When I launched my coaching program, the first client I actually got was from Instagram.
The next was on Facebook. So I’m excited to share how you can get more clients from Instagram without being heavily invested in the App.
Why even spend time on Instagram:
In 2020, Instagram generated an estimated $24 billion in revenue (1). And, Instagram is estimated to have about 1.41 billion users!
I actually only spent an hour at most each month on Instagram. My focus is on building my blog with high-value articles and getting clients through my email list.
Interestingly and ironic that my first clients came from social media instead. So if you’re currently mainly on Instagram, I hope these tips will help you.
As someone who ran a successful coaching business, I hope my tips can get you the best results in the shortest amount of time.
I want to break this post into 2 parts. The first is the back-end or set up your account for success so clients can find you on Instagram, and the 2nd part is all about the front-end stuff like marketing and outreach to get new clients.
I think both parts play a role, so you can keep getting clients even if you take a break from IG.
It’s essential o always be thinking about the long game. And the goal is to systematize your business as much as possible. So even if you take a break from posting, you can still get clients from social media, and the algorithm is still working for you.
Setting Your Account for Success (Part 1)
- Profile photo: Have a clear photo of your instead of your company’s logo or a landscape image. An image of you helps people know who is the person behind the posts and also they’ll be more likely to click to your profile and follow you back.
- Profile bio information: It’s improtant to clearly state how you can help your ideal client. Also, riefly include any certifications or designations you have and who you are helping. Something like this would definitely ensure you’re speaking clearly to your audience “I help (target client) achieve (their goal or their obstable) + what is unique about how you do it. This helps differentiate you from all your competition.
For example, if you are an intuitive weight loss coach who helps busy moms, you can say “I help busy moms lose weight without overwhelm and without fad diets”. A crystal clear bio to ensure you easily get people to follow you without wondering what you do.
- Link to your website landing pages: Make it easy for people to get on a call with you, to download a freebie or newsletter. You have no idea how many times I’ve checked a link online to find it was a broken link. Ensure you’re checking your IG links to ensure they lead to where you want prospective clients to land.
- Create the main highlights where you talk about your coaching programs and insert the links so they can go sign up. You don’t have to create a ton of highlights. Have a few so people arent lost trying to find your programs. Highlights are an excellent way to repurpose your stories so that new followers can access your earlier content.
- Include a few specific hashtags to your post. Here’s my tip. Many schedulers online can generate hashtags that are popular on IG. However, instead of just inserting random high-volume hashtags to get you viral, think about what your ideal client is probably looking for on IG. Even if the hashtag has only a few hundred uses, use it.
You may never know who will search that and find you. Always think…what would a person struggling with (target client issue) type up now to find help?
(This is actually exactly how I found my first client. She searched a very low-density keyword about her issue and found me. She said I was the only person she saw on IG talking and helping others about this issue. She signed up the next day for my program).
If you create Reels or any posts, always include the same specific hashtags in your niche then any extras.
- Stick to your niche 85% of the time! Once a prospective client finds your account, you want them to think, “omg, this person knows exactly what I’m going through”.
Whether you’ve gone through the same journey as your clients or not, make sure you’re doing your homework to understand your clients’ struggles. Learn how they live with the obstacle or issue you’re trying to help them fix. And make valuable content sharing tips and inspirational posts.
How To Market Your Coaching Packages on Instagram
The Push Strategy:
So now that you’ve ensured your account is set correctly, below are some marketing and sales tips to find and get new clients to enroll in your coaching programs or courses.
1. Remember those low-density keywords that are very closely related to your niche? Put them in the search bar in IG and click on recent posts. Scroll through to check if any users have used it recently.
Check to see if it’s a business page or a personal page. If it’s a real person, then make sure to engage with their post somehow. You can read what they shared and comment with your thought or provide them with any tips. Do this without any expectations.
2. If it’s a business account, another step is to click on the people who liked or commented on that post and then repeat step 1.
By engaging in this manner, you are providing value, sharing your thoughts, and helping people. Many will be grateful you took the time to engage that they’ll check out your account, give you a Like, a positive comment, and it can be the beginning of a great relationship where they end up working with you.
Because people need to find you, like you, trust you and then be open to investing in your services. People do business with people they like and trust. Not total strangers.
And once they land on your account, your account will be set correctly so they can find any links easily.
If they engage with your comment, you can go a step forward and send them a message with any additional resources they may find helpful…such as a free resource, a free report, a blog post you wrote on the topic. This is a great way to build authority, show them this is your topic of expertise, and give them a place they can go to find you.
If you found this post helpful so far…please share it with your fellow coaches on Instagram…
Set Boundaries:
Before we continue. I’d like to briefly talk about setting boundaries early on when trying to find clients.
Be very careful with providing free coaching on IG. There is a difference between creating a high-value post that many people can engage with, typing a comment with some tips, and going back and forth with someone about their issue, giving them personalized advice and coaching.
You may find yourself taking so much time reading long messages and answering questions in a ‘coaching manner’. This doesn’t serve anyone.
It doesn’t serve you as you’re undervaluing your work, and they are also not getting the best service because you simply can’t fix a big problem on IG if you haven’t gone through your process.
It’s crucial to set boundaries on social media (I know you probably haven’t heard much about this). You may be so desperate to get clients that you start offering free coaching through instant messenger without you even realizing it. This can look like this:
- Going back and forth, answering questions, and giving custom solutions…
- Reading long messages about the problem(s) they’re experiencing leading to you offering step-by-step help that takes you more than 20-30 minutes to type up…
- Taking on free coaching calls where the call is all about asking you questions and picking your brain.
There is a way to be of service without undervaluing your services and getting burned out…
Create and share the pre-made resources you have available on your site.
Simply say that you cannot generally offer coaching or consulting on social media because of how much work it takes. That you’ll be happy to jump on a call with them if they’d like to book a coaching session (insert calendar link).
This way, they know they have a way to work with you, that your services are valuable, and they can check out your website if they’d like more freebies.
(Please note, this is different from offering free coaching part of a Beta package where expectations are set)
The Pull Strategy:
Clients can also find you on Instagram if they’re searching for your keywords. As we discussed, make sure you have your niche keywords in your bio.
While this took longer before, now it’s easy for people to find you with how things like IG reels can go viral quickly.
Once you start posting stories, posts, or reels, make sure you’re engaging with those who like and comment on your posts. You can check out their profiles again…comment on their posts.
Post about your clients’ pains, frustrations, obstacles. Sometimes it’s good to just know someone out there understands your pains and frustrations. You can alternate between informational posts, inspirational posts, and promotional posts.
Also, make sure you go check the hidden requests on IG frequently. MANY people would respond to stories, but IG hides them in the hidden requests. Go there and allow those posts in so you can reply to them and engage.
Promote your services or coaching packages. Promote your different programs through stories and save them on Reels with the specific keywords related to the program.
Make sure your link in the bio is a landing page that includes links to all your services or coaching packages, your freebies, if any, and links to your articles.
With all these tips, you can feel confident that you’ve got a system in place to get clients from Instagram. Below are additional resources to help you set up your website for success, once those clients click your Instagram links…