If you run a coaching business, you may be facing a looming brick wall. That is – the challenge of how to get clients.
The good news is, the coaching industry is a billion dollar market.
The bad news, you’ll only succeed if you have a great client acquisition strategy; that is, you know how to get clients fast.
With so many methods out there for getting clients, it’s hard to know which ones are going to be successful for your business. Entrepreneurs want to know how to get coaching clients online without paying too much on ads, and without overworking themselves.
In this article, we’ll share how to get coaching clients fast. These tips are based on our experience working with coaching businesses in their client acquisition systems. We also reference recent research to give you insight into creating a winning marketing strategy for attracting coaching clients.
Should You Invest in Organic Marketing?
Organic marketing is one of the most effective ways to get coaching clients online. Create content that positions you as an expert in your field. This gives your audience insightful, practical information that they can take action on.
This means that they’re warmed up to you already as a “coach.” You’re coaching them in your content, so they would be more open to seeing you as their prospective coach, because they’re already receiving from you. This increases the chance of them signing up for your programs.
Use organic marketing to build relationships with existing clients and keep them up-to-date on new services. This encourages them to continue to work with you. Loyal, returning clients are a dream for any business.
The coaching industry is growing massively and there are plenty of opportunities for you to succeed and be a front-runner in the industry.
The market is booming, which means there are definitely a lot of interested people in coaching (across many different industries). To get a sense of the potential of organically marketing your coaching business, here is a breakdown of how it is represented across the world.
| Region | Market Value | Market Share |
| North America | $1.3 billion | 45.5% |
| Western Europe | $916 million | 32.2% |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | $191 million | 6.7% |
| Oceania | $138 million | 4.9% |
| Asia | $136 million | 4.4% |
| Eastern Europe | $101 million | 3.6% |
| The Middle East and Africa | $80 million | 2.8% |
North America has the largest market share of the coaching industry, dominating almost half of the entire market.
Strategies to Grow Your Coaching Client Business
Organic marketing strategies are a great way to reach out to potential clients and make them aware of the services you offer. Use social media platforms, blogs, press releases, and email campaigns to spread the word about your business.
Create content that shows why you are an expert in your field and why potential clients should trust you with their coaching needs. The following strategies are organic marketing techniques you can use for a full coaching practice or business:
1) Guest Blogging
Guest blogging is an effective way to get your name out there. You’ll access the audience of the sites you are guest blogging for. This is a great client acquisition strategy because if the content is valuable, they’ll head over to your site to check what services you offer.
Write guest posts for other blogs, magazines, or publications. Reach out over email to these sites to propose the article you’d like to write. Be sure you’re specific about what you want to create. That is far more effective than just emailing “can I write for your site?” Being featured in other media helps you become more credible. Create thought leadership articles and be known as an expert in your field.
2) Social Media
Social media is one of the best ways to reach out to potential clients and keep them updated on what you’re offering. People feel connected to your brand when they’re hearing updates from you regularly. Respond to messages and comments, and you’ll be warming these audiences to eventually become leads, and have a greater chance of converting.
Use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to share content related to your coaching sessions.
Check out our video on steps to grow your business on social media.
3) Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to get your name out there and build relationships with potential clients.This is because people hear your voice, which sounds more personal. That makes them feel like you’re talking directly to them.
In your podcasts, share interesting news and facts in your specific industry (whether that’s business, health, personal development, etc). Interview people and be interviewed by others in the same industry to get access to wider audiences. It’s so helpful to be a guest on other podcasts because the listeners of those podcasts will be curious about you, and be directed to your work.
This will help you establish yourself as an expert in the field and make people more likely to trust you and sign up for your programs.
Check out our blog post of how to start a podcast.
4) Online Communities
Get yourself known, by name, as a coach by being interactive in online communities. Online communities include Facebook groups, forums, and even comment sections on a blog post.
If you join existing groups or create your own you can share valuable information with your potential customers. You can tell them about helpful tips, resources, and advice that will help others understand the value of working with you as their coach.
5) Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach out to potential clients. Use email campaigns to showcase your services and let people know why they should trust you as a coach. Feature case studies, testimonials, and showcase other content (like YouTube videos) in your email campaigns.
Additionally, you can create special offers or discounts to encourage your audience to purchase. People like feeling that they’re being offered something exclusive (especially if it is for a limited time).
6) Speaking Events
Public speaking events are a great way to get your name out there and attract new coaching clients. When you host an event, make sure that you’re providing valuable content that will help attendees understand the value of your services.
Use these events as an opportunity to network with potential leads and share information about what you do as a coach. You can also create connections with other leaders in the industry, and reach a wider audience with these partnerships. One example of this is meeting another business owner who works in your niche and interviewing them on your Podcast. They will share the episode with their audience, and you have just accessed their entire audience from that. Networking is a great organic marketing technique.
Grow Your Audience To Get Coaching Clients Fast
You need to grow your audience – that is, the people who are consuming your content – to grow your coaching business. Use online platforms to share helpful content and engage with potential customers.
