Starting a coaching business is an exciting journey, but one crucial component that can make or break your success is your email marketing strategy. As a coach, building an email list is essential for nurturing leads, sharing your message, and growing your client base.

In this guide, I’ll break down why an email list is non-negotiable for your coaching business and which email marketing software will serve you best. For new career and life coaches, Flodesk stands out as an unbeatable option. Let’s dive into why.

Why Email Marketing is a Must for Coaches

Email marketing is all about building relationships. Whether your clients sign up today, tomorrow, or next year, their email addresses are golden opportunities to connect with, nurture, and eventually convert them into paying clients.

Instead of relying solely on social media algorithms to get your message out, email allows you to engage directly with your audience in a more personal way. Think about it: even with excellent social media posts, you might only reach a small fraction of your followers, but with email, you can hit everyone’s inbox. Last I heard our IG and FB posts are only shown to like 6% of our followers, ugh! But your emails are being sent to 100% of your list subscribers.

I know you may have heard that email marketing is just for selling, but pleeeease hear me when I say: Email marketing is WAY more than just a tool to sell on! It’s a medium to build trust, offer value, and give people a reason to continue engaging with your business for years to come. As a coach, your value lies not just in the knowledge you share but in the personal connection you create with your clients that sustains their energy for reaching their most meaningful goals. Email marketing allows you to nurture your new social media connections over time, turning followers into paying clients, and is an important part of a successful online coach’s sales funnel.

Email marketing offers:

– Higher Engagement: Emails are far more likely to be seen, opened, and engaged-with compared to social media posts.

– Deeper Connections: By sending regular, personalized emails, you build trust and establish yourself as an expert in your niche. Plus there’s no character limits keeping you from sharing the full story that your followers want to hear from you but can’t on social media apps alone.

– Sales Opportunities: Your email list is a powerful asset when it comes to selling your coaching programs. With the right strategy, you can turn leads into paying clients seamlessly. Ever wonder how to identify your “hottest leads” when it comes to launching a new coaching program? Your email marketing analytics can show you exactly who is opening and engaging with your emails, so you can target them specifically when it’s time to sell!

The Best Email Marketing Software for Coaches

There are dozens of email marketing tools out there, but when it comes to ease of use, functionality, and beauty, Flodesk is my clear winner (after trying out a few over the years like MailChimp and ActiveCampaign) especially for new coaches who want to create stunning, professional emails without needing a degree in graphic design. As a Business Development Consultant who has helped over 60 new online coaches scale their impact and income, implementing an email marketing software is a critical part of developing an automated sales funnel so you don’t have to be on your phone all day. If you want to be able to post on social media about your lessons learned and wisdom that you share as a coach, and let your automated sales funnel do the rest of the work, you’re going to love Flodesk!

Here’s why Flodesk shines:

– Beautiful Email Templates: With Flodesk, you don’t need to spend hours trying to make your emails look good. Their intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to create gorgeous emails that reflect your brand effortlessly. You can easily pop in your brand’s colors and logo, and they are easy to select as you write your emails.

– No Coding Required: Unlike some email platforms that require HTML knowledge to customize your emails, Flodesk is completely code-free, making it accessible for anyone, regardless of tech-savviness. This means it’s great for you if you’re over there hyperventilating a little bit as you read this blog because it’s feeling “too techy” for you.

– Unlimited Subscribers: Unlike other platforms that charge based on the size of your list, Flodesk offers unlimited subscribers for one flat rate. This is a huge advantage, especially if you’re just starting and want to grow without worrying about your list size. The woooorst thing is having to rebuild all of your automated email campaigns in another email marketing software, so be sure that you pick a platform (like Flodesk) that won’t charge you more as you grow.

– Automation Made Simple: Flodesk’s automation features allow you to easily set up workflows, so your new subscribers can receive a series of emails without you having to manually send them. For example, let’s say you want to send one email to people who open your Lead Magnet email a week afterward to invite them to a free call with you, but you want to remind everyone who didn’t open your Lead Magnet after a week that they still have access to it. That’s what these features help you do with just a few clicks.

– Affordable Pricing: Flodesk offers a straightforward pricing structure. You pay a flat fee, no matter how many subscribers you have, making it more cost-effective than many other tools on the market. You also can include awesome additional features beyond just email marketing, like checkouts, which make it so you can have beautiful checkout pages to sell your offers without needing to learn a whole new software.

For new coaches, the user-friendly interface of Flodesk is a game-changer. You can spend less time worrying about the technicalities of your email marketing and more time connecting with your audience and serving your clients.

How Flodesk Stacks Up Against Other Email Marketing Tools

While Flodesk is my top pick, you might be curious about how it compares to other popular email marketing platforms. 

Let’s take a look:

– Mailchimp: A well-known option with robust features, but as your list grows, it can become quite pricey. Mailchimp’s free plan is limited, and their user interface can feel overwhelming for beginners.

– ActiveCampaign: If you’re ready for advanced automation and need to break down your list into different groups or segments that need different messaging because you sell offers to different audiences, ActiveCampaign is fantastic—but it comes with a steeper learning curve and a higher price point. It’s more suited for seasoned coaches with larger email lists, multiple ideal clients and offers, and a technical team that can take care of all of ActiveCampaign’s complexities for you.

