Should You Offer Free Coaching Sessions?
While trying to figure out life coaching marketing, maybe, like many life coaches out there, you toyed with the idea of offering free sessions.
While there’s no right or wrong answer to this question, here are a couple of suggestions that will help you no matter what you decide.
If you want to offer free coaching calls or sessions, consider limiting this to a few clients. For example, you could offer a few one-time free sessions in exchange for testimonials. If the clients are delighted at the end of this session, they may want to work with you long-term. At the very least, you’ll have a few testimonials to use as social proof of your work.
If you already have testimonials, consider offering value through free coaching tools and content. This content can be delivered through regular live or pre-recorded videos, podcast episodes, blog articles, or social media posts (more on this later).
Life Coach Marketing Strategies: First Step
Now, it’s time to start attracting your dream life-coaching clients. The first step? Start and grow your email list. Why? This list belongs to you ~ not Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or any other platform.
Building a list of email addresses is valuable because no matter what happens on social media, you’ll still be able to connect with your audience.
Still not convinced? Here’s an interesting stat: According to one study, email generates $38 for every $1 spent, which is a whopping 3,800% ROI!
So, how do you start a list? First, it’s best to decide on something free you want to offer in exchange for your subscriber’s name and email address. It can be something as simple as an invitation to join your newsletter. For example, “Join my newsletter to get my best tips on launching an online course that I only send to my subscribers.”
Or, if you want to kick it up a notch, offer them something of specific value, otherwise known as a lead generation magnet. A lead magnet can come in a variety of forms, such as a PDF, video series, challenge, quiz, or an e-book. If you’re starting out, I would suggest starting with a downloadable PDF. It’s the easiest way to create a lead magnet.
Not sure what to create? Here are a few examples from business coaches attracting clients to jumpstart your inspiration:
- Facebook Ads Checklist: 7 Essential Steps to Facebook Ads That Convert
- Five Simple Steps to Create the Ultimate Free Offer
- From Dream to Launch: 10 Steps + Must-Have Tools to Launch Your Online Business
The bottom line is, you want to create something that will give your prospective clients a taste of your expertise. Think of your lead magnet as the appetizer before the meal (your paid offer). They will love your content so much that your appealing coaching program is a no-brainer.
Marketing For Life Coaches: The Tools You’ll Need
Next, you’ll need to set up tools to capture your subscriber’s name and email address and deliver the lead magnet. This can be done by creating a simple landing page in your email service provider or on a single web page. If you need some recommendations on these systems, download this free tech tool guide, here.
You can also use Paperbell to build your email list. Let’s say you want to build a list of potential 1:1 coaching clients. If you start with a free discovery call, you’ll need to set up a free package with a landing page and your availability.
Once these steps are complete, you can use Zapier to connect Paperbell with your email service provider. This setup will allow your subscribers to enter their information in Paperbell, send the data to your email service provider, and deliver the lead magnet.
After everything is set up, you’ll be provided with a link to access your offer. Now you can start sharing your lead magnet online.
Here are some examples of where you can add the link to your lead magnet:
- Your life coaching website homepage header
- Website entry & exit pop-ups
- Blog post sidebars
- Email signature
Doing this will allow your target audience several opportunities to sign up for your freebie.
Marketing Ideas for Life Coaches
Next, let’s talk about some specific ideas for growing your coaching business. One of the most effective ways to do this is by using organic strategies first. Starting here will help you validate if you’ve created the right offer for your audience. This is important because if you invest money in paid ads with the wrong offer, it will cause you to waste a lot of time and money. Starting with organic marketing will pay off in the long run and help you stop wasting money on paid advertising.
Here are some great ways to organically market your Life Coaching business:
Podcast Interviews
Needless to say, podcasts have exploded in popularity over the last few years. According to one stat, podcast listeners have grown 37.5% in 3 years. So, now is a great time to start pitching yourself to be a guest on podcasts. There are podcasts in every industry. Seriously, you can find something for every interest: business, relationships, health, fitness, finances, marketing, yoga, mindset, and there are even podcasts for kids!
One of the biggest advantages to being a guest on a podcast, is that the host will market the episode. This is the perfect opportunity to tell their listeners about your lead magnet, build your email list, and promote your coaching programs. Your host already has a credible audience so you will be able to attract high-quality leads.
Virtual Summits
Got a knack for speaking on virtual stages? If so, giving a talk at a Virtual Summit is another great tool for life coach marketing. Similar to podcasts, there are virtual summits in a variety of industries. There are also a number of opportunities that can come from speaking at a virtual summit. Not only do you make the right connections, but it gives you a chance to get your name and expertise out there.
Another way to make the most of virtual summits is by creating a QR code for your lead generation form and displaying it at the end of your presentation. This way, the audience who was inspired by you will be able to connect with you after the event.
Exposure to Other People’s Audiences
Virtual summits tend to focus on a specific industry. For example, a Marriage Summit will likely have many speakers who are experts in marriage, parenting, sex, communication, finances, and more. So if your life coaching business serves this audience, you’ll have a chance to showcase your expertise to a virtual room full of your ideal clients.
Connect with Collaboration Partners
Another benefit is, you’ll likely connect with the host and other speakers. Virtual summits usually have a central location where all the speakers can connect, as well as get support throughout the event. Leverage this opportunity, to partner with other experts who are serving your audience in a different way. For example, if you’re a Marriage Coach, you may partner with a Sex Coach for couples. This could lead to other speaker opportunities or regular referral of clients.
Establish Your Credibility
No matter what the industry, Virtual Summits normally have big names to attract a larger audience. Not a big name yet? Don’t worry. Being featured as a speaker at an event with big names in your industry will help you establish credibility. Credibility will help you to be seen as a trustworthy authority, which often leads to attracting more clients.
