I get it y’all. Coaches have it rough.
Especially if you’re a coach who’s primarily marketing online these days (which you probably are, if you’re reading this blog post) the online space is noisier than ever.
Additionally, the coaching space is getting crowded, and people are getting skeptical. After all, anyone can technically call themselves a “coach” and start selling stuff.
In fact, the FTC is really cracking down on the sketchy marketing tactics commonly used by online coaches. Long story short, a lot of the typical “copywriting for coaches” standards are actually considered fraud now. How fun.
But if you’re a legit coach who wants to do good, you understand that audiences are smart. You want to find a way to market your coaching business, and stand out as an authority — because you can actually help people.
As someone who writes for a variety of industries, but has a special love for coaches and consultants, here are my clear, actionable, no BS recommendations when it comes to copywriting for coaches.
Copywriting for coaches starts with understanding who you’re trying to reach
And this goes beyond demographic. You need to really explore the internal lives of your target clients before writing anything that speaks to them.
Yes, you want to work with moms in their 30s and 40s, but what’s their emotional landscape?
What’s their personality type?
→ Are they anxious-but-organized Type A, or are they more of a carefree, go-with-the-flow kinda gal?
What kind of communities do they live in?
→ Are they a dreamer in a small town or a social butterfly in a big city?
What stage are they at in their life?
→ Are they overwhelmed with life, or are they looking for something beyond their day-to-day to inspire them?
You don’t have to be rigid in your answers, and not everyone who inquires with you will fit this archetype exactly, but it does pay to get more specific on who you’re speaking to before you start writing.
The more specific you get, the more people will read your copy and think “holy cats, are you reading my mind?” or “omg, I’m crying, this is so me!”
That’s what you want. You want them to feel seen, heard, and understood by your copy.
Here’s how you do that:
1. Understand what clients are searching for
Plot twist: your ideal client may not be looking for a coach.
It’s nice if they are (that means less work for you when making the sale) but oftentimes, you need to create copy and content around a gateway subject they’re searching for.
For example, if you’re a life coach for moms, your target audience might be looking for:
– How to feel less overwhelmed in the mornings
– Journaling prompts for moms
– Communication tips for talking to teenagers
– Breath work for stressful situations
– Daily gratitude practices
When you can show your expertise around these topics, and position your coaching as the next step in their journey, it helps people understand that you have their back.
*Pro Tip: DO NOT position your coaching as “the only solution” to their problems.
You probably already know this, but honestly, no one’s life is going to be ruined if they don’t hire you as a coach. They aren’t betraying themselves or neglecting their dreams or whatever.
If you want to be ethical, position your coaching as an opportunity they can take to deepen their self development or practice more self-care.
2. Find keywords that work
The above is even more relevant if you’re planning to use blogging to grow your business (which you definitely should.)
Blogging, and finding the keywords that will help your blog posts rank, is all about being the best answer to what someone is searching for.
You can use a tool like the one I use, Keysearch, to see the monthly search volume of target keywords.
But if you don’t use a keyword research tool, you should think about what your ideal client would be searching for.
And yes, this is great for blogs, but you gotta remember this for each of the main pages of your website too.
Because, although you might describe yourself as a “body recomposition coach for millennial go-getters” no one is searching for that.
Instead, they’re more likely to be searching for “fitness coach for women”
Remember, you’ve got to be the best answer to the question they’re asking. After they have that first foot in the door, then you show them just how amazing you are.
3. Understand where your audience is coming from
Ok, I’m guessing you’re marketing your business on a couple different platforms.
Many coaches show up on social media, Google, or use referrals to grow their business.
You need to understand where someone is coming from if you want to write copy that really speaks to them.
For example, if you post something on your Instagram stories about a freebie you’ve created, you’ll want to make sure the opt-in copy for that freebie is tailored to people who come from social media. Usually this means they have a very surface-level understanding of your brand.
If you’re selling something to your email list, however, you can go a lot more in depth on selling the benefits and features of a coaching program because they are further down the sales funnel.
