How to Get a Lot of Coaching Clients Without Social Media

Can you get coaching clients without social media?

Because the thing is…

• You don’t want to spend hours on social media every day or share your entire life online
• You want a strategy that works – even though you’ve been posting for months, you’re not seeing results 
• And you want a strategy that feels aligned with your personality

As a huge introvert, I used to feel the same way. While I use social media in my business, I don’t want to rely on it. And that’s why I built up other marketing channels, which have helped me build a hugely profitable and sustainable eight-figure coaching business. 

Today, I’ll share those strategies with you. 

Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in.

💡 Key takeaways:

• You DON’T need social media to build a successful coaching business.
• SEO is one of the best ways to drive organic traffic. This includes content creation, link building, and keyword planning.
• Speaking, guest posting, and PR are other helpful ways to get clients without social media.

Can you build a coaching business without social media?

Look:

Social media can be a great marketing tool for building and running a coaching business.

That’s because social media is hugely popular. More than 5 billion people use it.

But the problem is that for social media to work, you have to always stay connected and create new content.

And this is the exact opposite of the kind of freedom and flexibility that you might be looking for.

The good news is…

You don’t need social media to get coaching clients.

There ARE other ways to grow your business, including search engine optimization, collaborating with others, using your network, and investing in paid advertising. 

And here are the best strategies…

10 marketing methods to attract coaching clients without social media

So you now know that social media isn’t necessary to get coaching clients. 

And I know this firsthand because I’ve done it myself:

Before I tell you how to get coaching clients without social media, I’ll give you a tip:

Focus on just one or two methods when you’re starting out.

This will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed and allow you to put more time and effort into each one.

Once you’ve done them successfully, then you can expand.

Now we’re all ready to jump into the top ways to get coaching clients without social media.

1. Use SEO 

Search engine optimization (SEO) is when you optimize your website to rank higher on search engines like Google.

And it’s one of the most essential marketing techniques for coaches.

Think about it.

Most online traffic comes from search engines. But only 6% of Google users go to the second page of results.

So, if you’re not in the top results, your clients might not find you.

But if you improve your ranking, you can increase your organic traffic – and, in turn, your sales.

That’s because the traffic comes straight from people actively searching for what you offer.

Now, I know firsthand how well SEO can work…

I use it in my own business – over two years, I turned it into a six-figure marketing channel!

Just remember: SEO is an advanced strategy that takes time.

It includes techniques like:

• Publishing content: Millions of blogs get published every day — and if you want to stand out, you have to consistently create quality content. 
• Keyword planning: Build content around the keywords your ideal clients are searching for. For example, a financial coach might target “easy saving plans” or “budget templates” in their content. 
• Building backlinks: Getting other high-authority websites to link back to you so that Google will boost your content. For example, this feature in Bloomberg gained me several clients. 

I explain these techniques and more in this video:

The thing is, you need to have a few clients under your belt before you invest in SEO.

Otherwise, you won’t be able to create the right content or target the right kind of clients – and all that effort will be for nothing.

So, unless you already have clients, I recommend focusing on the low-hanging fruit and using faster marketing strategies to land your first clients.

📚 Read more: The Ultimate Guide to SEO for Coaches

2. Leverage Pinterest

Did you know that over 520 million people use Pinterest every month?

It’s also free and can give you results faster than Google!

👋 High five to that! 👋

You can get paid and organic traffic from Pinterest, but I’m focusing on organic traffic today.

For it to work, you have to create content that shows up in a user’s discovery feed and catches their eye.

That means creating visually appealing pins with interesting headlines, saving them on relevant boards, and linking to the page you want to drive traffic to.

For example, take a look at my Pinterest page:

Here are a few other ways I’ve made it work for me:

• Creating 1-3 pins each day
• Focusing on creating visually appealing pins
• Making 3 unique pins for each link
• Using an automated scheduling tool 

Want more? I’ll show you exactly how to get traffic from Pinterest in this guide.

Next up: Guest posting.

3. Guest post

Guest articles are a great way to build credibility as a coach AND drive traffic.

And all it takes is a good pitch with relevant post ideas.

For example, writing this guest post in Business Insider boosted my sales by five figures the week it was published! 📈

While I’m all for aiming big, I recommend you start with smaller, high-quality websites in your industry first. 

Sure, their audiences might be smaller, but at least you know they’re engaged and interested in your services.

It’s also a LOT easier to get accepted to smaller publications. Look at it as a way to build your portfolio for when you DO pitch yourself to sites like Forbes or Entrepreneur!

4. Pitch podcasts

Another great strategy? Getting featured on podcasts. 

This is one of my favorite marketing techniques. 

Why?

Because it’s an easy way to build credibility, establish trust, and get in front of an audience simultaneously. 

I started pitching myself to podcasts early on in my business.

Landing a guest spot on “So Money” by Farnoosh Torabi made a HUGE difference for me.

But you don’t have to get featured on huge podcasts for this approach to work.

In fact, like guest posting, I recommend pitching podcasts with smaller, more engaged audiences in your niche at first.

To find a podcast, search “Podcast” + “[Keyword]” and look for the ones that publish consistently but have 50 reviews or less. 

Then, send the host an email with at least three high-value topics that you can speak to. 

I’ll give you a free pitching template in this guide.

Now, let’s look at the benefits of collaborating.

