Lead Generation for Coaches (How to Make Social Media Work for You)

Ever wonder why some coaches with a small following get more leads than those with thousands of connections?

It’s not luck.

It’s because they’ve set up their LinkedIn profile to do the selling for them.

And they follow a ridiculously simple strategy that most people ignore.

I know this because I used to be a coach.

I ran a career coaching business for six years, so I get the struggle. Posting all the time, trying to grow an audience, and still wondering why the leads aren’t coming in.

It took a lot of mistakes to figure it out.

So if this is something that you are struggling with, let’s fix that.

Step 1: Make Your Profile Work for You

Your LinkedIn profile is your landing page.

In fact, it probably get's more views than your website.

When people view your profile, is it easy for them to understand what you do, how you can help, and where to next?

Most coaches don’t. But you can. Here’s how:

• Impactful Banner: Your banner is prime real estate. It should scream who you help and how. Canva makes this easy, or you can hire someone on Fiverr. Keep it clean and professional.
• Client-Centric Headline: Forget fancy job titles. Instead, be crystal clear about who you help and what you do. Example: Helping Entrepreneurs Scale Without Burnout. Simple. Direct. Effective.
• Polish Your About Section: Here’s an easy structure:

- What you do.

- Who you help.

- Why they should trust you (testimonials, experience, achievements).

- A simple reason to connect with you.

Keep it short, punchy, and focused on them. Check out some great examples here.

• Add a Call-to-Action (CTA): Not everyone is ready to book a call. Give them an easy next step, like a free guide or an email course.
• Use the Featured Section: This is where you show off. Testimonials, case studies, your best posts—make it easy for potential clients to see your value.
• Turn on Creator Mode: This switches your default button from “Connect” to “Follow.” If you post valuable content, this helps build an engaged audience.

Make these tweaks, and your profile will start working for you, not against you.

Step 2: Create Content That Engages

Forget about trying to go viral. You don’t need 100,000 views to get clients.

You need the right people engaging with your content.

Here’s how to make that happen:

• Change Your KPIs: Stop obsessing over likes. Instead, focus on:

- How many ideal clients engage with your posts.

- How many conversations your content sparks.

- Whether your content comes up in conversations with potential clients during discovery calls.

• Tell More Stories: Case studies. Client transformations. Real-life examples. One post a week like this builds massive trust.
• Talk About Your Clients’ Problems: Need ideas? Record your coaching calls (with permission), transcribe them, and turn the key insights into posts. Your audience is telling you what they want to hear—you just have to listen.
• Post Consistently (Not Constantly): Three solid posts per week beats daily low-effort ones. Think quality over quantity.

Do this, and your content will attract people who actually need your help.

Step 3: Build an Email Conversion System

Posting on LinkedIn is great, but don’t rely on it entirely.

People need multiple touchpoints before they buy. That’s where an email list comes in.

Here’s how to build one without being spammy:

1. Offer an Educational Email Course (EEC) This is the best lead magnet for coaches. Instead of a generic PDF, offer a short, structured email course. Focus on a specific outcome your audience wants. Example: How to Overcome Burnout in 5 Days 5 Steps to Mastering Your Career Transition.
2. Make Your CTA Obvious Example: Join my free 5-day course on [specific outcome] and get actionable insights daily. Put this in your About and Featured sections.
3. Plug Your LinkedIn Posts End some of your posts with a CTA: Struggling with [problem]? Grab my free guide on [solution]. Link in my profile.
4. Pin Your EEC to Your Featured Section Your profile visitors should see your email course first thing. Make signing up easy.
5. Automate Everything Set up an automated email sequence so leads are nurtured without you lifting a finger.

With this setup, you’re no longer just hoping people remember you. You’re staying top of mind, building trust, and making it easy for them to take the next step.

Step 4: Start Conversations (Without Feeling Like a Salesperson)

Content and email lists are great.

But clients come from conversations.

So how do you start them naturally?

• Engage with People Who Engage With You Check who’s liking your posts. See who signed up for your lead magnet. Track who’s opening your emails.
• Send a Simple, Friendly Message "Hey [Name], I saw you liked my post on [topic]. What stood out to you?"
• Ask About Their Challenges "A lot of my clients struggle with [pain point]. Does that sound familiar?"
• Offer to Help (Not Sell) "I wrote a guide on this. Want me to send it over?"
• Make It Easy to Book a Call If they’re interested, drop your Calendly link casually. No pressure.

You’re not selling. You’re helping.

And when you approach it this way, people want to work with you.

Final Thoughts

With a few simple tweaks, everything changes.

Once you optimise your profile, create client-focused content, and capture leads properly, you’ll have:

? A profile that attracts inbound leads

? A content system that turns connections into clients

? A lead nurture strategy that works 24/7

You don’t need more engagement.

You need a system that turns engagement into conversions.

Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t just to be popular.

It’s to grow your business.

Otherwise… what’s the point?

If we haven’t already met, I’m Mohammed and I ghostwrite content for Coaches so they spend less time marketing and more time coaching.

?Here are 3 ways that I can help you:

1. Funnels - I can build you a system to convert your social media attention into leads. Click here to learn more.
2. Free Course - If you prefer to do it yourself, I've created a free course for coaches showing you how. Get access here.
3. Newsletter - My weekly newsletter written by a coach for coaches. Subscribe here.