Considering humans are complex beings, we seem to have whittled success in life and business down to one very simple measure, the size of someone’s Instagram following.

With just a quick flick to someone’s Instagram page, we glance at their following and use this to assess whether we think that person makes more money than us, is more intelligent than us, has more skills than us. In essence, we use social media following to judge whether we think someone is better than us or not. If we see that they have a large following we think, “they must be doing something right”, and we start to follow them so that we can learn from an “expert”.

This is something that is playing out in all areas of life, but for the purpose of this article, I want to focus on the impact this behaviour is having on the coaching world.

I get it, as a coach or an aspiring coach, it’s likely that you’re building an online coaching business, because why wouldn’t you? It gives you the ability to work from wherever you want and to reach clients across the globe. Makes total sense. You’re also building a coaching business in 2021 which means that you’re likely to want to have at least some kind of online presence, even if it’s just a website. 

That’s all well and good, but the problem occurs when we as coaches fall into the trap of thinking our Instagram page is our business and we measure our success and that of others based on Instagram following. 

It’s so easy to fall into this trap, it can happen without us even noticing. But there are some tell-tale signs to look out for. The first is that we start putting all of our energy into Instagram, we start thinking in Instagram captions, we get addicted to making Instagram stories, we obsessively check our following and feel it in our gut if the numbers start to decrease instead of increase. We spend hours doing all of the things we were told to do, “like”, “comment”, “share”, “save” other people’s content to help our own page get the exposure we dream of. And the more we use the platform, the more emotionally invested we become, so the more we need a positive response from others when we put something out.

As well as becoming addicted to Instagram, we forget about the plethora of other ways in which we can market our business and all of the other indicators of a successful business like, positive client feedback, having conversations with people and making real life connections. We even forget simple things like talking to friends and family and asking if they might know anybody who would like to work with us, or emailing people about collaborating on a specific virtual event or discussion. We don’t think of these (simple and effective) marketing tactics because we’ve fallen into the trap of thinking that our business is our Instagram page. 

When stuck in this mindset, we also look to others and idolise those in the coaching space who have large followings. We see what they’re doing and we want to replicate this in some way. This might not even be a conscious act. We spend so much time online that we even forget why we actually wanted to start our own business in the first place. Our business has literally become generating followers and getting likes. We lose sense of our purpose behind what we’re doing and we even lose our unique point of view because we’re consuming so many external voices from the minute we wake up.

Instagram is great, but it isn’t your business! It’s a free marketing tool (which is brilliant), but let’s not forget all of the other ways in which we can market our actual business. Instagram also gives a curated perspective of what is going on in other people’s lives, it doesn’t tell us the real stuff like how much people are actually earning and how many clients they’re really working with behind the scenes.

If you’re reading this as a coach and it feels a little too familiar, there are some things you can do that will help you gain perspective, connect back to your creativity, your unique voice and ultimately ensure that you are building a real life business that supports you and your clients instead of simply putting all of your energy into trying to grow your Instagram following. 

Take some time away from the gram 

We all know how addictive social media platforms like Instagram are, so the best way to get some perspective on how you want to use it as a tool within your business is to take time away from it completely. This could be a few days, a few weeks or even a few months, it’s your call. But giving yourself this space will not only allow you to implement some boundaries around how you want to use it, but also to connect back to your own voice, opinions and ideas.

We consume so much content on a daily basis (a lot without even realising), that it can become easy to end up regurgitating phrases, ideas, concepts that we’ve heard from other people. The best way to ensure your work is unique, aligned to who you are and what you believe in, is to regularly give yourself some time away from the noise of the online world.

Schedule time for a good old fashioned brainstorming session

If you’ve been putting all of your energy into content and lead generation for the gram (or any social media platform), it’s likely that you’ve overlooked a number of easy and effective ways to get your message out there.

As business owners, the stuff we advise other people to do are often the very things we forget to do ourselves. So schedule that day or half day in for a messy brainstorming session where you let all of your ideas flow. Looking at all of the potential opportunities written down in front of you will inspire you way more than spending three hours on Instagram, I promise!

Actively look for ways to make real connections with people and have interesting conversations

Do some research (something that can so often get shoved to the bottom of the to do list) and see who else is talking about the things you stand for, then reach out to them. These types of relationships and connections are vital, particularly when you’re a solopreneur. Conversations with interesting people will get you thinking. They might also lead to a collaboration that could end up benefiting both of you. Remember, never be too afraid to ask as the worst that can happen is that you don’t get a reply.

And finally, a note to all of the aspiring coaches reading this. If you’re looking to work with someone to help you launch your coaching business, make sure you don’t just assess them by their Instagram following because you think that’s the only way to build a successful business, and they can show you how to do the same. This is a precarious strategy because growing a following that is actually engaged in what you do and trusts you enough to buy from you TAKES TIME, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! There are no quick hacks to having thousands of followers who are your ideal client, and just because someone you follow managed to do it, doesn’t mean that it’s the right path for your business. Who knows, your ideal client might not even hang out on the gram?

As an aspiring coach, instead of investing in a coach to help you based on their Instagram following, think about what skills you already have and what you need help with in launching your business. For example, do you need more help with the logistics behind your business (processes, setting up a limited company), or do you want to learn coaching skills, or maybe you want more help with identifying the type of client you want to work with. Get really specific and then really think about whether the coach you’ve been following on Instagram has the things you need to help you successfully launch your own business. 
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