Happy New Year! If you’re a health, life, spiritual (or anything in between!) coach who is seeking to grow their coaching business in 2023, then this is for you.

I’m going to share 23 ideas you can implement that will help you get in front of new people, and connect with them – which for me is the foundation of getting more clients and customers. Not all of these ideas will be right for every coaching business but some of them could be the perfect fit for you.

I’m sure plenty of these will be familiar ideas, but there are a few ones that might be new to you, so read on and get inspired!

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1. Blogging

I’m a massive fan of blogging for growing a coaching business. When more and more of us are turning away from social media, blogging offers us a great opportunity to find new people and grow our email lists via content we create that has lots of longevity.

You can find out more about how to use blogging to market your coaching business here, and if you like the idea of starting a blog or growing your existing blog, check out my free Blog Post Checklist below which gives you a handy list of all the things you need to add to a blog post so it gets seen and helps you grow your business.

2. Podcasting

Podcasting isn’t anything new, and in fact many people believe that podcasting is saturated. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth – podcasting is still a massive untapped opportunity and in relation to other methods of marketing it still holds its own.

Whether that’s starting a podcast to grow your coaching business or being a guest on other peoples podcasts, podcasting is still a very relevant growth strategy for coaching businesses in 2023.

3. YouTube + Long form video

Video is booming – but it’s not only the short form videos you see on Instagram and TikTok. YouTube has over 2.6 billion users worldwide and is the second biggest search engine after Google. It’s a fantastic place to be found by your ideal clients and like blogging, your content can have a lot of longevity on the platform due to that search functionality.

YouTube has adopted short form video in the form of YouTube Shorts, but unlike some other platforms they seem to have found the right balance with their original form of content – longer form video. I don’t think there’s any other platform quite like YouTube so it’s still pretty unique when it comes to that kind of video.

If you enjoy creating video but find creating the shorter ones frustrating then YouTube is definitely worth a try!

4. Pinterest

Pinterest is another one of my favourites, it’s a platform that I’ve personally had a lot of success on (I have 94,000 followers over there!)

Like all platforms, the way Pinterest works has shifted lately but it’s still a really great place to get your content seen – particularly if you’re a business to consumer coach such as a health or life coach. You’re not going to get quite as many clicks back to your website as you used to do but it’s a great place for brand awareness and getting found.

If you’re interested in learning more about Pinterest I share a Pinterest Marketing Strategy for Coaches here, you can also check out my course Pinterest Magic, and grab my free Pinterest Marketing Planner for Coaches below:

5. Webinars

Webinars are pretty much a mainstay of the online business world. They’re not only a good way to attract new people to your email list, if you do them well they can warm people up really quickly and help you sell your services and offers too!

6. Sponsorships

This might not be top of mind when it comes to growing a coaching business but it’s definitely something to consider. It’s in the same wheelhouse as paid ads, but for me sponsorships are more like partnerships.

Think sponsoring an online event you know your ideal clients will be getting involved in so you’re more prominent or booking a table or stand at a local event. This could even be sponsoring a podcast you know your ideal clients listen to.

7. Bundles

A bundle is where you share an online product you have created within a ‘bundle’ of other products from other creators in order to have new people join your list when they sign up for your thing. Bundles usually have an organiser who sells the bundle at a heavily discounted price compared to the cumulative value of all of the products inside, making it an awesome deal.

Bundles work through collective action, a kind of ‘cross pollination’ of all of the contributors’ existing audiences. They can be extremely effective, I’ve just added over 700 subscribers to my email list as a result of taking part in one.

Most of the time bundle organisers also have an affiliate deal so when you share the bundle with your audience you get back a large percentage of the cost (often 50-70%) so its a win win!

In order to participate in a bundle, or indeed create one, you need to have a digital product of some kind.

My course Super Simple Passive Income teaches you how to create a small digital product so do check that out if creating something like that is on your list for 2023!

8. Summits

A summit is another example of collective action and is where an organiser brings together a range of people around a topic or niche where you get to share some of your expertise in the form of a presentation or interview – it’s basically a big online event.

You and your business benefit from getting in front of lots of new people and often you’re able to share a freebie so you have the opportunity to build your list too!

You can benefit from a summit by taking part in one or hosting your own. My client Alex runs the Rise Up Rooted Symposium and it’s wildly successful!

9. Micro Audio Summit

Similar to a regular summit, a micro audio summit is, well, a smaller summit that is just audio based!

I love this idea, you can learn more about it from Wendy Breakstone who explains it in her video here.

10. Challenges

Running an online challenge is still something that is a super effective way to engage new people, connect with them and even sell to them.

If you need any evidence that challenges are still effective, Gabby Bernstein and Denise Duffield Thomas – two big online coaches are running challenges right now – they work when it comes to business growth. Personally I think they work even better when it’s for business to consumer like health and life coaches.

If you want to dive into running a challenge then check out my programme Enchanting Challenges that gives you a full blueprint for running your own super successful online challenge!

11. Networking events on and offline

It might be old school but connecting with people via specific networking events or even just attending an event with the intention of networking with people and telling them about yourself and your work is a great way to spread the word about what you do.

The person you might talk to may not be your ideal client but they might know someone who it, so I always believe networking is worth the effort!

