Top 7 Life Coach Marketing Strategies (Go Get Those Clients!)

Are you one of those who struggle to attract coaching clients? 

No matter what phase you’re in your life coaching business, there comes a point when no client walks into your office. Then you’ll find yourself second-guessing your coaching methods and ways of doing business. Sometimes, you’ll even question your purpose and credibility.

But, I’ll tell you what. Don’t beat yourself up too much. 

It’s only normal to go through such highs and lows. Most businesses don’t escape the reality of having a lag time, as clients often just come and go.

Consider this as an opportunity for growth. Brush up on your skills. Perform a quick survey with your past clients to check areas for improvement. Most importantly, explore the vast repertoire of coach marketing strategies to find, attract, and engage your clients!  

Who knows? 

This momentary breather is all you need for your coaching business to emerge stronger and bounce higher. Use this opportunity to learn about what’s coming in hot and what’s not. Try to explore and be adaptable to the changing demands in the life coaching industry.

Sit back. Join me as I take you to the magical world of marketing.

Here are the Top 7 life coach marketing strategies you dare not miss!

#1 Build a website that works

It’s 2023. Name it: almost anything is searchable online. So better make a good impression with your website!

Specialists claim that almost 80% of individuals will initially look up a company on the web before deciding to buy. Imagine a female prospect looking for a business coach online. She comes across your page and sees your credentials - she’s impressed. The only problem is your website looks outdated and needs a makeover. 

She scrolls down. Then sees another coach who doesn’t have much experience. But his website looks captivating! This coach shows statistics on the benefits of business coaching. And look how he showcased his past experience in supporting his clients to make millions! 

If you were the prospect, whom would you choose?

It’s not enough that you are skillful and have a website. It’s all about how you present yourself to your audience. As a coach, you need to position yourself as an expert in your field. Use your website to capture the right prospects and everything else will follow.

A study on web design revealed that it only takes a minuscule 50 milliseconds (or 0.05 seconds) to make a positive first impression (Lindgaard et.al., 2011). 

So, if you’re uncomfortable with techy matters,get an easy to use drag and drop coach specific website like we offer here at Life Coach Hub. Easily display your niche area, showcase your coaching offerings and courses, and let your clients login to access your coaching tools, appointments and billing.

Below are website tips you need to consider when crafting your website.

• Make an attractive website that appears well on desktop and mobile
• Allow for easy purchase of your coaching, or to schedule an initial consultation
• Publish good-quality content in your blog
• Make it easy to log in to make appointments, coach with you, and pay bills
• Keep your site up-to-date and modern
• Ensure that it doesn’t take too long to load
• Create a clear call to action on your page

If you already have a website and didn’t mark all these areas, maybe now’s the perfect time to do a makeover. Maximize your website’s use as your ground floor marketing strategy! 

#2 Leverage referral networks

Do you eat at a new restaurant in town following a friend’s recommendation? How about online shopping sites—I bet you often read the reviews first before deciding to buy.

Word-of-mouth comments spread like wildfire. And if I were you, I'd put some effort into building my network to generate referrals. Here’s why. 

Results of an online poll by Alignable emphasize the value of word-of-mouth referrals in getting local clients. Word-of-mouth sits at the top with 85%, garnering 6,337 votes. Trust is considered the main factor behind this whopping result.

From the customer perspective, a global Special Report (Edelman, 2020) showed that the top 3 contributors to gained trust among brands are:

• Personal experience. 59% of customers attributed trust to direct experience with the products or services;
• Earned media. 44% of customers said that the news media and documentaries were factors that led to gaining their trust; 
• Peer conversation. 39% of customers reported that their conversations with friends, whether online or in-person, increased their trust in brands.

Both studies go to show that client and business relationships are built on trust. When you leverage word-of-mouth marketing, it facilitates forming a solid referral network. A network that goes beyond paid advertising, social media marketing, and website appeal. 

The best thing is referral networks do the marketing on your behalf for free!

#3 Create email marketing that captures attention

Email marketing remains the most popular strategy for businesses. A whopping 333.2 billion emails sent and received per day (Statista, 2022) prove that it’s hard to live without emails. 

So, how do you stand out compared to all those emails? More importantly, how do you write an email marketing that’s not too salesy and overpowering? 

