Want to transform your social media presence into a cost-effective marketing tool for your life coaching business?

Here’s how you can leverage your social media channels to grow your audience and attract your ideal clients.

Why Should Life Coaches Use Social Media Marketing?

Right now, 84% of consumers visit a brand’s social media page before making a purchase, with around 20% of all sales coming directly from social media links.

Organic social media, if managed by yourself, costs pretty much zilch. It can help you build an organic following online and interact with your community.

That’s why social media strategy marketing can be one of the most cost-effective ways to promote your coaching business, especially if you’re just starting out.

The traffic you generate from social media can be redirected to your coaching website, blog, podcast, or email list. Because they already know who you are, these leads will be more likely to trust you and book a discovery call with you down the road.

[ Read: Get Leads From Your Coaching Blog: How to Create a Simple Funnel That Works Around the Clock ] 

Social media platforms are designed to grow a relationship with your followers instead of just info-dumping them, which is essential in this business.

Now, let’s look into how you can maximize the results of your social media efforts.

First, Figure Out Where Your Audience Hangs Out

The key to a successful social media strategy is knowing whom you’re speaking to and where to reach them. Different social media platforms will work for different coaches.

If you’re a career coach for women 40 years and up, it wouldn’t make sense to build your social media presence on TikTok.

There are so many platforms available, and unless you have a big marketing team at your disposal, you can’t be active on all of them at once.

Research where your target audience hangs out online. Maybe it’s Facebook groups related to your niche. Maybe it’s in the comments section of Instagram reels. If you work with millennials, there’s a 94% chance they’ll be watching YouTube.

[ Read: The Coach’s Guide to Finding Your Niche ]

The more specific you are with your target audience, the more you can attract them with a channel-specific, effective social media marketing strategy.

Tips to Get Clients on Facebook

Facebook pages are effective for running paid ads for your coaching business, but groups are where the engagement happens. (Check out our sister company, MeetEdgar, which automatically sends your posts to Facebook groups.)

Facebook groups allow you to create a community that represents your values. The best part about them is that you don’t need to be the only one creating content; your community can ask questions and help each other out, too.

To grow your Facebook group organically, provide an incentive for people to sign up. Maybe you can run a free five-day challenge that’s only available in the group, or offer a valuable freebie for everyone who joins.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to use groups as a marketing tool:

• Establish clear community rules, and moderate your group to ensure your community feels safe and secure.
• Create posts that incite engagement without always trying to sell something.
• Engage with your members daily and answer their questions.

If you prioritize community building and providing value over selling, it will be easier to convert clients, and some may come to you for support proactively.

Is X Still Relevant?

X (formerly Twitter) was the go-to microblogging platform for over 15 years, but after its shift to an “everything app,” it lost a chunk of its loyal audience. Engagement has dropped by 38% in 2024, yet over 600 million users remain active on the platform.

So, is it still worth getting on X? Yes, if you use it strategically.

A 2024 study found that 53% of regular X users rely on it for news, while 43% follow political figures and activists. That makes X one of the biggest spaces for real-time cultural debates and discussions about pressing issues.

As a coach, you can leverage this by:

• Joining the zeitgeist: Weaving your coaching philosophy into trending conversations helps you stay visible and relevant.
• Expressing your values: Clients often choose coaches who align with their beliefs. X gives you a space to share what you stand for.
• Building relationships: Engaging with professionals, thought leaders, and everyday users can lead to meaningful connections (and future clients).

While X may not be the diverse, digital town square it once was, it’s still a valuable tool for relationship-building and the coaching opportunities that emerge from it.

Instagram Strategies for Coaches

Many life coaches prefer Instagram over other social media channels because it’s easier to get organic reach on it than, say, on Facebook pages.

It’s a visual platform where you can share simple coaching tips, offer a sneak peek into your events, and bust misconceptions related to your niche through various types of content. Here are some you can include in your regular posting schedule and social media marketing campaigns:

• Reels allow you to share valuable insights and new perspectives in an entertaining way.
• Slideshows let you break down complex topics into bite-sized information.
• Stories allow you to give a behind-the-scenes look into your business, engage followers with polls and surveys, or run AMAs (ask me anything).

Your feed should feature major milestones and evergreen content, while your stories should focus on more spontaneous and less curated updates that keep your audience engaged daily.

