Have you ever wondered how to stand out as a new coach in an increasingly saturated space? 

With the industry continuing to boom, it is an incredibly exciting time for a new coach like you, but it can also understandably feel overwhelming. 

If you are serious about growing, you can’t just simply know your craft. You must ensure that the right people also see what you can do and know about your coaching services. 

In this article, I’ll offer you a step-by-step guide on how to market yourself as a new coach effectively. 

How to Market Yourself As A New Coach

1. Get to Know the People You Want to Coach

Knowing your ideal clients by heart is the lifeline of your coaching business. It becomes your GPS and helps you determine what content and messages they care about. It sets the tone for your interactions.

After determining your coaching niche, you must establish who you’re marketing to and learn as much information as possible regarding your target audience within your niche. 

What are their pain points? What are their goals? What’s keeping them from achieving their goals? Profoundly understanding your target audience and how you can be of value to them will help your coaching strategy and marketing messaging.

Here are some of the best ways to research your audience as a new coach: 

• Check out online reviews of courses or program offerings that are similar to what you want to do 
• Engage your audience through social media – conduct polls and surveys
• Read what they’re commenting on other accounts they’re following.
• Check forums like Quora and Reddit to find out their current challenges.

2. Highlight What Sets You Apart

In marketing, we have a thing called Unique Value Proposition (UVP) or elevator pitch. It’s a statement that makes you stand out in a crowded market. UVP serves as your fingerprint or identity as a coach. 

Your UVP helps potential clients understand why you’re the go-to choice. It’s the cornerstone of your marketing strategy for your coaching business.

Here’s how you can create the best proposition as a new coach:

• Write it with your audience at the top of your mind.
• Focus on the benefits of your services, not the features. 
• Test it out and ask for feedback from your trusted people. 

3. Be Visible Where It Counts 

You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you’re not online, you don’t exist.” While that might sound harsh, there’s a grain of truth in it. 

Did you know that 65% of the world’s population is online? That’s about 5.3 billion people! So, the odds are high that your next client is scrolling through their feed right now, just waiting to discover you.

While there is this unspoken pressure about needing to post on all social media platforms, it’s better to start off with just one platform.  Choose a platform of your preference where your audience is and focus all your efforts there. Consistently showing up is the name of the game.

This will help you avoid stress and worrying about needing to be present and creating content across multiple platforms

Here are a few examples to show up online and generate leads:

• Create a coaching website to give your audience a place to learn more about you and your services. 
• Be active on at least one social media platform and engage with your audience. 
• Experiment with different content formats like blogs, podcasts, or videos for social media marketing so you can see what works best for you. Focus your efforts on producing content in that format and repurposing that content. 

4. Make Real Connections

Dave Delaney once said:

Everyone should build their network before they need it.

I couldn’t agree more. And as a new coach, networking can help increase your visibility. 

Networking at its best is more than just following each other on IG or sending friend requests. It’s about fostering genuine, meaningful relationships and deepening connections. Expanding your network can lead to opportunities, facilitate growth, and access mentorship and support.

Here are some things you can do to grow your connection and use them effectively: 

• Attend conferences or local events. 
• Join online communities if in-person events aren’t your jam.
• Don’t be afraid to reach out or be in partnership with co-opetition.

5. Show Off Your Happy Customers

If the trust factor isn’t 100% there, testimonials can help with that.

When people see that you’ve already helped others and your coaching clients are satisfied with your service, they are more likely to trust you. It’s like getting a thumbs-up from a mutual friend. 

Written, especially video testimonials can be effective in warming up a prospect who is considering working with you.

Another way to effectively showcase the results of your work is to provide a case study of a previous client and what that transformation looked like before and after working with you.

Here’s what you can do to get more testimonials and reviews: 

• Make it easy for your clients by offering a template or guide. 
• Sweeten the deal by giving incentives or rewards. 
• Automate your review requests and follow-ups. 
• Provide a review for the other person as well, if applicable. 

6. Boost Your Reach with Paid Ads

Let’s get real for a moment. Content marketing is fantastic, but it’s like baking bread—it takes time to rise. Meanwhile, paid advertising gives you that faster reach. 

If you want to kickstart your marketing efforts as a new coach, consider promoting your latest offerings with paid ads as you work on organic marketing. 

With constant algorithm changes, especially on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, ads can give you that extra boost

In addition to Facebook ads, there are other options to consider, including –  Google Ads, LinkedIn, and YouTube. choose what aligns best with your coaching business and audience. 

Conclusion

I hope you found something helpful in this post. Digital marketing for coaches can be overwhelming at first. But remember this: the key is to start with a solid strategy and then build from there. 

Start implementing these effective marketing strategies today to build a successful business. Your future coaching clients are waiting. The earlier they see you, the better! 

Let’s Hear Your Thoughts

So, which of the steps above piqued your interest? And if you’re already a practicing coach, which of these marketing strategies have worked best for you? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!