How do you use Facebook to get coaching clients? 

Today, you learn how to use Facebook for coaches while spending less than an hour on the platform every day. In fact, I and my clients have used these strategies to cross five and six figures in sales thanks to Facebook.

Ready to learn more? Read on. 

How to use Facebook as a coach

How to use Facebook groups to get your first coaching clients

How to use your own Facebook group to build an audience

How to use Facebook livestreams to grow your business

How to use Facebook for coaches

Want to know how you can use Facebook as a coach? 

The thing is: 

Facebook can be a great way to grow your coaching business. How do I know? 

Because I used it to grow a 6-figure business in four months even though I had just started my coaching business.

How I used Facebook to start my coaching business

At the time, I didn’t really see Facebook as a sales channel. I actually just started hanging out in Facebook groups and realized that small business owners needed help with what I was doing at my job at the time — digital advertising. 

I started answering people’s questions and engaging with them, all with the intention of figuring out if I could make an income with my digital advertising skills. 

That’s how I came in touch with someone who was asking for help with her Facebook ads. I answered her question and asked her to help me with some market research in return for a free coaching call. She said yes.

After our call, I continued to help her with her questions over the next few weeks. At this point, I had given a ton of value and she saw just how much she could learn from me. That’s when she asked me if we could work together — and I got my first client. 

By now I had seen how powerful Facebook could be for my coaching business, so I started creating content and engaging in Facebook groups every day. I also added on livestreams and eventually, I started my own Facebook group.

In my first four months, I ended up selling digital advertising coaching for six figures. This was enough to replace my 6-figure annual salary, so I decided it was a good time to quit my job.

While Facebook wasn’t the reason I scaled my business from six figures up, I did use it to build stronger relationships with my audience over the next few months. 

For example, I created a launch methodology that I used to launch my online course. That strategy included running challenges in my Facebook group. In part thanks to the engagement I built up in my group, I was able to grow my business to over a million dollars in a year. You can read my full story here.

(A caveat here so you don’t get the wrong idea: Facebook was a cog in the wheel that helped me get there, but the reason I was able to scale was because I used email marketing, ads, and other marketing strategies.)

Of course, it’s not just me. My clients have successfully grown 5- and 6-figure businesses using Facebook as a marketing channel. 

For example, that was the case with Claudia, an energy worker, and Anna, a college admission consultant. 

Some other students include Spencer, a mindset coach, and Susan, a sales coach. Both have highly successful Facebook groups they use to this day to grow their businesses. 

How to use Facebook for coaches 

Look:

Facebook CAN be a great way to start acquiring leads and clients for your business.

But you absolutely must use it in the right way.

What I often see is that people go to Facebook and start selling. But that’s not at all how Facebook works. 

Think about it:

I bet you go to Facebook to see what’s going on, maybe get a bit of entertainment and a break from work, and possibly to learn something new. 

That’s exactly how you should use the platform as a business, too. 

Start by engaging and building connections — that’s how sales will come. 

The way you do this is by publishing your own content (both written content and livestreams) and engaging in groups. 

Want to learn how? 

Next, I’m going to share the exact step-by-step strategy you can use to get your first coaching clients on Facebook. 

How to use Facebook groups to get your first coaching clients

Listen:

As a brand new coach, people probably don’t know who you are or the great results you can help them get. 

That’s why they’re not jumping at the chance to work with you.

You need to put yourself in front of them and show them how you can help. But creating your own audience from scratch takes time. 

A much faster way (that will help you leave your 9-5 much sooner) is to start by leveraging other people’s audiences. 

What does this mean?

Well, other people have already built Facebook groups where your ideal clients hang out. 

You can participate in those groups in a respectful way (by following the rules and offering value to group members) and that way, connect with potential clients. 

Here are the steps to take.

#1: Find the right groups

Start by researching groups you can join.

It’s simple — just type in keywords into Facebook’s search bar and check out the group section. 

For example, as a health coach, you might search for “health tips” or “weight loss.”

Join the groups that look like engaged groups with people who are potential clients. (You might need to join a few to figure out which groups work the best for you). 

But you might be thinking: 

“Should I join groups that don’t allow self-promotion? After all, I’m on Facebook to promote my services…”

And the answer is:

Yes, you should!

Social media is not about selling so just because you can’t directly post your offers in groups, you can connect with people.

Of course, if you can share your offers once in a while — great! But it’s not a must-have for getting clients. 

#2: Create content to share in groups

The next step is to create content to share in the groups you join.

Your content should be a mix of these three pillars:

#1: Connect

#2: Entertain

#3: Teach 

You can share different types of content, such as share strategies, tips, or stories.

Don’t get stuck on one type of post, but instead, share: 

• Content that helps people interact with each other. For example: Ask people about their interests. 
• Informative content. For example: Share your expertise. 
• Entertaining content. For example: Share fun quizzes and facts. 
• Opinionated content. For example: Ask a question.

In fact, a NYT study shows that people love to share content on Facebook that 

• Delight others with valuable & entertaining content
• Identify and present ourselves to others,
• Foster relationships,
• Self-fulfillment,
• Spreading the word about issues, products & brands

Instead of focusing on just posting written posts, mix up the way you deliver your content. 

Share written posts, livestreams, and pre-recorded videos for the best results. 

That’s how I grew my business to six figures — by sharing these different types of content consistently in groups.

#3: Engage and build connections

Here’s the thing: 

You can’t just get into Facebook groups, publish your posts, and disappear. 