5 Email marketing techniques you can use

1. Know thy audience. Identify the optimal emails to send by knowing your target market’s buying intention. 
2. Use an irresistible subject line. Get your prospects to open that email by using a catchy subject line. Use the right keywords while emphasizing the benefits of your offer.
3. Craft it simply. Write simply. Making your email on point and understandable drives the connection among your prospects.
4. Practice storytelling. Use the Attention/Awareness-Interest-Desire-Action (AIDA technique) to engage your prospects. Let them see and feel how exciting and fulfilling the journey is once they get your service.
5. Use a direct call to action. Create a lasting impression with a solid order that exudes credibility and authority.

For a more detailed look, check out our email marketing tips for better conversions. 

So now you know how to take advantage of email marketing for your life coaching business. But without your prospect's email, what now? 

No worries, we got you. Presenting 7 sneaky ways to ask for your client’s email (Shafee, n.d.). 

• Create a sticky bar on the top of your page. This noticeable bar immediately gets attention and allows for conversions.
• Build a homepage that captures your audience. Draw your prospects in through a warm welcome, highlighting the unique benefit they’ll get from you. Then position the actionable box where they can subscribe immediately after your offer. 
• Use a slide-in request. When your user reaches more than 75% of your content, lead them through a slide-in request. It’s a box that slides often from the bottom right corner of a page. A slide-in offers a subtle way to ask them to subscribe and dive into more of your content.
• Show a pop-up near the end of your content. Ask for an email address after your prospect consumes your content. You’ll be surprised by the turnout!
• Set up a pop-up when your audience sends signals to exit your page. Want to prevent your audience from leaving your site? Use the power of diversion through a pop-up targeted for exit-intent users.
• Promote related and more comprehensive content as a reward. Emphasize the value of getting more enriching content by signing up. For example, when your prospect comes across a marketing article, offer to send a marketing plan template. By plugging in their name and email address, they’ll receive the reward.
• Place a subscribe box at the end of your content. By all means, remind your audience of your offer through a prominent subscribe box at the end. 

#4 Activate social media marketing channels

Who doesn’t use social media these days? That’s why it’s a marketing platform you need to explore. And besides, it costs pretty much nothing! 

By now, you already know where to find your dream client. If you haven’t figured that out yet, better to take one step backward to gain clarity on who you want to help. Check out our article on 5 keys to attracting your dream client as a coach. Your one step backward will eventually propel you to gain two steps forward. 

Once you know your ideal client, you’ll be able to seek and engage with your prospects on the correct social media channel. Creating your social media account is easy—the challenge lies in capturing your dream client. 

The key is to establish your social media presence where your prospects are. Are they on LinkedIn and Instagram? Or can you reach them more via Facebook Groups? Do they actively tweet? Better check if they are also on TikTok and YouTube.

Once you know their whereabouts, create awareness of your brand by crafting a social media marketing strategy. Then develop your brand voice by aiming your posts at your prospects regularly.  

Also, listen to what your prospects say and how they react. The beauty of social media is you get a sense of how well you’re doing pretty fast, based on their reactions. 

When a post gets a lot of likes, saves, and shares, it shows you’re on the right track. If your posts don't garner any reactions at all, it just means that you need to tweak your marketing strategy and offer.

A recent study of theater companies, orchestras, and art museums showed that 82% use social media to connect with the audience before, during, and after events (Thomson et. al., 2013). These cultural organizations also invite their audience to actively take part on social media. 65% used polls and surveys to know more about their patrons. And 52% considered it a perfect crowdsourcing idea for when setting up programs for sessions or seminars.    

#5 Sign up for online coaching directories

Want to know a secret to better promote your business? Use established online coaching directories such as Life Coach Hub and International Coaching Federation.

Think of it this way. As a client, what is the most popular and convenient way to find a coach? Right, you Google it! But if you want a more credible and focused search, you explore coaching directories. A coaching directory is a site dedicated to helping clients find the best coach who matches their needs and goals. As a coach, a directory gives you exposure and increases your chances of being found. 

A coaching directory is cost effective too. Only the top coaches will be found on a random Google search via organic results. The rest will battle it out to pay hundreds in Google ads to get a lead. In contrast, a coaching directory is a no- or low-cost solution to presenting yourself to hot leads actively searching for coaches.