Guest Blog Posts
Have a knack for writing? Don’t discount your passion for putting pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard). Guest blogging is a great way to market your coaching business. Did you know that as of 2020, 77% of internet users read blogs? And there are 600 million blogs online today.
There are countless bloggers looking for writers to contribute to their content. For instance, if you’re a fitness coach, you could write a guest blog article for a blog on women’s health. Or, if you’re a parenting coach, there are mom blogs looking for experts to share their knowledge on parenting tips, like how to boost your child’s self-esteem, teaching social skills, and effective discipline.
Established blogs tend to have a high volume of traffic, which equals more exposure for you when your potential new clients conduct a Google search in your niche. Best of all? In most cases, you can link back to your website, where readers can sign up for your lead magnet or inquire about your coaching programs. Don’t skip guest blogging as part of your life coach marketing strategy.
Networking as a Strategy
With social media being so popular, other marketing strategies get lost in the shuffle. Let’s discuss simple ways you can leverage networking to attract clients.
Facebook Groups
Did you know that you can leverage social media to find a network interested in your life coaching business?
Similar to Podcasts and Virtual Summits, there are a number of Facebook groups that create a community for a variety of audiences. As you engage with others in the group, you’ll likely find yourself getting to know other coaches and potential clients.
One of the things that can come out of this type of virtual networking is collaboration. For example, if you’re a Business Coach and you have clients who also need help with marketing. In this situation, you may decide to partner with a Marketing Coach to create a special offer for your clients. Another alternative is to simply be a referral source for one another. And obviously, it’s a great way to connect with your potential clients. However, be sure to honor the rules of the Facebook group.
Events
Networking events are a great addition to your life coach marketing strategy as well. Even if you’re not a speaker, you can still network with other event attendees. During in-person industry events, there are times when you can connect with others who are going to the same breakout sessions or networking parties.
You can also do this virtually. While attending a virtual event, you may have the opportunity to break out into a “Zoom room” to take part in speed networking sessions with other attendees. One thing is for sure, whether virtual or in-person, events create a variety of possibilities to share what you do and who you serve.
Building a professional network is a surefire way to develop relationships, attract new clients consistently.
Cowork Spaces
Cowork spaces have been around since 2005, yet in the last couple of years, more and more people are catching on to the concept of coworking. Coworking is an arrangement where different businesses share the same office space. It’s a modern take on utilizing commercial real estate at a fraction of the cost.
In recent years, more and more coaches are taking advantage of coworking. Not only do they provide you with the opportunity to meet local clients or host events, but you can also network with other business owners. Many coworking spaces host events for business owners to network and get to know each other. This creates opportunities to form collaborations or book clients.
It’s also a great way to make social connections; being a life coach can sometimes be lonely, especially if you work at home alone all the time. Maximize the use of your local coworking spaces not only as part of your life coach advertising but to make friends too!
Life Coach Marketing Strategies: Social Media
Now on to the part you’ve probably been waiting for…how to market your business on social media. As you know, there are several social media marketing platforms to choose from: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and Clubhouse.
While it may be tempting to jump on every social media platform available, consider starting with social media presence on just one platform.
How to Choose the Right Social Media Platform
When choosing which social media profile to build first, ask yourself this question: Where is my audience hanging out? Say you serve stay-at-home moms. One platform you may want to consider is Pinterest. As of 2020, about 80% of women ages 18-64 with children are Pinners.
Another example might be if your business serves millennials. If that’s the case, you may want to start your life coach marketing efforts on Instagram as more than half of their user population is age 34 or younger.
Play to Your Strengths
Life coach marketing is all about playing to your strengths. Once you know where your audience is hanging out, think about the best way you create content. In other words, if you crush it on video, then choose a platform that specializes in video content. Are you an excellent writer? If so, you may start with a platform where you can create more written posts. In this last example, Clubhouse wouldn’t be the right fit for you.
Serve Then Sell
When creating content, add value with helpful tips, resources, and inspirational stories that speak to your audience’s pain points and goals. This will help you avoid overselling to your audience (which can be a turn off).
The 80/20 rule is a good place to start: 80% of your content should be helpful, and the remaining 20% will be an offer of some sort. Your offer could be a lead magnet, a free discovery call, or even a paid offer. Your aim should be to always serve high-quality content that your prospects find useful. This will help you build trust and rapport with them and they will think of you in the future when they’re looking for engaging content in your niche.
Be Consistent
No matter what social media marketing platform you start with, this is the most important takeaway of all…be consistent. Without consistency, your audience won’t experience your brilliance or feel compelled to work with you.
To increase your chances of being consistent, develop a system to create and post your content. One way to do this, is to block off a day to create next month’s content. And after posting, block off 30 minutes to an hour a day to engage with your audience. The key to a successful coaching business is to keep showing up. Be active and present on social media, answer client questions and comments to show you care and are engaged with them.
Final Thoughts on Life Coach Marketing
As you embark on this journey of marketing your coaching business, remember to give yourself some grace. There may be times when you feel it’s not working.
When this happens, don’t beat yourself up or throw in the towel. You may need to take a short break and then get back on track. Pushing yourself too hard often doesn’t lead to more results.
If you find yourself feeling fearful to put yourself out there, one tip that’s always helpful is shifting your focus from those fears to the impact you’re going to have on your clients. Marketing for life coaches isn’t a linear process and there will be an element of experimentation involved.
Hopefully, this post has given you some inspiration for some life coaching advertising ideas. And if you’re looking to uplevel your coaching business, check out Paperbell, the best online life coaching software.