Both should be interactive and, ultimately, encourage those interested in what you offer to DM (direct message) you. One way to do this is to announce a free giveaway your followers can message you for.

Once they’re in your inbox, you can get the conversation going, find out more about what they need, and potentially, offer your help.

Hashtags don’t hold the same power as they used to, but you can still include 1-2 niche tags if your post ties to a larger discussion or major event.

How to Get Noticed on YouTube

YouTube is more like a search engine than a traditional social media platform, so it has more in common with Google, its mother company, than Facebook or Instagram.

If you optimize your video titles and descriptions with the right keywords, you’ll be more likely to show up in relevant search results, not just on YouTube but on Google too.

YouTube is tailored for long-form content that’s continuously engaging. This is an opportunity to dive deeper into the topics relevant to the audience you’re targeting.

Here are a few tips to make YouTube work for you:

• Brand your channel to make it stand out and attractive to your target audience.
• Post regularly, but keep quality over quantity.
• Reply to all comments, or outsource engagement.
• Add call-to-actions to your videos, asking viewers to subscribe, comment, and watch other relevant videos on your channel.
• Add a link to a free lead magnet in your description to grow your email list, or redirect them straight to your booking page.
• Make your thumbnails eye-catching so they stand out in feeds.

7 Tips to Grow a Social Media Audience as a Coach

Your goal on social media is twofold: Grow your audience and keep them engaged. A large follower base without interaction is useless, while engagement without reach won’t grow your business.

Here’s how to do both effectively:

• Mix up your content: Don’t just sell but share valuable insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and engaging stories.
• Feature your audience: Share testimonials and feature user-generated content to build a community around your brand.
• Engage consistently: Reply to comments (unless they’re trolls), run AMAs, or use surveys.
• Run giveaways or contests: Encourage follows and shares to expand your reach.
• Collaborate with others: Partner with relevant brands and use influencer marketing to tap into new audiences.
• Follow and interact: Engage with similar accounts to build relationships.
• Plan for holidays: Schedule posts around seasonal events for extra visibility.

Most importantly, have fun with it! Social media isn’t just a digital marketing tool; it’s a way to connect with future clients in a meaningful way.

Bonus tip: Use MeetEdgar to schedule and repurpose your content effortlessly.

Should You Advertise on Social Media?

Paid ads can amplify your current marketing efforts. If you don’t have a coaching offer that’s proven to convert, throwing money at it on social media won’t help. 

Before you launch paid ads, start by growing your audience organically and validating your offers. If you’ve got a high-converting offer that you want to scale, then paid ads, especially on Facebook and Instagram, could be a good idea.

FAQ

What Social Media Is Best for a Life Coach?

Instagram is popular amongst life coaches as a platform to share insights through reels, slideshows, and stories. It’s great for building a personal brand, engaging with potential clients, and showcasing success stories in a visually compelling way.

What Is the 50/30/20 Rule for Social Media?

The 50/30/20 rule in social media marketing strategy suggests posting 50% value-driven content (tips, insights), 30% engagement-focused content (questions, personal stories), and 20% promotional content (offers, testimonials). This keeps your audience interested without overwhelming them with sales.

How Do I Advertise Myself as a Life Coach?

Build trust first with valuable insights, client testimonials, and personal stories. Use SEO-optimized posts, influencer collaborations, and targeted ads in your social media marketing plan. Engage consistently to turn followers into clients.

How Do I Protect My Privacy While Posting on Social Media?

Avoid sharing personal details like your home address or personal contact information. Use a business email, review privacy settings, and be mindful of what you share in stories and live videos. Set boundaries on what parts of your life you make public.

What Type of Content Should I Post to Engage Potential Clients?

Share client success stories, behind-the-scenes moments, interactive Q&As, simple coaching tips, and thought-provoking questions. Use carousels, reels, and live sessions to boost engagement and showcase your expertise in your day-to-day content and social media campaigns.

Get More Clients by Winning at Social Media for Life Coaches

It’s time to refine your social media marketing goals! Just remember that success won’t happen overnight, but consistent efforts will bring you the results you’re looking for over time.

Ready to take bookings?

Paperbell can create landing pages for your custom packages and handle your entire onboarding, from payments and contracts to surveys and automated emails.

Try Paperbell now for free and see how it can transform your business.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2021 and has since been updated for accuracy.