The opportunities for engaging in social media are endless, but it’s also overwhelming to consider being present on all of them. What social media platform is best for coaches? To answer that, we’ll look at the differences between popular social media platforms and a few coaching niches and consider good matches between the two.
Which Social Media Platform Should Coaches Start With?
It is nearly impossible to manage more than a handful of social media platforms while building and running your business by yourself unless you can afford to hire dedicated staff.
The key to successful social media marketing in the early stages is this: whichever platform you choose, learn to manage it well and only add additional social media channels once you have mastered the first. Each social media channel portrays you and your brand.
The graphic below summarizes a handful of major platforms to consider for your social media presence, and why, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. For more details about the demographics who are using these platforms, take a look at the data in the Sproutsocial guide.
Figure 2: Coachilly: Social Media Platforms compared
Dynamics of Popular Social Media Platforms
Facebook (Meta) is the most used social network with over 1.9 billion active users worldwide. It has been around since 2004 and was originally designed as a place where people could connect with their friends and family. Over time, Facebook began to grow into an online community where businesses could advertise and reach customers.
In 2016, Facebook introduced its own video streaming service called Facebook Live which allows businesses to stream live videos directly from their website. This feature has become very popular among brands because they can interact with their audience through live broadcasts.
LinkedIn is another social networking site that was created in 2003. It is primarily focused on professional networking and job searching. It is one of the largest networks in terms of members and companies. LinkedIn offers many different tools for marketers to use such as advertising campaigns, lead generation, content creation, etc. While not every business has a Facebook, Instagram, or other social media account, nearly all of them are presented on LinkedIn.
Instagram was launched in 2010 and is owned by Facebook. It is a highly visual app that allows users to share photos, videos, infographics, carousel cards or swipe files, and other visual content. Many coaches have found their ideal clients by showcasing their services, providing tips, or illustrating solutions to problems their typical coaching clients are facing.
TikTok is a short-form mobile application that was developed by ByteDance in 2017. TikTok’s user base has been growing quickly. TikTok had around 2 billion active monthly users in 2022. TikTok is unique because it allows users to create their own short video clips called “Tik Toks” which can be shared with other people.
TikTok is different from other video apps because it allows users to create short videos with music and share them for free. Think of it as the Twitter version of YouTube – video, but bite-sized. Coaches have begun to catch on and promote their coaching business since the pandemic, but there is still plenty of room to grow as this platform is very receptive to experimentation with new content through prompts (e.g. challenges).
Twitter is a microblogging platform founded in 2006. Its primary purpose is to allow people to post short messages called Tweets. Users can follow each other and receive updates when someone posts something new. Since its start, Twitter has added other features like the ability to write longer messages and add images, but at the core, users like Twitter because it allows getting information quickly and has become the go-to news or trend update source for many.
YouTube is a video-sharing platform that was founded in 2005. It is owned by Google and is the second-largest search engine after Google. This is important: users no longer search for blog post results, but for explainers in form of videos as their second option to find answers.
YouTube hosts billions of hours of video content uploaded by individuals, businesses, educational institutions, and governments. This makes it the number one destination for watching videos. Many have used it effectively to promote their coaching business and establish their audience.
There are many more social media platforms, but we are sticking to the most popular ones as a starting point.
Which Is The Best Social Media Platform For My Coaching Niche?
The answer to this question depends on your coaching niche. If you’re working with a seasoned demographic, then Facebook will work well for you since the audience has aged with the maturing of the platform. You’ll have access to a large audience of potential clients and you can easily target specific groups based on interests.
If you coach athletes, coaches, or parents, then Instagram might be better suited for you. The platform is specifically designed to help brands market products and services to consumers through pictures and videos.
For coaches who work with professionals, LinkedIn is probably the best choice. The platform is perfect for career coaches and business coaches to connect with other professionals. LinkedIn allows for various formats of content and provides those who don’t have their own blog with the opportunity to reach a large audience via their newsletter hosted directly on the platform.
If you complement your coaching with teaching, YouTube is a fantastic way to teach clients with your expertise. The platform has become the second-largest search engine and a great way to showcase coaching services, increase your online presence, and build your brand.
How Many Social Media Platforms Should I Engage On?
When considering your first platform to create your business social media profile and showcase your brand, select the one that fits your demographic, matches the type of social media content you want to publish, and most interests you, because that’s more likely to keep you actively engaged. Start with a single platform and master it before you add too many platforms at once. They all demand different content or formats and engagement styles.
Be selective about what you post but be consistent. If you start posting once a week, keep posting reliably. You will set an expectation with your audience, so don’t disappoint them. Perhaps consider hiring a social media agency or a virtual assistant specializing in social media to get you started for success right from the beginning.
After all, the general public will view your profile as an extension of your business. Regardless of the platform you choose, be sure to provide relevant, top-of-mind content, rather than copy/paste content that your audience will dismiss.
Unengaging posts will likely be ignored, so be sure to mix things up with emotionally engaging content, visually appealing content, small contests, free advice, and entertaining posts.
