Building Coaching Authority with Email Marketing

Email marketing is a way to directly communicate with potential clients by providing valuable content and updates, helping build trust and nurture relationships.

Email marketing is all about building trust and delivering value to your audience. It’s not about pushing sales—it’s about nurturing relationships over time. Share helpful tips, training insights, and motivational content tailored to your ideal client to establish yourself as a reliable and supportive resource. For example, you could send a newsletter with "5 Tips for Preparing for Your First Marathon" or a seasonal guide like "Winter Training Tips for Cyclists." Once your audience feels connected and sees the value you provide, they’re more likely to consider your services.

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Social Media Fatigue

Social media has become crowded and noisy, and many people are starting to migrate away or tune out. Meanwhile, email—which was once seen as old-fashioned—has made a strong comeback. It's still the most direct and reliable way to reach your audience, land right in their inbox, and build a more personal connection without fighting constant algorithm changes. You don't need to discount social media entirely; it can still be a great tool for quick updates, community building, and showcasing your personality. Think of it as a complement to email, not a replacement. Use social channels to spark interest and encourage people to join your email list where you can deliver deeper, more personal content.

Send More Emails

Most coaches worry about sending too many emails, so they almost always send too few.

When it comes to frequency, focus on delivering consistent value. A good rule of thumb is to send value-driven emails at least 5-6 times for every sales-focused email. Value emails could include training advice, client success stories, or expert insights, while sales emails might promote a specific program or a limited-time offer. Generally, sending one email per week works well for most coaches—it’s frequent enough to stay top of mind without overwhelming your subscribers. Daily emails can work in some cases but are usually too much for most coaching audiences. This balance ensures you maintain trust while gradually introducing your services. Patience and consistency are key—focus on helping first, and the sales will follow. It’s unsurprisingly common for coaches to put energy into creating and building a list but then hardly ever send to it. This is a missed opportunity; if you’re not emailing regularly, people will forget who you are and lose connection. Worse, when you finally do send an email, they might mark it as spam because they don’t remember signing up. By staying consistent—even if it feels repetitive—you stay present and keep relationships warm and engaged.

Building Your List

Email marketing has two important parts. One is the content you actually send out, which should be tailored to your ideal customer and provide value through tips, insights, and stories. The other part, often overlooked by coaches, is proactively building your email list in the first place. Many coaches make the mistake of simply adding an opt-in on their website like "Join our Newsletter," but most people don’t want to just be part of a newsletter. A better approach is to repurpose some of your valuable content to create a "lead magnet," such as a free training guide, checklist, or resource. Use all your channels, including paid advertising, to promote this lead magnet in exchange for email addresses. If the lead magnet truly provides value, it becomes a fair exchange and helps you build a robust email list of engaged prospects.

Subtle Call to Action in Footer

Always have a subtle call to action in the footer—no hard sell, just a friendly invitation that highlights how you can help further if they’re ready. For example, a small link to book a free consultation, download a detailed guide, or join an upcoming webinar. This keeps it low-pressure but reminds readers there’s more value waiting if they want it. Don't miss this opportunity.

Most platforms allow you to save a template which you can include your footer and call to action, that way you don't need to think about it, it's just included in every new email by default.

Don't Worry About Unsubscribes

Coaches often worry about people unsubscribing from their lists if they send too many emails. But if you're providing useful content that genuinely helps your ideal customer, unsubscribes shouldn't be a concern. In fact, the goal isn't to keep the biggest list possible but to keep a list of people who are truly interested and engaged. Unsubscribes actually help self-select your audience, leaving you with a smaller, more engaged group who are more likely to become paying clients—and you won't be paying your email provider to keep uninterested people on your list. Sometimes people come in and out of the sport, so they may unsubscribe after achieving a big event or life goal. Others might leave because their interests have shifted, they've had a lifestyle change, or they’re taking a break from structured training. That’s perfectly okay; it simply means your list stays focused on those who are still engaged and interested. A positive side effect of a more engaged list is better open rates and subsequently better deliverability (avoiding the spam folder).

Key Takeaways

• Email marketing has two crucial components: creating engaging content and proactively building your email list. If you skip the building part, the engaging part will be a waste of time and effort.
• Value-driven emails should dominate your strategy, with at least 5-6 value emails for every sales email.
• Use lead magnets, like free guides or checklists, to incentivize sign-ups and grow your list.
• Promote your lead magnet across all channels, including paid advertising, to attract high-quality leads.
• Consistency in sending emails builds trust and keeps you top-of-mind for potential clients.
• The content of your emails should be targeted at the goals, problems or desires of your ideal customer profile.
• Always include a subtle call to action in your footer
• Don't worry about unsubscribes: they help you keep an engaged, interested list, and allow people to self-select when they're no longer active or interested.

Next Steps

• Subscribe to an email marketing tool. We integrate some good platforms into Training Tilt. You can see them on our home page here.
• Create valuable lead magnets to encourage sign-ups, such as free training plans, event preparation guides, or nutrition tips tailored to your ideal client.
• Create opt in forms and distribute them on your website, via your partners, in your social media posting schedule and with paid advertising.
• Send regular, value-packed emails once a week or biweekly, focusing on topics that resonate with your target audience.
• Alternate between value-focused emails (e.g., tips, stories, motivational insights) and sales-oriented emails (e.g., program offers, limited-time discounts). A good ratio is 3-4 value emails for every sales email.

Tools

• Email marketing platform, lead capture forms.
• Calendar or project management tools to plan your emails.
• A website or landing page platform like Training Tilt or others to embed your opt in forms on.

Related Blog Articles

7 Mistakes Coaches Make with Email Marketing outlines common mistakes to avoid when using email marketing to grow your list. This ensures your email campaigns are effective and don't fall into common traps.