How do I get started being an online coach?

[tcainerogers]

Hello,
I really want to get into online coaching. I want to be a Strength & Conditioning Coach, but I'm in college right now and I really need to find a way to make money coaching people. I really do care about helping people and would charge nothing or very little and I really am knowledgeable on the topic. I just don't know how to get started.

Thanks,
Trent R.

[KyleAaron]

First you get a reputation as in-person coach.

[tcainerogers]

First you get a reputation as in-person coach.

How would I do this with a full time school / sport schedule? Are there good ways to work in occasional small 1-2 hour blocks?

[KyleAaron]

Well I don't know your schedule. But when it comes to training the general public to improve their lives (as opposed to sports coaching), most people who can afford personal training have 9-5 jobs. Which means that 80% of personal training sessions happen 6-8am and 5-8pm, or thereabouts. Which means to get 40hr pw the person has to be in the gym from 6am to 9pm, with a break during the day some time. Basically, really shtty split shifts like a chef.

In practice, most will choose to do either mornings or afternoon/evenings, you just get burned out and exhausted otherwise. Very few personal trainers are doing 40hr a week jobs even if they want to, usually it's 15-20hr tops.

Most PTs are not concerned with "OMG too many hours and too many clients," quite the reverse. You start with one client coming (say) Tuesdays and Thursdays 0600-0630, and when you get a second client you hope to add them on at 0630-0700, in practice they're probably contrary and want Mon/Wed 1730-1800. You accept that because you need the money, later when you have more clients you can try to make - er, "encourage" - the person move times or pass them to another trainer.

Again, that's personal training the general public for their goals of health and recreational sports. If you want to focus on athletes that's different. But most athletes are broke or stingy, so there's no money in that, only glory.

[EveryBodyspt]

build your following

[getbigordie18]

Well I don't know your schedule. But when it comes to training the general public to improve their lives (as opposed to sports coaching), most people who can afford personal training have 9-5 jobs. Which means that 80% of personal training sessions happen 6-8am and 5-8pm, or thereabouts. Which means to get 40hr pw the person has to be in the gym from 6am to 9pm, with a break during the day some time. Basically, really shtty split shifts like a chef.

In practice, most will choose to do either mornings or afternoon/evenings, you just get burned out and exhausted otherwise. Very few personal trainers are doing 40hr a week jobs even if they want to, usually it's 15-20hr tops.

Most PTs are not concerned with "OMG too many hours and too many clients," quite the reverse. You start with one client coming (say) Tuesdays and Thursdays 0600-0630, and when you get a second client you hope to add them on at 0630-0700, in practice they're probably contrary and want Mon/Wed 1730-1800. You accept that because you need the money, later when you have more clients you can try to make - er, "encourage" - the person move times or pass them to another trainer.

Again, that's personal training the general public for their goals of health and recreational sports. If you want to focus on athletes that's different. But most athletes are broke or stingy, so there's no money in that, only glory.

How do I expand my social media following, Kyle. If you can dm me on instgram or follow me? It seems like no one follows my good information. Any advice.

[KyleAaron]

By itself, I've no idea.

But read what you quoted: "First you get a reputation as in-person coach."

Focus on that, and the online stuff will come.

[CommitmentRulz]

How do I expand my social media following, Kyle. If you can dm me on instgram or follow me? It seems like no one follows my good information. Any advice.

Are your insta posts about "you" or tips on training, nutrition (within limits), and providing benefits to your followers? Make them "want" to follow you with a payoff of benefits, tips, etc.

[peruzzifitness]

Hello,
I really want to get into online coaching. I want to be a Strength & Conditioning Coach, but I'm in college right now and I really need to find a way to make money coaching people. I really do care about helping people and would charge nothing or very little and I really am knowledgeable on the topic. I just don't know how to get started.

Thanks,
Trent R.

1) devote yourself to lifelong learning and let other say that you're really knowledgeable (it's better)
2) create a website where you sell stuff, because with money you can grow your online business
3) work on a specific marketing strategy - don't just set up a blog and start posting
3) create valuable information FOR YOUR FOLLOWERS not for you - most of the coaches out there just focus on their body and their lives
4) show off a unique personality to differentiate yourself from competition
5) obviously, walk your talk...EAT HEALTHY, TRAIN HARD and show the world that your ultimate goal is helping OTHERS and not just your body

Training yourself and training others are 2 different things. You can have an amazing body but unable in helping other to succeed.

[getbigordie18]

Are your insta posts about "you" or tips on training, nutrition (within limits), and providing benefits to your followers? Make them "want" to follow you with a payoff of benefits, tips, etc.

a bit of both. Mainly about myself. Some on my former clients. My instgram: derock5996

[rockangel]

a bit of both. Mainly about myself. Some on my former clients. My instgram: derock5996

Took a look at your insta. Your pics are boring and your captions are not great either. Insta is very visual (no brainer) so your pics need to be something that catches the eye as people are scrolling. You also need captions that make people want to follow you, which I see none that do. Like in one, you say what your goal is to help people but you don't say anything about how you will do that. You need to tailor your pics, your caption, and your hashtags to what people are searching for. You want to talk exactly to your market and fill their need. Why do they need to follow and then hire you??