12. Workshops (in person)

Running free or paid workshops in person where you’re sharing your expertise can be a great way to get in front of new people and form new connections.

If you want to work with corporate businesses or local organisations either pitching them a workshop idea or offering to run one for free – more on this in a sec – can be a good business growth idea.

Running workshops for free might not sound like it makes business sense, but it can help you build rapport with a business and ultimately you are getting to connect with the people you have in the room who could be potential clients if you pick the right organisation / workshop topic.

13. Paid Live Trainings

A paid live training is in a similar vein to a workshop or even webinar, however what sets a PLT aside for me is that it’s about teaching something you’ve done in such a way as the people watching it can then go and repeat that process.

Elizabeth Goddard has an excellent course that teaches you everything you need to know on how to run a PLT (affiliate link)

PLT’s can be great for helping you grow your business because when the topic is right and it’s priced in the right way they can actually work to attract new people into your world.

14. Voxer Based Coaching

If you’re not familiar with Voxer, it’s a smart phone app (and a desktop version) which enables you to chat back and forth with another person Walkie Talkie Style.

Voxer based coaching is popular as a paid option within coaching programmes but you can also use this to grow your business in a time effective way because you can chat with several people on the go if needed rather than doing individual calls.

Why not offer some Voxer coaching hours as a lead magnet to attract new people on to your list? Once you’re chatting to them on Voxer you can also use that to build connection with them.

15. Flyers and Leaflets

Another super old school idea but a good one! I will often say to my clients who are newer coaches not to discount seeking clients locally and in person while their more online and global presence builds.

Leaving flyers and leaflets with details of you and your business that is compelling enough to get people to contact you – and leaving them in the right places can be a great way to get in front of new people!

16. Paid Ads

Paid Ads, whether that’s Facebook, Instagram or Google (or even Pinterest!) ads can be an effective way to get your business in front of new people but you absolutely need the right strategy to make them work or else they can become a massive drain of money.

However, once you nail what’s working they can really help you skyrocket your business. One of my clients used Facebook and Instagram ads to add 200 people on to her list in her first 4 months of business so they can absolutely work!

17. Guest Posting

Guest posting can take a number of different forms. Perhaps it’s sharing a blog post on another coaches website or maybe it’s submitting an article to a website like Mind Body Green or Elephant Journal.

It could even include having an article featured on the online website for a standard in print magazine (just try and contact the online features editor for the magazines you think your ideal clients are reading).

Guest posting obviously helps you get seen my new people but can also support your business growth because it can lead to backlinks which help your website SEO.

18. Facebook Group

I know a lot of us are quite frankly a bit pissed off with social media these days but I couldn’t not include some of these platforms because they do still offer some great opportunities for business growth. Facebook is a funny one these days but something I do still think can work well is a Facebook Group. It’s one of Facebook’s more unique features that isn’t really replicated elsewhere.

If you get a good number of people into a group and the engagement is good then I do still think a Facebook group can work well, they can actually be fairly self sustaining once enough people are in. In the past when I was a health coach I filled my Facebook group via running online challenges so these two strategies have the potential to work together really well.

19 & 20. TikTok & Instagram

I’m sticking these ones together because what I have to say about them is pretty much the same.

Yes, they have their issues but they are still a good place to get found and seen. Something I’ve noticed lately is that both platforms seem to be taking more of a search engine type approach – I even noticed TikTok sharing ads on Pinterest suggesting you use it in a very similar way to how I would see people using Pinterest itself!

So I’ll be really interested to see how both of these platforms develop this year and whether either of them push the more search based user experience than just the follow and scroll.

21. Word of Mouth

Before there were computers or phones or newspapers or books there was word of mouth! Never discount the power of word of mouth when it comes to growing your business.

Tell everyone you meet about what you do. I told my builder about my business and you wouldn’t think he’d know anyone who would be a potential ideal client but on his next job the woman he was working for was a yoga teacher – and while that’s not 100% my ideal client she could have still benefited from one of my courses or programmes so it just goes to show!

I think one of the most helpful things we can do when it comes to word of mouth is to be memorable. Whether that’s a strong and distinctive brand, or a very clear message, when we have these things it makes it easier for us to benefit from word of mouth.

22. Referrals and Affiliates

Referrals and affiliates are basically incentivised word of mouth! Referrals might be on a more casual basis where you refer clients who are not such a great fit for you to another coach and vice versa, or can be more formal where there’s a referral fee exchanged.

Affiliates are basically a more automated version of that and often come into play with online courses and programmes where some affiliate software is used to track sales from a unique affiliate link.

Your business can grow and benefit from having referrals and affiliates that promote your offers or via you sharing the offers from someone else and getting a financial kick back.

23. Direct Video Connection

We all know that video is where it’s at these days but outside of marketing content I’m also a big fan of using video on a more intimate level when it comes to building connections with the people who are taking that step into your world.

Whether it’s videos on sales pages, videos as part of client onboarding or video or audio messages when people join your list, anything you do such as this which deepens connection with people is ultimately going to help you get more clients and customers.

So there we have it, 23 ways you can grow your health or life coaching business in 2023!

I’d love to know which of these ideas you’ll try, let me know in the comments!

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