Instagram for Coaches: 5 Tips

As a coach, chances are good that you’ve already leveraged the power of social media in service of growing your business or advancing your personal brand. There’s a strong rationale behind investing in a social media presence: Consider that, in January 2014, the Pew Internet Project found that 74 percent of online adults used social networking sites. Meanwhile, in late 2014 BI Intelligence found that Americans spend more time on social media than any other major Internet activity, including email.

Although LinkedIn is still the preferred social media platform for coaches, followed by Facebook, Twitter and Google+, a growing number of professional coaches are turning to Instagram to promote their offerings and cultivate their personal brands.

Financial Coach Ashley Feinstein, ACC (USA), uses a variety of social media platforms, but says that Instagram is one of her favorites. “I love the Instagram platform because it’s a fun way for my family, friends and followers to get to know me and what I am up to,” she explains.

Instagram isn’t the right social media platform for every coach, but if you have basic smartphone-photography skills, a passion for visual storytelling and a target client demographic that you know to be engaged with the platform, it’s worth educating yourself in a few IG basics.

Keep these 5 tips in mind as you build your Instagram presence.

1. Focus on producing quality content.

You can post a powerful conversation starter on your Facebook page, share a provocative article on LinkedIn and tweet inspirational quotes on Twitter. While these are all activities that demand common sense and careful curation, no specialized technical expertise is required. However, to successfully build your Instagram brand, it pays to invest time and energy in honing your smartphone photography skills. At a minimum, brush up on the basics of composition, pay attention to lighting, and commit to taking multiple shots of the same thing in order to select the best photo for your post.

2. Caption with care.

Many immature brands litter their Instagram captions with hashtags in an attempt to net more likes and followers. Resist this temptation, and instead focus on short, thoughtful captions that enhance your followers’ appreciation and understanding of the image you’ve shared. However, this doesn’t mean you need to forgo hashtags altogether: Used judiciously, they’re a powerful way to build buzz around your brand and help you connect with current and prospective clients. Consider creating a hashtag specific to your business (e.g., #janedoecoaching) or an element of your brand (#WealthyWednesday is a favorite of Ashley’s) that helps tie some or all of your posts together.

3. Invite engagement.

As with any social media platform, create opportunities for your followers to engage with you—and even with one another. You might choose to include a discussion question in your photo caption, encourage followers to use a shared hashtag in posts around a common topic or even organize an Instagram “challenge” with a unifying hashtag (e.g., post a photo of something you’re grateful for 20 days or share one step you’re taking toward your goals).

4. Share words of wisdom.

Although photos will probably comprise the bulk of your Instagram feed, inspiring words are welcome, too. “I love sharing inspirational quotes or tips with my followers,” Ashley says. If you have a knack for hand-lettering, you might choose to photograph a page from your sketchbook or notebook. However, if handwriting isn’t your strong suit, there are a host of easy-to-use apps and software options that enable you to pair text and image for social sharing. (Two popular options for Instagram marketing are Canva, a free, web-based software service, and a paid app, called A Beautiful Mess.)

5. Instagram with integrity.

Your personal brand is just that—it’s about who you are, and not just what you do—and Instagram is a great platform to let your authentic personal brand shine. Use Instagram as a means of connecting your coaching business with the experiences and passions that make you, you. “I do a mix of personal and business-related posts,” Ashley says. In addition to motivational quotes and snapshots from her coaching business (e.g., workshops, networking events), her followers have also gotten a behind-the-scenes look at her culinary experiments, holiday celebrations and, most recently, wedding festivities. Although she acknowledges that her Instagram has not opened up any new revenue opportunities (i.e., she hasn’t yet acquired a new client because of her Instagram presence), she says her integration of personal and business-related content helps enhance her relationship with existing clients who follow her online.