What are Marketing Ideas for Life Coaches? 

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But first. Does marketing for life coaches need to be expensive?

Whilst the difference between a skilled coach and creating a successful coaching business is knowing how to marketing yourself as a life coach.  And it doesn't have to be expensive!

Even if you don't have a big marketing budget, you'll find the following 12 marketing ideas to make yourself more visible and attractive to potential clients can work for very little outlay. I hope they will get you thinking and you can choose and experiment until you find those that work best for you. 

You'll find help on how to go about using each marketing idea successfully by following the links below this short video summary.  

14 Ideas to Raise Your Profile and Market your Coaching 

1. What are some networking tips for making the valuable connections?

Making new and reinforcing existing relationships connections through networking, whether face to face or by social media, is one of the most effective marketing strategies you can use. 

My  How to Network page will give you lots of information and do's and don'ts on how to network effectively, in person or through social media. You'll learn how to build strong and beneficial relationships with colleagues and potential life coaching clients

Networking also gives you great opportunities for forming useful alliances with other coaches or with complimentary professionals who can refer clients to you. 

I'll also guide you to choose the most useful in person and online networking groups for you to join for maximum benefit.  I hope you'll love and find value in my lists of Do's and Dont's for effective in person networking and good social media manners.

And if you want to outsource your social media networking, you'll find the best ways to do this and the traps to avoid really useful. 

2. Why you should have an attention getting Elevator Speech

The name - Elevator Speech - comes from the the analogy of being able to get your message across in the 30 to 60 seconds it can take to ride a few floors in an elevator or lift

Part of any marketing strategy, and especially networking, is to be able to create a short yet concise explanation that authentically defines the benefits of your coaching and captures the interest of those you are addressing in person or in a group. 

It can also be invaluable to adapt use in all types of networking  conversations when asked the invariable “What do you do?” and in any promotional material you create such as your business card, website or brochure. 

However, getting your message across so briefly can be a challenge so click on the link to learn how to create your own concise and effective Elevator Speech plus some useful tips for using it for maximum effect.

2. Testimonials from delighted clients. How do you easily get them? 

Whatever you choose to say about yourself,  what really matters in atracting client is what your clients say about you. This why testimonials are one of the most powerful ways to market yourself by showcasing  how others have benefited from your coaching.

Having testimonials on your brochure, website or FaceBook page are free and will really endorse how good a coach you are.

However, asking client for them can sometimes present challenges for both the coach and the client.

You'll discover my simple strategies for easily getting those great endorsements from delighted clients when you read:  How to get life coaching client testimonials that rock!

4. How do I establish a strategic alliance or partnership? 

A fantastic way to enhance and build a coaching business is to form a mutually beneficial strategic partnership between another coach or therapist or another business 

Of course, these  partnerships do not always turn out to be successful, however enthusiastically they are embarked on.

A well researched and set up partnership can result in:

• more quality referrals for you
• Trusted professionals to refer your clients on to when necessary
• Extra income from affiliate partnerships that compliment your coaching.
  
  You can read more about How to form strategic alliances for your coaching business and how to set them up so they are successful and profitable.

5. How can I make my business card memorable and keepable?

Even in these days of online connection with potential clients, there can still be value in investing a physical business card to hand out as part of your marketing strategy.  

But how can you make sure that your business card really gets your message across and is kept for future reference rather than ending up in the bin, or worst still, leave the recipient later wondering "who was that?". 

Check out these creative business card idea and tips so you can be sure that your physical business card will "work" for you and make you memorable to the people you meet at networking functions, a party, or anywhere there is an opportunity for a get to know you chat.  

6. Why should you write a book about your coaching?

Writing a book centred around your life coaching niche and expertise is a fantastic way of raising your profile and establishing yourself as an authority to attract clients.

Becoming an author is one of THE top proven marketing ideas for a coach I know and have used.

Your book, if it gives true value, will give you status and credibility, not to mention extra income. 

Back in the early 2000s I attracted many quality clients through my first book Ready Set Goal.  It is now rewritten specifically as a guide for coaches as Mastering the Art of goals Coaching.  

My eBook How to Easily Write and Publish A Book About Your Life Coaching will show you step by step what it takes to get started as an author as well as different way you can  published. You can preview and get a good taster of the content here.