Here are 5 more reasons why you should add your profile to online coaching directories

• It positions you as an authority. Imagine being placed alongside other coaches in many parts of the world. No better way to showcase your skills and specialty as a part of a larger professional industry!
• It establishes the know, like, and trust factor much faster. What’s brilliant about a coaching directory is its existing audience. So, building your reputation seems more like a walk in the park as something greater backs you up.          
• It enhances your chances to appear in purposeful searches. Prospects want a credible and fast way to get information. They are hot leads, actively seeking a coach!
• Your prospects can automatically reach out to you. Your potential clients don’t have to go through hoops and can connect with you instantly by sending a message.
• It performs the marketing for you. You can write high-value posts, and the entire audience of the online directory becomes aware of your content.  

#6 Set up client discovery calls

When building the know, like, and trust factor - nothing beats having client discovery calls. Why? It introduces your prospect to the wonderful world of coaching! 

But you need to be strategic when conducting free sessions since they can take a lot of your time. 

But, as the famous saying goes, “you’ll never know unless you try”. So, we’d like to give you ways to ace your next discovery call (Murphy, 2022).

4 Bold steps to ace your next coaching discovery call

1. Perform research. What type of potential client are you meeting? Learn about the individual or organization, search for leads on social media, and check whether they have a website. Ensure you have enough information to connect and successfully present your services.
2. Establish your agenda. During your free session, introduce yourself, your company, and your range of services. Also, confirm with your prospect the goals of the session to align and manage expectations.
3. Make it an actual coaching conversation. Even if it’s just a discovery call, treat your session as how you conduct your coaching conversations - that is, by listening more and talking less. Use probing questions to get to the bottom line of their pain points. Refrain from giving advice or assumptions. Instead, show them what it’s like when they opt for a follow-up (or actual) coaching session.  
4. Leave a positive and lasting impression. Allow your potential client to reach you. Make your discovery call short and sweet, even if they end up not signing up on your offer. Maintain your approachable vibe and ask them to send positive buzz to their friends or any connection who needs life coaching.  

#7 Take part in events and workshops

Who says it’s inappropriate to meet your competitors? If anything, it’s beneficial to mingle with fellow coaches since you need to know what they offer and what’s happening around you. 

So you’ll miss out on a lot by not participating in coaching gatherings such as seminars, events, and workshops. Such gatherings expand your learnings and abilities to help serve your clients better.

Also, connecting with other coaches increases your network and exposure. And who knows? They can even make future referrals for you since coaching is a pretty diverse career. There are so many niches in which a coach can specialize.  

Aside from meeting fellow coaches, coaching events also provide a venue to discover prospects. What’s even better is that you get to explain face-to-face about your services to a variety of attendees. With your interpersonal skills, half of the battle on gaining the know, like, and trust factor is won. But that’s if you come ready with a winning elevator pitch! 

FAQ

1. How do I promote my coaching business online?

There are several ways to promote your coaching business online. You can start by establishing your social media presence. Other methods you can use are: maintaining a timely and informative website, leveraging SEO on your blog posts, using email marketing, commenting on other’s popular content, and participating in online communities.     

2. How do I get executive coaching clients?

Getting your first executive coaching client is definitely possible. All it takes are your superb skills and the right mindset and you’re ready to roll. 

Here are 5 techniques to help you in getting executive clients.

1. Position yourself as a solid and certified executive coach

2. Be visible in the eyes of your dream clients

3. Price your package properly to entice your prospects

4. Be naturally persuasive when presenting your pitch

5. Listen to your client's feedback 

3. How can I do market research for my coaching business?

Market research can be an intimidating word for many. But when you cut the overwhelm and focus on the bottom line, it’s all about knowing your prospects on a deeper level.

Here’s a quick guide to doing your market research for your coaching business.

1. Identify your target market.

2. Use market segmentation (demographics, geographic, behavioral, psychographics) to easily categorize your market.

3. Prepare your survey questions on your prospects’ needs, pain points, goals, and spending patterns.

4. Collect data from your prospects through an online survey.

5. Check your survey results.

6. Confirm and drill down to the results by doing a Focus Group Discussion (FGD).

7. Check the results of your FGD (lay down the highlights).

8. Use the results of your market research to create your one-of-a-kind offer.