5. Collaborate with others

Going into partnership with someone in your niche can lead to more high-quality leads.

By partnership, I mean joining forces with another person to do business together. 🤝

For example, I partnered with an SEO expert to expand my reach and help course creators, coaches, and business owners fuel their growth.

Because I wasn’t an SEO expert…but I knew I had an audience interested in it!

So, think about the kind of partner you want. Who could help you increase your leads?

Once you’ve found them, email them and explain who you are, what you do, and how a partnership with you would benefit them. 

But keep in mind: This isn’t an approach for everyone, especially beginners.

Not only do you need an existing audience, but you also can’t scale a partnership.

And, most importantly, partnership means you share all the risks and rewards of business ownership.

6. Use your network

Another way to get coaching clients is by reaching out to your network.

Remember: People buy from those they trust.

And because your friends, family, and colleagues know, like, AND trust you, it means you’ve got an immediate “in”.

When I launched my first career coaching business, I used this exact strategy…

I got my first clients by reaching out to colleagues I’d already helped and letting them know what I was offering.

Now, if your network doesn’t need your services, you can always ask for referrals. Chances are, they might know someone who is interested.

And once you’ve worked with a few clients, you’ll then be able to ask them for testimonials.

📚Read more: Proven Ways to Ask for Referrals

7. Speaking engagements and workshops

If you’re comfortable speaking in front of an audience, why not try your hand at speaking at engagements or workshops?

They’re a great way to grow your business because they help establish your credibility, show off your expertise, and allow you to connect with future coaching clients in a more personal setting.

They’re also fun. For example, here I am speaking at Gary V Live in London:

Again, start small. Check out local listings to find an event that might be a good fit for you.

Next, we’ll tackle paid advertising.

8. Invest in paid advertising

Paid advertising is great because it:

• Increases reach and gets you in front of thousands of people
• Allows for targeting based on keywords and consumer interests and behaviors
• Has a high average ROI ($2 for every $1 spent)

It’s faster than SEO, too. 

However, for paid ads to work, they have to be more targeted and better focused on the foundations (audience, copy, and image).

For example, this was one of my most popular Facebook ads because it had storytelling elements and shared my credibility:

📚How to Do Paid Advertising for Your Coaching Business 

9. Email marketing

Ultimately, email marketing is one of the most powerful ways to get clients without social media. 

In fact, for every $1 spent, email marketing generates $42. 

This method works so well because people check their emails every day. 

So, if you can get people to sign up for your email list, you can make sales that much easier.

To achieve this, you’ll need your emails to promote valuable, problem-solving content.

Here’s how to do that…

Step 1: Create a lead magnet, which is something they receive for signing up. 

For example, I offer a business blueprint. 

Step 2: Create an automated welcome sequence that lasts a few days (or even months). 

It should start with a lead magnet before moving on to testimonials, your story, and, finally, your offer.

Step 3: Follow up! 

I recommend sending an email every weekday. 

But remember: Your emails have to be effective.

They should interest your audience and include a fact, anecdote, or “aha!” moment. 

I love including stories with interesting takeaways.

But they don’t have to be crazy stories – it’s how you tell them and the takeaway they provide that really matters.

I’ll teach you more about email marketing in this video 👇

10. Use PR

Finally, public relations (PR) is a powerful way to increase your visibility, expand your reach, and solidify your reputation.

Essentially, PR is all about positioning yourself as a thought leader by getting featured in well-known media outlets. This may include taking part in articles, interviews, or guest appearances. 

When done well, PR taps into large, targeted audiences already looking at industry experts like you.

And, unlike social media, where algorithms run the show, PR provides organic and long-lasting exposure.

And I know this firsthand…

My brand has really benefited from PR, which has helped me land coverage in MSN, Entrepreneur, Money, Inc., and Yahoo:

So, that’s how to get coaching clients without social media.

But how do you seal the deal?

That’s what we’ll tackle next.

How do you successfully attract an audience without social media? 

If you want to successfully attract an audience without social media, there are a few things you have to do.

First, target the right audience. 

Ask yourself who you want to help and what you want to help with.

In other words, what’s your niche?

You can hear more about finding your niche here:

Next, create clearly defined coaching packages.

That means being clear on:

• What your package promises
• Who the package is for
• How long the package will last
• How much the package costs

Regarding those last two points, I recommend that new coaches charge $1,500 for a three-month package.

💡 Tip: You can always raise your prices at a later point.

Now, the final thing you need to do is offer results. 

After all, that’s what your clients come to you for, right?

It’s all about the transformation you can help them achieve.

By following these three steps, you’ll be well on the way to successfully attracting an audience without social media. 

What’s next?

There you have it! A detailed look at how to get coaching clients without social media.

I myself used to struggle with always having to be “on.” I didn’t want to spend my days doing livestreams or publishing social media posts…but if I ever took a break, my business suffered.

So for a few years, I completely got off social media and hunkered down to figure out how to build my business off any platform.

Specifically, I grew my search engine traffic to a six-figure traffic channel in just two years. At the same time, the quality of my leads and clients improved – and so did my profit margins. 

Want to learn how to do the same? 

Get my FREE PDF where I share the exact strategy to grow your business without social media. 

Read more: 

How to Market Yourself Successfully

The Best Strategies to Market Your Business without Ads

How to Create Your First Signature Coaching Program