Join relevant groups or create events that will help you reach out to potential leads and demonstrate why they should work with you.
This will also help you build relationships with existing clients, keep them up-to-date on the services you offer, and generate more sales.
Build a Relationship With Your Audience
You can use online platforms to engage with potential customers and answer their questions. Additionally, you can share helpful tips or resources that will demonstrate why they should trust you as a coach.
It can help you stay up-to-date on what people in the coaching industry are talking about. Plus, getting closer to your audience and having conversations will provide you with valuable insights that will help you stay ahead of the competition.
Know What Your Audience Want To Talk About
Research topics that people in the industry are discussing and create content or podcasts around these topics.
Ask potential customers what they want to hear from a coach and use this feedback to tailor your services. By understanding what your audience wants, you will be better equipped to provide them with the solutions they need.
Have More Conversations With Your Audiences
More conversations with your audience are also key to getting more coaching sessions with clients. Spend time on social media and other online platforms to talk to potential customers and answer their questions.
Story stickers on Instagram, like polls and questions are quick ways to get your audience to answer questions, share their opinions, and engage with your brand. The great part is, you’ll not only get higher engagement rates (which is good for the algorithm), but you’ll get direct data about what your audience is interested in. Then, your content creation can be tailored to their needs. There’s nothing like hearing directly from the audience to know how to serve them.
Set up one-on-one free discovery consultations so you first coaching clients can better understand their needs and provide them with the right solutions.
Key Tips For How To Get Clients Online
Now you know the basics of getting clients for your coaching business, we need to dig a little deeper. Let’s look at some easy tips to follow and implement to start growing as a coach in your industry.
Create Content (Consistently)
When it comes to getting more coaching clients, think about creating content around your coaching services. Use blog posts, videos, or podcasts to showcase the value you can bring and demonstrate why they should trust you as a coach. You can create opt-in offers that will make customers more likely to work with you.
Follow our actionable tips to create content for your business.
Engage With People Online
Use social media platforms, forums, and other online communities to reach out to potential customers and demonstrate why they should trust you as a coach. These can help you to get more coaching clients
Use these platforms to share helpful content and engage with potential customers. By engaging with people online, you’ll be able to build relationships with ideal clients and increase the chances of them working with you.
Share Your Stories On Social Media
Don’t forget to share your stories on social media. Use platforms like Instagram and Twitter to showcase the value you can bring as a coach and engage with potential customers by sharing helpful tips or resources. Use these platforms to start conversations that will help you get more coaching clients.
Create Interesting Videos
Use platforms like YouTube or Instagram Stories to show potential customers what working with you would be like and feature success stories from past customers. You can also use these videos to show how knowledgeable you are about a certain subject.
If there’s one thing we know, it’s how to make an impactful video. Our CEO’s YouTube channel is filled with videos about lead generation, scaling your business, and tutorials. Check out this video about generating leads with LinkedIn.
Use Linkedin
Finally, don’t forget to use LinkedIn when it comes to getting more coaching clients. This platform has become a great resource for coaches and is a great way to show off your services and expertise. You can also use the platform to look for possible customers or create content that will help you get leads from many different industries.
Check out our blog about using LinkedIn to get coaching clients.
Coaching Business Client Acquisition: FAQs
How do I get my first coaching client?
Here are some steps to help you get your first coaching client:
- Define your niche
- Network and build relationships
- Create a strong online presence
- Offer a free trial or consultation
- Utilize word of mouth
- Host events or workshops
- Follow up with potential clients.
Is it hard to get coaching clients?
Yes, it can be challenging, but it depends on several factors, such as your niche, your target audience, your marketing strategy, and your coaching skills. It’s important to remember that building a coaching business takes time and effort, as well as a clear marketing plan and a strong personal brand.
Get your first coaching client and build a successful coaching business by networking, offering your coaching program as a free trial or consultation, using word of mouth, and hosting events or workshops.
Get your first coaching client and build a successful coaching business by networking, offering a free trial or consultation, using word of mouth, and hosting events or workshops.
Where do life coaches get clients?
Life coaches can get clients from various sources, including:
- Referrals
- Social media
- Networking
- Online directories
- Paid advertising on blogs
- Speaking engagements.
By using a mix of these sources, life coaches can find new clients, keep the ones they already have, and grow their coaching businesses. To be successful as a life coach, you need to know who your target audience is and work on building your personal brand and marketing strategies all the time.
How To Get Coaching Clients Fast: Wrapping Up
Getting coaching clients can be challenging, but with the right marketing strategies and a commitment to providing valuable services, you can succeed as a coach. You can build a successful coaching business if you don’t give up and keep working to get paying clients and improve your lead-generation skills and marketing strategy.
If you need help with lead generation for your coaching business, we’ve got you. At Scaling With Systems, we build super-efficient client acquisition machines to bring in new and qualified leads every month.
Book a free consultation call with us, and one of our advisors will get back to you.
