Social media has permanently changed the way we communicate. In the right hands, you can transform what could be a purely promotional place into a value-driven, heart-centered space.
As a powerful tool, social media is used by highly successful coaches to reach out to potential clients, engage them, and build rapport. So if you’re not using social media as part of your marketing strategy, then you’re missing out on an incredible opportunity to grow your business.
And while it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activities of running a business, there’s also a lot of value in building relationships online.
Today we’re going to talk about authentic, intentional, and magnetic social media for life coaches. I encourage you to view these strategies as a way to serve your clients in a way that feels true to you and helps your business grow and thrive naturally.
What Role Does Social Media Play for Life Coaches?
According to Tufts University, there are a few key principles that make social media marketing effective in creating conversations, community, and connections:
- Authenticity
- Honesty
- Open Dialogue
- Relevance
- Engagement
Notice that none of the priorities listed “sales” or “promotion”. That’s because social media isn’t just about creating a platform where you promote yourself and your services. Instead, it’s about listening to your audience and showing up with consistency and intention.
As we move forward in this post, I invite you to put on a new mindset based on these goals. Where social media isn’t just a platform for the superficial, but a space for generosity, integrity, and representation.
Now let’s talk about why it’s important for you to occupy that space in the first place.
Why Social Media Marketing is Important for Life Coaching Businesses
If you consider yourself a spiritual life coach, understanding why you’d want to show up on social media is just as important as understanding the how.
Look at each post as an opportunity to be authentic. Let your audience know exactly how you can help them.
As an easy guide, keep your focus on serving your audience with the content you create. Because when you create from a heart of service, you’ll be able to:
- Reach out to audiences that best match your ideal client avatar.
- Engage with people who resonate with your services and create meaningful connections.
- Gain access to valuable research and client insights (pain points, language, desires, etc.).
- Make it easier for people to know, like, and trust you.
As you can see, social media isn’t all about promotion. The point is to lead with sincerity first so that working with strategy down the line becomes second nature.
With these elements in mind, let’s start getting into the specifics of social media for life coaches.
What is the best social media platform to use?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all the different places you can start with social media, so let’s boil it down to one.
If you had to start on one platform, I recommend starting off with Facebook. The answer to “why” comes with a few reasons:
- It’s likely you’re already active or at least familiar with the platform.
- You may already have a few family members and friends there.
- It’s easy to join communities and even make your own.
- Creating, sharing, and engaging with posts is an easy process.
- It’s a platform that reaches a wide global audience.
But let’s say you either don’t have an active Facebook account or you’d rather look at other options. Let’s take a look at a couple other recommendations…
Top 3 Recommended Social Media Channels for Spiritual Life Coaches
1. Facebook:
Great for community-building. One of the strategies we share with our coaches is to reach out to 50 people in their circle. It’s as simple as letting people know that you’re a certified life coach. Because so many of our students and alumni are already active on Facebook, it’s a great way to begin connecting with others.
2. LinkedIn:
This is hands-down one of the best professional networking spaces you could start using today. It focuses on professional connections and makes it easy for fellow entrepreneurs and business owners to engage with one another. You could even start writing content as “Articles” within LinkedIn, which is an easy way to build your authority and likability if you’re not yet ready to commit to a separate blog.
3. Instagram:
Facebook and Instagram are both owned by Meta. The difference is that Instagram is primarily a visual platform. One may even argue that it’s a more intimate space simply because it encourages visual content (photos, videos, etc.). Instagram reels are also competing with TikTok and YouTube shorts, so your original content is more likely to get seen.
Remember, these are just three social channels to consider starting on. If at any point you feel called to explore other platforms and/or find greater results in something different, go with what works best for your needs. Both yours and your audiences.
Let’s look at some other popular social media channels life coaches use and how you can promote your own business on each of them.
How to Market Your Life Coaching Business Through Social Media
There will be three bullets for each social media channel: statistics on the audiences that engage most with the platform, why it would be a good fit, and one actionable strategy.
A good rule of thumb is to keep consistency in mind. If you want a strong social media presence, it’s essential to – well – be present on these channels.
Note: Statistics and data sourced from Sprout Social, updated March 2, 2022.
- Nearly 60% of users are between 25-34 years old, mainly using the platform to strengthen their professional network.
- LinkedIn is a great platform for networking, posting content that is relevant to your niche, and demonstrating your professionalism and unique expertise.
- One of the easiest ways to get started on LinkedIn is by posting quotes and adding in your original commentary (a.k.a. a “hot take”). Polls are also a great way to learn more about your audience’s language, pain points, desires, and more.
- The largest age group of active users (38%) is between 50-64 years old. However, it’s important to note that there is a fairly even split between other age groups. For instance, 32% of their users are between 18-29 years old and 34% are between the ages 30-49. Also, most users are female (78%).