– ConvertKit: Another strong contender, especially if you’re a blogger or creator. ConvertKit offers great segmentation features, but its design options fall short compared to Flodesk’s aesthetic appeal.

Flodesk strikes the perfect balance for new coaches who want simplicity, automation, and design flexibility—all at an affordable price point.

Why You Should Start Your Email List with Flodesk

One of the best things you can do for your coaching business is to build your email list with a platform that will grow with you. Flodesk not only offers ease of use and beautiful design but also the scalability to support your coaching business as your audience expands.

Here are a few more reasons why you should start with Flodesk:

– Automation is a Lifesaver: You’re busy coaching, marketing, and growing your business. With Flodesk’s automation features, you can set up a nurturing email sequence ONCE that works for you in the background for years! Your leads will get all the information they need to learn about who you are and what you do so they are ready to buy from you, and you won’t have to lift a finger!

– No List Limitations: Whether you have 50 or 5,000 subscribers, Flodesk doesn’t charge you extra based on your list size. This means you can focus on growing your audience without worrying about higher costs creeping in as you grow. Which to me feels like a penalty for growing your business, no thanks.

– Stand Out in Your Audience’s Inbox: In today’s crowded digital space, marketing that stands out is key. Flodesk’s simple and beautiful email templates help you make a lasting impression and build a brand that clients remember so every time they get an email from you they actually want to open it.

Setting Up Your Email List

If you’re new to email marketing, the idea of setting up an email list might seem daunting, but it’s simpler than you think. 

Here are the basics:

1. Choose Your Email Marketing Software: To manage your email list and send professional-looking emails, you’ll need email marketing software. I’ll cover the best options below, but trust me when I say, choosing wisely upfront will save you headaches down the line.

2. Create a Lead Magnet: You’ll need to offer something to entice people to join your list, ideally the first step of the transformation your coaching program walks them through. Think of it as the “why” behind them giving you their email address and allowing you to email them. This could be a free ebook, a webinar, or a worksheet you make in Canva.

Examples from my business: Free Coaching Sales Webinar, Free Coaching Niche Workbook

3. Automate Your Follow-Up: Once someone joins your list, don’t leave them hanging. Automate your follow-up emails to provide more points of content to nurture the relationship and encourage them to book a free call to get to know you or sign-up for your coaching program.

Getting Your Lead Magnet Started with Flodesk

Starting your first lead magnet created, published, and shared with Flodesk is straightforward and could be done this week if you’ve got a few hours to work on this important marketing and sales project to grow your coaching business. 

Here’s a quick guide:

1. Sign Up for Flodesk: You can use my affiliate link to get 50% off the first year of your Flodesk’s subscription by clicking this link: https://flodesk.com/c/GFRA8U and set up your account by following these helpful articles from Flodesk.

2. Create Your First Lead Magnet: Whether it’s a free webinar, e-book, or a resource guide, decide on a freebie that speaks directly to your ideal client’s needs now… Like, what are they googling answers to right now? Answer that question for them and talk about your new resource on your social media profiles to get your first few subscribers asap! You can make this resource in a document, fillable PDF, or on Canva, the free graphic design software many online entrepreneurs use for this purpose.

3. Create A Signup Form for Your Lead Magnet: In Flodesk there is a section called “Forms” that you can find in the top menu bar. This is where you will create the form that your social media followers will see when they click the link in your bio to go sign up for your Lead Magnet. If you do your own website editing and want to optimize your landing page by embedding your signup form, check out these seven tips to ensure a high conversion rate. This is where you’ll collect their name, email address, and any other information you need.

4. Set Up Your Automated Workflow: Once someone signs up for your freebie, you’ll want them to receive a series of follow-up emails to nurture the relationship automatically. Keep providing valuable email content and resources, and then you can confidently introduce them to your coaching services once you know they’re interested in what you do! I recommend writing 10-15 emails in this welcome series.

5. Promote Your Lead Magnet On Your Social Media Pages: Now that you have email marketing embedded in your marketing strategy, a lead magnet, a form to automatically collect audience information and send them out the lead magnet, and a welcome series to nurture and pitch your services… It’s time to promote your awesome gift! This can look like sharing social media posts that have a call-to-action at the end that invites them to head to the link in your bio or message you for the link to your signup form for your lead magnet. Check out this blog for help knowing exactly how to format your social media posts so the lesson flows well into the call-to-action.

6. Watch Your Email List & Coaching Business Grow: Once you have your automated marketing and sales funnel set up on Flodesk and are actively inviting people to sign up for your Lead Magnet on your social media pages (or in person with a QR code) you’re on your way to a scalable coaching business – congratulations!! What’s next? Don’t stop promoting your lead magnet, make new lead magnets based on what your audience is asking you about over time, and watch your email analytics to see what needs tweaking to improve your open rates and click rates. But don’t worry, these are terms and details you can learn about over time as you get more comfortable with email marketing and regularly engage with your email list.

Conclusion

As a new career or life coach, email marketing is one of the most powerful tools in your business toolkit. It allows you to connect with your audience, build relationships, and grow your business in a sustainable way. By choosing a platform like Flodesk, you’ll have everything you need to create beautiful, effective email campaigns that nurture leads and turn them into clients.

If you’re ready to take your coaching business to the next level, Flodesk is the email marketing software that will support your growth. Get started today, and see the difference it makes for your business.

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