Using your content to get coaching clients
As a coach, your content is more than just words on a page – it's a key way for you to connect with potential clients, build trust, and showcase your expertise. In today's digital world, where authenticity and value are critical, the right content strategy can help you stand out, build authority, and draw in clients who resonate with your message. In this post, we'll explore how you can leverage content to not only attract your ideal clients but also convert them into long-term coaching relationships.
1. Know your audience
Before you can create compelling content, you need to understand who you're speaking to. This means identifying your ideal coaching clients – their goals, challenges, and what they are searching for. Ask yourself: Who do I want to serve, and what problems can I help them solve?
There are a couple of ways you can do this. One is to create client personas – where you make up a person who represents your ideal clients and fill in the blanks about their age, profession, interests, pain points, and goals. This will help guide the tone, topics, and type of content you create. You'll be writing very differently and about different topics if you're a health coach, for example, compared to an executive coach or even a life coach.
Another way to do this is to pay careful attention to the words and phrases your audience uses in online communities, coaching forums, or social media groups. Using their language in your content will make it more relatable and engaging and will boost your chances of converting your audience into coaching clients.
2. Types of content that convert
A second thing to keep in mind is that content formats serve different purposes in attracting and converting coaching clients. By creating a mix of educational, inspiring, and actionable content, you can guide potential clients through each stage of the customer journey, from awareness to decision-making.
Some of the key content types that you might want to consider incorporating into your content strategy include:
Blog posts and articles: You can use these to establish yourself as a thought leader in your coaching niche. Share insights, actionable advice, and tips related to your area of expertise. For example, if you're a business coach, you might write about “How to Overcome Entrepreneurial Burnout” or “The 5 Habits of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs.”
Lead magnets: These are free resources you offer in exchange for an email address. Think e-books, guides, or checklists – something exciting enough that a potential client would be willing to give you their email address to get access to it. For example, a career coach might create a '30-day job search action plan' as a lead magnet to build their email list.
Videos and live webinars: Establishing a connection with potential clients is absolutely vital for coaches, and videos are great way to share your personality and approach to coaching. You can use videos to share client success stories, let people peek behind the scenes of your coaching practice, or host live Q&A sessions.
Testimonials and case studies: You can use your content to share real stories of your clients' transformations to demonstrate the impact of your coaching. Use before-and-after scenarios to highlight how your coaching made a difference.
3. Build trust through consistency
One of the biggest factors in converting content viewers into coaching clients is consistency. When you regularly provide valuable content, you not only build trust but also position yourself as an active authority in your niche.
One way of staying consistent is by creating a content calendar. This involves planning out your content a month or two in advance to ensure you have a steady flow of posts, videos, or emails. You always want potential coaching clients to have a reason to visit your website, and a new blog or downloadable resource can be an organic way to drive traffic to your site while also giving your audience useful content.
A note though: consistency doesn't mean daily. For establishing expertise and crafting content that continues to deliver value over a long period of time, it makes more sense to deliver quality content less frequently rather than bombard your audience with lots of posts that don't actually say very much at all. Creating meaningful content that people want to read and share is a wonderful way of getting coaching clients who are really aligned with the coaching services you're offering.
4. Connect with storytelling
People are drawn to stories – your clients want to know who you are, what you stand for, and (most importantly!) how you can help them. Using storytelling in your content allows you to connect on a human level, making it easier for potential clients to see the value in what you offer.
One of the ways you can use storytelling in your content is to share your journey. Talk about how you got started as a coach, what led you to this path, and why you're passionate about helping others. Authenticity is key here. You can also share client success stories by showcasing the journeys of clients you've helped and highlighting the transformation they experienced by working with you. You might also consider sharing moments from your coaching practice or life experiences that your audience can relate to. For example, a wellness coach could share a story about overcoming stress and burnout.
5. Use a strong call to action
Every piece of content should have a purpose and a next step for the reader. A call to action – or a CTA – guides potential clients toward that next step, whether it’s subscribing to your email list, booking a discovery call with you, or downloading a resource. Some effective CTAs you might consider for your coaching content include:
“Download my free [resource] to start your transformation today.”
“Ready to take your [business/health/life] to the next level? Book a discovery call now.”
“Subscribe to my newsletter for weekly tips on [topic] to help you [achieve desired outcome].”
Tailor your CTAs to each piece of content and ensure they're specific and action-oriented to maximise the value of the content.
Creating content as a coach is a powerful way to attract your ideal clients, build authority, and ultimately convert readers into paying clients. By understanding your audience, creating valuable and consistent content, using storytelling, and leveraging strong CTAs, you can create a content strategy that provides value to potential clients and works for your coaching business.
Ready to elevate your content strategy and attract more clients? Schedule a free strategy session with us today to start building content that converts. (See my strategic use of a call to action there?!).