Three ways to build your audience as a new coach
Do you have an offer ready to go, but barely any eyes on it, and you're not sure how anyone is actually supposed to find you? ✨
Before you can sign clients, you need people who know you exist. In episode 11 of the Soul & Strategy podcast, I'm breaking down the three ways to build your audience as a new coach, counsellor, or practitioner, and which one I'd actually recommend starting with.
Listen to the full episode above (episode 11), or keep reading below.
The framework: time versus money
Every visibility strategy comes down to a trade-off between time and money. Some options cost you almost nothing financially but take a lot of time to build momentum. Others move faster but require a real budget. Knowing where each one sits on that spectrum helps you choose what actually makes sense for where you're at right now.
Option one: organic content
This is anything you create yourself: social media posts, a newsletter, a podcast like this one. It costs you nothing financially, but it costs a lot of time, not just to create, but to experiment, build your content skills, and actually create enough momentum for people to find you. Growth through organic content alone tends to be slow, especially at the start, because you're building an audience completely from zero.
Why it still matters: organic content is where you nurture people once they arrive, sharing your perspective, your story, and what you're actually working on. It's the foundation your own community gets built on, even if it's not the fastest way to grow.
Option two: tapping into other people's audiences
This is one of the most effective ways to grow early on, and it's exactly how I found my first clients. Instead of building your audience entirely from scratch, you borrow reach from someone who already has an established one, through a podcast guest appearance, a collaboration post, an Instagram live together, or a co-hosted workshop.
Why this works so well: it's cross-pollination. When I taught yoga, my very first workshops were all collaborations, because the people I partnered with already had their own audience, and filling the room became a shared effort instead of something I had to do entirely alone.
The key is choosing a collaborator who serves a similar audience but isn't a direct competitor. As a business coach, I wouldn't collaborate with another business coach; I'd look for someone in social media strategy or money mindset instead, someone who touches a related topic without competing for the same offer. That way, you're adding value together rather than standing in each other's way.
This still takes time: setting up conversations, finding the right people, planning the collaboration, but it costs very little money, which makes it a strong option when you're just starting out.
Option three: ads
Ads are the fastest way to get people in the door, especially for a specific workshop or offer. But here's the important caveat: ads only accelerate what's already working (or not working). If your messaging isn't landing yet, or your offer isn't validated, putting money behind it won't fix that. It usually just means people won't click through, or they'll land on your page and still not sign up, because the mismatch was already there before the ad.
That's why ads make the most sense once you already have some proof that your messaging and offer resonate. And a specific tip here: run ads to a freebie or lead magnet, not just to get people to follow you. Getting followers alone rarely justifies the spend, but driving people to a workshop or free resource tends to convert into an audience that actually sticks around, and eventually becomes clients.
Where to actually start
If you're early in building your business, focus on organic content and collaborations first. Your own content matters because it gives you a home base, a place where people get to know your voice and perspective. But for most people who aren't coming from a social media background, organic content alone takes a long time to build real traction.
Collaborations solve that gap. They bring new people in faster, and then your own content is what nurtures them from there. Once your messaging and target audience feel clear enough, that's the point where ads start to make sense, not before.
Key takeaways
Every visibility strategy sits somewhere on a spectrum of time versus money; know which trade-off makes sense for your current stage.
Organic content is slow to build early on, but it's essential for nurturing the people who do find you.
Collaborating with someone who serves a similar audience without competing directly is one of the fastest ways to grow without starting from zero.
Ads accelerate what's already working; they don't fix an offer or message that hasn't been validated yet.
Start with organic content and collaborations, then layer in ads once your messaging and audience are clear.
Ready to find your first collaboration?
If you haven't done any collaborations yet, take a moment to think about who's already in your network. Who serves a similar audience to yours without being a direct competitor? Who could you do an Instagram Live with, or co-host a workshop with?
If you are a qualified coach, counsellor, or practitioner and you want to get your first paying client but don’t know where to focus, I currently offer a free 30-min session where we look at your vision, where you’re currently standing, and what’s missing to reach those first paying clients - on the soul, self and strategy level.
Book your free Soul Business Start-Up Session
Listen to the full episode (episode 11) on YouTube, Spotify or Apple for the complete breakdown, and if this resonated with you, follow the Soul & Strategy podcast so you don't miss what's next.
I'd love to hear what collaboration idea you come up with! Come share it with me via DM or comment under the podcast post on Instagram @sabinelehnhardt.
With love,
Sabine 🤍
