Top 6 Ways For Coaches To Find (Way Too Many) New Clients

Coaching businesses are exploding in popularity; already, mainstream consciousness has readily accepted the industry as one that’s here to stay. It’s not hard to see why, as coaching businesses offer valuable insights into almost every aspect of their client’s personal and business life: from career growth to mental health, fitness, language and so much more.

This is only to be expected, as learning and growth are fundamental human desires, and the hallmarks of any successful (and fulfilled) person! However, the business world does a funny thing when it comes to coaches: you could be selling the most amazing service and life-changing advice, but if nobody is seeing your business, then you’re not changing any lives!

As digital marketing experts we see this scenario played out far too often: a truly wonderful coach is ready to change someone’s life for the better, but without an online presence, their message just isn’t getting out!

Luckily, it’s human nature to want to better oneself and improve one’s life. It’s precisely why podcasting and self-love has rapidly become popular in mainstream consumption. It’s also why you need a robust online marketing strategy to reach out to customers: Digital marketing is now a necessity to grow and prosper, because most people will seek this type of content online.

We sat the Digital Junkies team down (trust us: it was hard to pull them away from their screens!) and curated the top 6 methods for coaches to land clients – online!

#1 Build Your Digital Credentials

Lets face it: there’s a million and one advantages to marketing yourself online. Having your ad reach hundreds of thousands of people who are exactly the type of people you’re looking for?

That’s just off the top of our heads.

But one thing to keep in mind on the digital-scape is that people won’t be meeting you face-to-face (at first.) What this means is that people are much more wary, because to them you’re just a face on a screen.

This is why it’s absolutely critical to project an authentic and trustworthy image online, via your credentials. Some examples of good credentials are:

1. Testimonials from existing clients

2. Commendations in your field

3. Examples or case studies of your previous work

4. Any kind of qualifications that you have

#2 Take Advantage Of Your Network

First things first: You should have an idea of who your ideal client is and where you can find them online. A career coach for instance helps people who need skills in job hunting, resume making, interview skills, etc.

Such a coach may decide to establish a network in colleges and universities to offer advice to new graduates via zoom calls, email liaison, or webinars. Another source of opportunity for them may be companies who can refer employees that they are letting go.

The point is: describe your client. Establish a professional network where this client would be readily found and then take it online too. Then: coach!

Just make sure when networking with contacts you tell them what type of services you can offer, what can they expect, and how they can contact you.

#3 Use The Most Powerful Marketing Tool Ever: Social Media!

Social Media is a fantastic platform to find people who are interested in your service. You can even go to forums where people are asking for exactly what you’re providing! Here is a comprehensive list of the most popular social media platforms and their strengths:

1. Facebook Groups – Instead of creating posts and boosting them to a random audience, try targeted marketing. Join a couple of self-improvement groups that have a lot of members. They usually talk about their needs and struggles openly especially if the group is private. Read the posts and comments and give some advice. At the bottom you can add “if you want to know more, here are some ways I can help you” then link back to your website.

2. Instagram – This is easy to do if you are already producing content and sharing on your social platforms. Instagram is great not just for marketing your services but also for establishing your credibility. Instagram is also viewed as more personal, meaning it will give you an authentic feel and a window into your personality when people check you out.

3. Reddit And Quora Marketing – Reddit and Quora are a marketing treasure trove for coaching business. On these platforms, people openly ask for advice. Display your knowledge by answering what you can. Your comments will be displayed for all to see -giving you free exposure – and others can even upvote your answers, leading to more credibility or even people reaching out to you for paid services. All you need to do is type in your keywords and you will find thousands of questions.

4. LinkedIn – This is a must-have for coaches because it is profession-oriented. Showcase your expertise by sharing your articles, blog posts, podcast channels, and videos. Make sure that your profile is optimized so people can find you and see what you offer. Your email address and contact numbers must be visible, so people have many ways to reach you. Here’s a tip: If you want to share your blogs to LinkedIn, do not use the share button. Instead, write a post in LinkedIn itself. Do not write your complete post. A few paragraphs will do and put a CTA at the
   end – “click to continue reading”. Then link it back to your website. Aside from how to get clients online, you can also find partners in LinkedIn. This is another way to grow your business. For instance, if you are a recruiter, partnering with other recruiters can help you swap talents. You may have a company that’s looking for Communications Engineer and your talent bank is scarce for that particular field. If you have recruiter-peers, you may ask for referrals.

#4 Create Your Own Podcast

Remember when we mentioned podcasts are becoming more popular? That’s because mainstream audiences can’t wait to devour knowledge that will improve their skills – personally and career-wise.

There’s no doubt that a lot of businesses are taking advantage of it. There are podcasts for healthy eating, mental health, mindset, meditation, and the like.

A typical episode should run for less than an hour to accommodate the average attention span. Listeners will tune in on their way to work, while working out in the gym, or going for a run. Hosting your podcast will allow you to gain new followers - you don’t need to be a techie to create one.

There are user-friendly apps available for podcast creators and platforms like Spotify or iTunes are very open to helping new creators get started.

#5 Leverage Your Knowledge & Help Others With A Workshop

As we mentioned earlier, credibility in the online space is everything. And there’s no better way to position yourself as trustworthy than as establishing yourself as an expert - by offering workshops!
Nowadays, workshops are primarily streamed online.

The advantages of this are:

1. Larger reach, both internationally and locally

2. Easier to teach larger classes at once

3. The workshop can be recorded for future use

For example, if you are a personal trainer, announce a free class for limited number of participants. You may even raffle off free items to encourage sign-ups. After the free class, ask the participants to fill up a form so you can get their contact details. You may also broadcast your free class in a live feed so that your other followers can see you in action.

Those who attend your workshop will be looking for exactly what you’re selling. Moreover, you will be helping and educating people who are committed to growth and being coached.

#6 Upgrade Your Lead Strategy With A CRM

Once you’ve stablished yourself online, managing your inbound leads can become a tricky task. Did you know that if someone texts or emails your business, you have less than an hour to reply before they have:

1. Completely forgotten about you

2. Moved on to a competitor

3. Their impulse to hire a coach has vanished

The right CRM will automatically reply to any and all texts, emails and website enquires instantly, so you don’t let any potential new customers slip through the cracks!

Of all the strategies we have discussed, one or two will suit you best. To find out which ones, ask your clients how they found you. If it’s through free workshops, continue giving workshops. If online communities work for you, continue being active in them. Leverage the strategies that works and do not stop until you have exhausted it. Then, look for other strategies to expand into.

Additionally, the best way to fast-track your coaching business to unreal success is with the help of a qualified and outstanding digital marketing agency – and there’s none better than Digital Junkies! Give our founder and CEO Joe a call today to discuss your free performance-based marketing strategy.