Do you get nervous when client work slows down? You’re not alone! Many coaches and consultants rely on word-of-mouth and referrals to find new clients. While referrals are amazing, they can be unpredictable. Some months you might get several new clients, and other months… crickets.
It’s like having only one road to your house. If that road gets blocked, nobody can reach you! Smart business owners build multiple roads to make sure clients can always find them.
Why Most Coaches and Consultants Limit Themselves
Why do coaches and consultants limit themselves to one or two traffic sources?
- Comfort zone: You tend to do what feels familiar
- Time worries: Trying new methods seems time-consuming
- Overwhelm: With so many options, it’s hard to know where to start
- Past success: If referrals worked before, why change?
But relying on just one or two methods is risky.
Here are seven client-finding paths you might be missing out on, and how to use them to keep your calendar full!
7 Traffic Sources You Should Consider
- Strategic Partnerships
Think about businesses that serve the same clients but don’t compete with you. For example, if you’re a business coach, you might partner with:
- Accountants
- Website designers
- Social media marketing agencies
You can:
- Refer clients to each other
- Host joint workshops
- Create package deals together
Quick Win: Make a list of five potential partners and reach out to one this week for a virtual coffee chat.
- Podcast Guest Appearances
People who listen to podcasts are often looking to learn and grow – perfect for coaching services! And the best part? You don’t need your own podcast.
- Find podcasts your ideal clients listen to
- Pitch yourself as a guest with specific topics you can talk about
- Prepare valuable tips to share (not just promoting yourself)
Quick Win: Check out PodcastGuests.com to find shows that match your expertise.
- Niche Online Communities
Your dream clients are already gathering online, talking about their challenges. Places to find them include:
- Facebook Groups
- Skool communities
- Reddit communities
- Industry forums
Don’t just jump in and promote yourself! Instead:
- Answer questions helpfully (no promotion)
- Share resources
- Become known as a helpful expert
Quick Win: Join one new online community where your ideal clients hang out and spend 10 minutes there daily for a week responding to posts and creating value in the community.
- Speaking Engagements
Speaking positions you as an expert instantly! And you don’t need huge conferences to start:
- Local business groups
- Chamber of Commerce meetings
- Virtual summits
- Lunch and learn events
Quick Win: Create one 20-30 minute presentation on a problem your ideal clients face, then contact local organizations to offer it for free.
- SEO-Optim
ized Case Studies
ized Case StudiesCase studies show real results and help people see what working with you might be like. When optimized for search engines, they can bring traffic for years!
Create case studies that:
- Focus on specific problems you solved
- Include the exact phrases people search for
- Tell a before-and-after story
- Include client quotes
Quick Win: Write one case study about your favorite client success and include the exact phrases your ideal clients might search for.
- Platform-Specific Content
Different platforms reach different audiences. Pick one that matches where your clients hang out:
- Facebook for relationship and community building
- YouTube for in-depth learning
- LinkedIn for B2B coaching
- Instagram for visual approaches
- Threads for authentic conversations and trend-based engagement
The key is to create content specifically for that platform, not just cross-posting the same thing everywhere.
Quick Win: Choose ONE platform and commit to posting consistently for 30 days before adding another.
- Paid Advertising Retargeting
This is a smart way to use a small ad budget. Instead of advertising to everyone, you show ads only to people who have already visited your website or engaged with your content.
This works because:
- These people already know who you are
- They showed some interest already
- You can create messages specific to what they looked at
Quick Win: Set up a simple Google or Facebook retargeting pixel on your website, even if you’re not ready to run ads yet. This starts collecting info about your website visitors so you can then use that data in future marketing efforts.
Which Sources Are Right For YOU?
Not all traffic sources will work equally well for everyone. Ask yourself:
- Which ones match your natural strengths?
- Where do your ideal clients actually spend time?
- What can you realistically commit to consistently?
- Which methods have you enjoyed when you’ve tried them before?
It’s better to do ONE new traffic source well than to try all seven poorly!
How to Test New Traffic Sources
Follow this simple framework:
- Choose one new traffic source from the list
- Commit to testing it for at least 30 days
- Set a small goal like having 5 conversations with potential clients
- Track your results where did new client inquiries come from.
- Adjust your approach based on feedback
- Then decide whether to scale up or try something different
Your Next Steps
- Pick just ONE new traffic source that feels most exciting to you
- Block out time in your calendar to work on it
- Set a simple goal for the next 30 days
- Take action before your brain talks you out of it!
Your business deserves multiple paths for clients to find you. The best time to build a new road is before you desperately need it!
What new traffic sources are you going to check out this week? Click Here to join our Facebook Community and let us know!
