Most likely, you got started as a run coach because you love helping people achieve their running goals. You geek out over the data and nothing feels better than helping a runner crush a workout or achieve a goal they weren’t sure was possible! You wish you could help MORE runners.
But when it comes to marketing on social media, you’re not sure what works. You’ve tried posting about your run coaching services but usually no one sets up a discovery call or takes your poll or replies. You’ve gained clients mostly through word of mouth but you have no proven system to getting more, so your income feels very unpredictable.
If you’re looking for a proven system to grow your run coaching business, I can help. I have implemented a system in my business for the last 8 years that has created a steady flow of new clients to me every single month. I’ve helped hundreds of runners market their businesses on social media.
Here are the 3 biggest mistakes I see coaches repeatedly making when marketing their run coaching services.
3 Marketing Mistakes Run Coaches Make
MISTAKE 1: Focusing on the services the provide and their credentials in their marketing.
Most run coaches advertise their coaching services with a list like this:
- Custom schedule
- Unlimited text communication
- Monthly phone call
And adding things like this:
- RRCA certified run coach
- Experience helping hundreds of runners achieve their goals
While this is all nice to know… it’s pretty boring. It doesn’t set you apart.
And it certainly doesn’t make a runner feel compelled to learn more.
So what should you focus on instead?
You want to start your marketing with your ideal athlete’s desires and problems.
Examples:
- Do you struggle to stay consistent with your running?
- Do you sign up for races but end up injured during training?
- Do you want to set a PR but you your running paces aren’t getting faster?
Grab their attention by connecting with their struggles and goals. Then share a little about how YOU have helped similar clients. Finally, you can list services & your credentials last, as people do want to know them, but it’s not what is going to catch their eye in the first place. (In the most recent Runner Rising podcast I go into detail on how to do this).
MISTAKE 2: Always accepting new run clients online.
I know that sounds crazy, but when you’re ALWAYS taking on new clients online, you’re likely not creating any sense or urgency or scarcity in your marketing. Plus, accepting new client 24/7 can either burn you out OR it can cause you to never really focus on accepting new clients (and not get many).
An Experian report found that promotional or emails conveying a sense of urgency had at least 14% higher click-to-open rates, 59% higher transaction-to-click rates, and twice as high transaction rates compared to their average marketing emails. (source)
What should you do to create urgency?
I recommend opening enrollment to your run coaching services for 7-10 days per month. During this 7-10 period, you create urgency by announcing when enrollment closes (the last day of the month is always a good one, people love a fresh start on the 1st) and letting people know how many spots you have left.
The beauty of this is that you’ll likely enroll ALL of your run coach clients in that window, which helps you streamline your onboarding systems. I also personally find that I really thrive during a “launch” and then I get to relax and focus on supporting my clients, creating content and other business activities during the rest of the month.
MISTAKE 3: Not posting about your run coaching services enough.
According to an informal poll I did on my Runner Rising Instagram, run coaches market their run coaching services far too little. The most common response was 1-3 times per month.
I recommend you announce that you’re bringing on new clients almost every single day during the 10 days before your run coaching enrollment window closes. You also want to announce that enrollment is closed & when it will re-open.
“But isn’t this salesy!? I’m afraid to annoy people” .
No.
- If you’re doing your content right – by adding value & connecting with people – people are going to be signing up with you and cheering for you, not annoyed by you.
- Most people don’t even SEE your content! The odds of them seeing every one of your 7-10 posts is low. (and if they do, they really like you which means they’re more likely to sign up).
- The average client needs to see your “call to action” post more than once in order to take the next step. If you post 2 times, the chances that they’ll even see it one time let alone twice is slim.
Wondering WHAT to post? Again, listen to the runner rising podcast and keep checking your emails because I’m going to be announcing a free marketing workshop for run coaches in April!
Curious to hear your thoughts on this? Feel free to message me on Instagram or send me an email runnerrisingnicole@gmail.com .
Happy marketing! Remember, as the spring racing season is in full swing, people are looking ahead to Fall. How can you position yourself as the run coach they want to work with to crush those big goals?
Want a Business Coach Who Understands Run Coaches?
Hi! I’m Nicole & I want to help you grow your run coaching business.
I want to help you grow your income and work with more of your favorite types of athletes without sacrificing your own training, family & life.
Because the key to being a premium priced run coach with a waitlist of eager athletes has nothing to do with time or even years of experience.
Building the run coaching business of your dreams has everything to do with the value you provide your athletes & how good you are at conveying that value. This is what I teach in the Runner Rising Academy (Plus give you support & accountability to stay consistent).
I have 2 spots open for my 1:1 business coaching program, Runner Rising Academy for motivated run coaches. Get custom guidance on how to improve your marketing so you never have to worry about how to gain new clients. Learn more or Schedule a call now.
