Social media for coaches and trainers

In the Netherlands, coach is not a protected title: anyone may call themselves one. That makes your own evidence your most important marketing instrument, and it explains why potential clients are suspicious of big promises. What does set you apart is a demonstrable background: membership of a professional association for coaches, a registration as a career professional, your training, your work experience in the field you coach in. We only use what you can demonstrably show. Just as important is the boundary with healthcare: burnout, anxiety and low mood sit close to treatment, and you are not a registered healthcare practitioner. Content suggesting that you cure complaints or make a diagnosis is not only misleading but also damaging to your credibility. That is why we phrase things in terms of guidance, insight and method, and refer to a GP or a practitioner where needed.

The second question is proof. Your strongest story is a client's, but coaching is confidential and many people do not want it known that they see a coach, certainly not with a work-related programme. That is why we work with anonymised examples from practice in which recognisable details have deliberately been changed, or with a quote the client has given written permission for, for that specific use. An invented experience is not an option, not even as an illustration. If there is no permission yet, we let the proof come from your way of working itself: your approach, your questions, your material.

Finally, your business model determines the channel. If you coach private clients who pay themselves, Instagram or YouTube works well, because that is where people get to know someone before they dare to have a conversation; the decision takes a long time and needs a lot of repeated contact. If you sell programmes to employers, HR departments or through occupational health services, the centre of gravity is LinkedIn, with content about absence, development and leadership aimed at the buyer rather than the participant. Many coaches do both and use one tone for it, which rarely works. We split those two tracks in the content calendar.