The whole point is to connect with people. 

Do it by starting conversations with them — this can be as simple as answering their questions and adding value where you can.

After all, someone has spent a lot of time on creating the group you’re visiting. Be respectful of that community and adapt your posts according to its vibe. 

#4: Move to the sell 

There are a few ways you can transition to a sales call once you’ve connected with someone who is interested in your services.

First, that person might ask you about how you can work together. 

Second, you might suggest it. After connecting with them for a while (1-2 weeks), you can ask them if they want to learn more about how you can work together. 

A great way to do this when you’re just starting out and you have no testimonials or more “proof” that your services work is to give free coaching calls. These coaching calls are about 15-20 minutes and the idea is that you talk about ONE specific thing that gives people an “aha.” You then transition to your sales call. 

(Pro tip: Use Calendly to schedule your calls and Zoom to host your sales call.)

How to use your own Facebook group to build an audience

What’s even better than tapping into other people’s audiences? 

Simple: Growing your own. 

Ultimately, it’s MUCH easier to sell to your own group. After all, they’re there to listen to what YOU have to say. 

Growing your own group takes time, though. That’s why I recommend that you start with groups that already exist.

Grow your Facebook group

The thing about growing a Facebook group is this:

In the beginning, you have to hustle to get traction. Once a group gets to a certain point, though, it starts growing on its own.

But early on, you absolutely need to promote it to people you talk to, people who sign up for your email list, and on other social media platforms.  

And how do you set up your own Facebook group? Here’s how.

Title and description

One of the most common mistakes new coaches make when they set up their own groups is to not use a strong group title. For example, if I had created a group called “Luisa Zhou’s Business Advice” when I was new to coaching, few people would have likely joined because they wouldn’t have known who I was. 

Another really common mistake is to not use a group description. Make sure you write a description that explains:

• Who the group is for. 
• What the rules of your group are. 
• Who you are. 

Create a community 

The next step is to create a community. 

I recommend that you create a “closed” group (you can choose between Public, Closed, and Private). That way, people can see your group, but they can’t see anything else before joining or spam the group. In turn, you have more control over who joins the group.

You can also ask people to fill in a quick survey where you ask them to commit to your group rules. That way, you can just choose not to accept people who don’t fill in the survey. 

To welcome people to your group, pin a post or video at the top where you ask them to introduce themselves and engage in other ways. Think of it kind of like people hanging out at Starbucks — you want to create a fun, useful, and welcoming community.

Engage your group 

Once you have your group set up, it’s time to start sharing your content.

I recommend that you share at least one post every day, plus go live in your group once a week. And while you might get crickets when you’re just starting your group, once you DO get people who comment and like on your posts — answer them and keep the conversation going.

How to use Facebook livestreams to grow your business

If you’re wondering what my “secret” was to growing so fast, first, know that there are no silver bullets (other than hard work and using your time in the most effective way possible). 

But the thing that helped me connect with people was livestreams. 

You see, it’s one thing to write really great content, but seeing you in real-time and live is just going to be a completely different energy. Video helps you shortcut to connect with your audience.

And the best part about livestreams?

They’re really easy to create. It’s literally you hopping on a live video and sharing a bit of content. 

You don’t need fancy tech. I certainly didn’t have it when I started out. 

On my own Facebook page, you can take a look at my past livestreams. If you look for my older livestreams, you’ll see that it’s just me speaking to people live. (I still do, even though today, I use better lighting and a webcam.)

How to create great livestreams fast 

The thing is:

You need to get good at delivering quality content. If you spend 45 minutes on planning a livestream and then delivering it, it’ll become too big of a process for you to continue doing it.

Use 5-10 minutes to think it through. Write down 3-5 bullets to address the big takeaway you want to offer to people.

Don’t script it out, though — people can tell if you’re reading from a piece of paper. And the whole point of a livestream is that you should connect with people instead of focusing on being perfect. 

A great way to engage people from the start is to jump right into your topic instead of greeting everyone who joins your live. During the live, you then take time to engage with people, like you would in a conversation. 

For example, if you deliver three tips, you might pause between each tip to answer people’s comments. 

You can get more tips here: 

A great way to start your FIRST livestream is to use this script:

“Hi! My name is (your name). I’m here to help (your ideal client) get (result). I believe (share your belief). I’m going to show you how to (your services and process).”

For example:

“Hi! My name is Jane. I’m here to help busy professional women get to their dream weight. I believe that weight loss can be done without spending hours at the gym or eating one grape a day. I’m going to show you how to lose 10 pounds without changing your lifestyle.”  

How to be confident on video

Now, one of the most common things people tell me is, “I don’t feel confident on video.”

Look: 

As an introvert, I know why you might feel this way. When I did my first video, I was so nervous I was sweating bullets (yes, TMI but you get the point). 

I couldn’t even watch the reply because I knew I would regret posting it so much! 

But creating video content is a skill you develop (just like every skill you learn to do in your business).

It takes a bit of time to master it, but once you do, it feels so natural to get in front of that camera. 

Today, I’ll just hop on a video and share my content in one take and actually enjoy the process. 

Take a look at this short video where I share more about getting comfortable on video: 

Want to learn more?

There you have it. Now you know how to use Facebook for coaches.

What it comes down to is building relationships and being genuinely helpful. Sales will follow if you help people to trust you and see how much you can help them.

Next:

What’s your #1 Facebook marketing question?

Let me know in the comments below. 

Want to learn more about using social media for your coaching business? Read the full guide here.