 7. Why should you present about your coaching in person and/or online?

When you speak at conferences and networking events, in person or online, to talk about some aspect of your coaching and demonstrate the issues it can solve, your credibility as a coach will grow and the rewards will be huge.

I know from experience that being a guest speaker at events and conferences is a really effective marketing strategy. 

In my eBook How to Use Speaking to Promote Your Coaching  from my own experience, I give you tips on how to get started as a presenter or guest speaker. I also share hints on overcoming speaker reluctance and confidently creating a presentation that will really engage your audience and have them wanting more. 

I also discuss how to make the planning and logistics of your presentation, whether in person or online in a webinar, run smoothly so you know what to do to avoid the stuff-ups that can ruin even the best prepared talk. 

8.  Is the free  introductory coaching session a good marketing idea?

Many coaches offer a free 'try before you buy' session as one of their marketing strategies. They sometimes call it a free introductory session.

The rational behind the free session concept is that people don’t always understand what life coaching is and so need to experience it and the coach, before they make a decision.

On the surface it's a good plan and it worked well for me until it didn't!

However, there are two schools of thought about this and here I cover the pros and cons of the introductory free life coaching session to help you make your choice.

9. How can you make sure your website "works" for you as a marketing tool?

Having a website that looks pretty and gives lots of information about what you do and how you coach is just the beginning.

Having a website that is easily found by the search engines when people are looking for a coach, simple to navigate and is written in such a way that it attracts and engages prospective life coaching clients, can be something else.

You'll find lots of helpful information for your coaching website and tips on making sure it will do it's job in attracting clients in Life Coaching Websites.  

 10. Why is guest  blogging and commenting a good way to reach potential clients?

Being a guest blogger, writing articles for or commenting on someone else's blog, can be a creative way of getting known and recognised as a life coach who has something worthwhile to say.

Your post will usually allow you to include a link to your website which can earn your extra visitors and even clients.

However, there are (of course) traps you need to be aware of if your words of wisdom are to enhance rather than inhibit your reputation - not to mention your standing with Google and the other Search Engines. 

Read my Guest Blogging Guidelines for both posting comments and accepting contributios to your blog to make this marketing idea work for you and you get the results from your time and efforts.

11. What about paid life coaching advertising?

Sometimes it really does pay to advertise! There are many ways to do this including social media, local newspapers and investing in flyers to put up.

The paid advertising I used was Google Adwords. Basically, how Adwords works is that each time someone clicks on your AD, it goes to a website or landing page with a category designated by you to promote your coaching. The AD is intended to encourage people to contact you for more information or to take the action you want, such as signing up for an introductory or discovery session. 

You pay for the times someone clicks on your AD. How much you pay is your choice depending on your budget.

I found Google Adwords the best life coaching advertising idea once I got the keywords right. The key to a successful Adwords campaign is to choose wording that will ensure that Google places your Ad on the best pages to attract the visitors and prospective clients you are after. I found it took a bit of experimenting to get it right but then it really did work for me. Google has lots of information to help to you with this.

If you go to social media platforms such as FaceBook, LinkedIn, Instagram etc. you'll find information on how to advertise with them and the cost. I haven't tried them for my coaching but used properly they can give good results. 

12. What if I want to outsource my marketing?

You only have to murmur that you need help with your marketing and you'll attract a bunch of self-appointed life coach marketing gurus promising to teach you this or that fail-safe magic bullet to get your lots of clients (sometimes at great expense).

Unfortunately many of these marketing people actually have no understanding or idea of how to market life coaching effectively which needs a special energy and engagement.

If you are thinking of outsourcing your marketing and engaging a marketing consultant, do check that they have successfully worked with coaches. Don't just take their word for it - ask for some names. 

Check that the marketing method they teach is something you enjoy, or at least find a pleasurable challenge, rather than one that may cause you stress and may not get the results you need. One size definitely doesn't fit all when it comes to a life coach marketing plan.

Read about the research I suggest you do before engaging a marketing coach or consultant to help with your life coach marketing plan. It could save you stress and lots of $$.

Also check out my information on using Coach Provider Services or agencies you can sign up with that provide coaches to individuals and business.

So there you have it. I hope you find some of these coach marketing ideas appeal to you and help you get results. Of course, not all marketing ideas for a life coach on this page will resonate with you or feel comfortable. You may have to experiment and bravely move out of your comfort zone to discover what  is your best fit to get results.