I see this all the time on websites too: your website needs to be written as if this is someone’s first impression of your business.
You can’t go off on insider-baseball terms on your homepage because this is an introduction to your brand, honey.
4. Paint word pictures of problems and transformations
One of the most valuable tools in a copywriter’s arsenal is the ability to paint a word picture.
This tool is most helpful when you’re describing the transformation your ideal client wants.
In fact, “transformation” is probably the thesis of all copywriting.
People don’t actually want what you’re selling. They want the transformation it’s going to get them.
Here’s an example:
Before writing a word picture:
“Get Coached On Your Money Problems”
After writing a word picture:
“After our time together, you’ll not even remember the anxiety you once had opening your banking app. You’ll still have to deal with your kids not wanting to do their homework, or your dog eating your shoes, but managing your money? You’ll own that like a BOSS.”
See? Aren’t word pictures fun?
5. Lean into a unique brand voice
As a coach, I would loooove for your followers or subscribers to open an email from you or see a post and immediately know that you’re the one who wrote it.
Having a unique brand voice as a coach is a huge asset for your brand because, frankly, a lot of coaches sound the same.
[Insert aspirational, tough-love, professional-but-bland tone here,] and you have your typical coach selling online.
But if you can refine your unique voice, and consistently write in that tone every time you create copy for your business, you’ll be able to create consistent brand awareness with your audience.
6. Address objections head-on
THIS is the number one tip that will take you out of sketchy-online-coach territory and into legit and ethical business owner territory.
Like we established at the beginning of this post, audiences are skeptical of coaches these days. They will have a lot of objections on the way to buying from you.
Make sure you address these objections head-on in your copy.
Such objections may be:
– “How do I know this will work for me?”
– “Do you offer guarantees?”
– “Is this price worth it?”
– “What if I don’t have time for coaching right now?”
– “I’ve invested in coaches before and have been underwhelmed, how do I know you’re different?”
Hard questions, right? The good news is that a lot of coaches aren’t willing to answer the hard questions. When you are clear and candid about the answers to these objections, that helps your audience trust you more.
*Pro Tip: Poll your audience (anonymously if you have to) on what their objections are. That will help you get real-time feedback on your offers and understand their perception of you.
7. Get your story straight and tell it clearly
And by “your story”, I actually mean “your client’s story.”
Storytelling is an amazing marketing tactic for coaches specifically, because as we talked about, the transformation is what people really want.
A lot of coaches create powerful marketing with storytelling because they have a personal story to tell. (For example, a health coach who struggled with an autoimmune disease, or a sales coach who used to suck at sales.)
However, the most important aspect of storytelling is that your target audience sees themselves within your story – not that you’re sharing your personal business all over the internet.
All that to say, you don’t have to be overly personal if you don’t want to be. You just have to get good at telling your client’s stories.
Copywriting for coaches doesn’t have to be hard – in fact, it can be the best expression of your business
As a coach, and someone who really cares about providing an amazing experience for your clients, I hope you look at these copywriting tips as a fun way to express the things you’re really passionate about.
And actually, when you start breaking the typical online coaching norms and do things your own way, copywriting can be really fun!
But if you still need help writing dynamic, conversational copywriting for your coaching business, I am just the girl for the job.
Here’s how I can help you:
Check out my copywriting services: I can help you sound like yourself, only better. As a coach, this can help you stand out online in a MAJOR way. Take a look at my copywriting services here to learn more about how I can help you.
More tips in my newsletter: My email subscribers get exclusive insights on marketing, copywriting, and storytelling to apply to your brand. Subscribe to the wired & inspired newsletter here to get tips, tricks, and entertaining stories in your inbox.
Coffee date discovery call: Ready to discuss how your brand can benefit from done-for-you website or sales copy? Schedule your virtual coffee chat to talk about writing copy that converts.
Connect with me on social media if you want more conversational copywriting tips on your feed.