- Pinterest is both a social media platform and a visual search engine. It’s a hub for collecting and inspiring ideas, shopping, and sharing interests in the form of curated boards. It’s like using visual bookmarks to save things that interest you across the internet, all in one place.
- If you have a website (especially with your own blog), you can post content on Pinterest that links back to your website/blog posts. Pinterest is unique because it promotes users leaving the platform, so it’s perfect for driving organic (unpaid) traffic to your site.
TikTok
- There are over a billion monthly users on TikTok with the largest group being between 10-19 years old (25%). This platform is popular among Millennials and Gen Z users.
- Although this platform is being used by mostly younger audiences, it’s becoming more popular with influencers across all age ranges. Rather than focusing on high (and often expensive) production like YouTube, TikTok features short videos that are simple and fun to make. Creating content on TikTok can also humanize your brand and showcase your services and products in a casual format.
- The easiest way to get started on TikTok is by following what’s already trending. After scrolling for a few minutes, you’ll realize just how free-form content can be, and how influencers in your niche use what’s trending to amplify their brand.
- 31.2% of users are between 25-34, but the second-largest age group at 31% is between 18-24 years old.
- Instagram is a visual platform where photo and video content make up the majority of the experience. It’s a great way for audiences to get a more intimate glimpse into your life and business. In short, Instagram can humanize your brand.
- As an easy starter strategy, post photos of your daily life and testimonials from your clients and whoever else you serve. For example, if you coach moms, share snippets of your day-to-day as a mom!
- The largest group of active users are between 25-34 years old (31.5%).
- A lot of users stay on Facebook to keep in contact with family and their communities. However, Facebook is also used as a source of news and other heavy content consumption.
- An easy way to get started on Facebook is by creating a business page or community group and inviting your family and friends to join. It would also be helpful to join active, relevant groups on Facebook, so you can keep a pulse on your audience and also provide your own value (while respecting group rules). On top of that, once you start hosting your own events, you can use Facebook to promote it!
- Twitter’s largest age group is between 18-29 years old and makes up about 42% of their active users. Interestingly enough, it has more male users (61.6%) and a third of its entire user base are college-educated and earn more than $75k/year.
- People use Twitter to stay up to date on trending conversations, breaking news, events, and discussions. With its 280-character limit, Twitter empowers people to share their opinions with break-neck speed and simplicity.
- One of the best ways you can use Twitter is by using the poll feature to gauge your audience and gather valuable insights.
Social Media Marketing Tools for Life Coaches
Now that we’ve covered some of the best starter platforms you can use as a life coach, let’s talk about the tools that’ll make social media easier to manage.
Luckily, social media is pretty friendly for beginner life coaches. For instance, posting content is free. Most platforms even provide native programs that allow you to manage your content and track metrics on Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
For example, you have Creator Studio which allows you to publish posts and manage insights and messages. One thing to keep in mind is the importance of having a business page that is separate from your personal profile. This is important for a few reasons:
- Privacy. You’ll naturally want to keep your personal details separate from your business.
- You’ll have the ability to promote your life coaching servicesthings regularly on your business page versus feeling like you’re soliciting friends and family.
- A business page makes it easier to hsostot events and create community groups.
Additionally, if you want to design your own posts but feel intimidated by graphic design, software like Canva offers thousands of templates and makes design easy with “drag and drop” features.
If you’re looking for a bit more functionality and wouldn’t mind investing a little more into automation and analytics, I recommend these two programs:
1. Hootsuite.
This software is easy to use for scheduling posts and managing your social media marketing efforts. Their plans start at $49/month with their most basic plan covering up to 10 social accounts and unlimited scheduling.
2. SproutSocial
This social media management software is beloved by professionals across the globe. Analytics are easy to see, scheduling is a breeze, but it does come with a bigger price tag. The standard plan is $89/month (if billed annually) and $99 month-to-month. You’re also limited to 5 social profiles.
If you feel like tools aren’t in your range at this point in time, that’s fine too! Focus on getting familiar with the platforms, do some social listening, and engage with people.
Once you feel ready to up level, I suggest finding a trusted recommendation for a virtual assistant or social media agency to help you grow your social media marketing efforts. Remember, being a part of an active coach community makes it easy to connect with the right resources. That’s why our students and graduates have access to a dedicated, exclusive Facebook group where they can continue to learn and thrive inside of.
Effortlessly Attract Life Coaching Clients Through Social Media
Let’s remember the big picture:
Having a great social media presence means attracting more dream clients, which ultimately means creating more of the impact you were meant to make in the world!
So as you explore and have fun with creating social media content, remember to share value and be YOU! The key here is to be authentic and inspire others. And the best way to create value is through meaningful conversations.
If you would like to learn more ways to spark conversations with clients who would love to work with you, download our FREE e-book:
Inside you’ll discover the 8 steps every successful life coach follows to enroll new clients (without the pushy sales tactics). All while turning your genuine desire to serve others into an effortless enrollment process.
Until next time — think bravely and act boldly,
Mat Boggs