Further, your bio needs work. I would not list as an athlete, even though you are. If you are trying to be a business, then be a business. Like on mine, im listed as a health and wellness website because that is what I do.

if you want a bigger following on insta, it takes work, like anything else. Be more selective of your pics and your message.

[Strengthnorge]

Hello,
I really want to get into online coaching. I want to be a Strength & Conditioning Coach, but I'm in college right now and I really need to find a way to make money coaching people. I really do care about helping people and would charge nothing or very little and I really am knowledgeable on the topic. I just don't know how to get started.

Thanks,
Trent R.

Online Coaching is an insane place that has a massively saturated market.

If you want to stand out, you need to show up consistently (post daily) and give people tools to work with. No gives a **** about your results, they want to know how you can help them.

Identify how you can help people. Create content, and post daily. It is not easy, it is a tremendous amount of work, and it goes unrewarded for a long time.

Instead of starting just there, look into getting a couple of clients that fit your schedule and start transforming thier lives. Follow the advice of the other posters here that went over that stuff. There are some experienced people in this thread dropping some real knowledge your way.

[Andrewkha2]

You can write a training program and share it for free or for a couple of bucks. So you will become famous and can train for big money.

[getbigordie18]

Took a look at your insta. Your pics are boring and your captions are not great either. Insta is very visual (no brainer) so your pics need to be something that catches the eye as people are scrolling. You also need captions that make people want to follow you, which I see none that do. Like in one, you say what your goal is to help people but you don't say anything about how you will do that. You need to tailor your pics, your caption, and your hashtags to what people are searching for. You want to talk exactly to your market and fill their need. Why do they need to follow and then hire you??

Further, your bio needs work. I would not list as an athlete, even though you are. If you are trying to be a business, then be a business. Like on mine, im listed as a health and wellness website because that is what I do.

if you want a bigger following on insta, it takes work, like anything else. Be more selective of your pics and your message.

very true nice advice!

[mariella24]

Well, you can also make nice video streaming for your people f.ex. here on.live - it's free platform with good support and helpdesk for everyone interested to play, work and earn money in the same time. In my opinion it's really interesting.

[Andrewkha2]

Yes, I agree there are several ways to go online

Social Media
Personal Website


I saw an info about income from Instagram see attachment (source musclemadness. co/content/personal-trainer-salary-125/)

[Alfu94]

How do I expand my social media following, Kyle. If you can dm me on instgram or follow me? It seems like no one follows my good information. Any advice.

Post pictures and storys all the time, give advice and tips... foodporn or even good training exercise. Use lots of # or this dont help, just buy yourself some followers and start from there ( i mean the same tips i wrote at the start )

[Andrewkha2]

Post pictures and storys all the time, give advice and tips... foodporn or even good training exercise. Use lots of # or this dont help, just buy yourself some followers and start from there ( i mean the same tips i wrote at the start )

You will need 100 years to get 1 mln followers on Instagram without investments. See my post above. According to this calculation
"If a fitness trainer or coach is a new Instagram user he or she will need 1,700,000/7,590 = 224 months (almost 18 years) to come up to the levels of Ainsley or Alexia.

And to be equal to Kayla - 118 years. Trainers do not drink alcohol and smoke so it is quite possible, if unlikely!" I take it from here
musclemadness.co/content/personal-trainer-salary-125/

[Alfu94]

You will need 100 years to get 1 mln followers on Instagram without investments. See my post above. According to this calculation
"If a fitness trainer or coach is a new Instagram user he or she will need 1,700,000/7,590 = 224 months (almost 18 years) to come up to the levels of Ainsley or Alexia.

And to be equal to Kayla - 118 years. Trainers do not drink alcohol and smoke so it is quite possible, if unlikely!" I take it from here
musclemadness.co/content/personal-trainer-salary-125/

if you but hard work into you dont need 18 years to get million... and where is it says that you need million to be succsessful ? there is huge amount trainers and fitness people who got only 50-100K followers but still have several sponsors and huge list of costumers. For me

[KyleAaron]

Social media. Supplements. Booty shots with sponsorship. Ebooks. DVDs. Meal plans.

What new trainers have against actually training people I'll never understand. Maybe because they know they're not any good at it? Well, nobody is good at their job in their first year... But you keep working and trying and reflecting, and you get better.

[Andrewkha2]

if you but hard work into you dont need 18 years to get million... and where is it says that you need million to be succsessful ? there is huge amount trainers and fitness people who got only 50-100K followers but still have several sponsors and huge list of costumers. For me

can you give us some examples? at least 5 successful trainers with 50-100K followers ?

Thank you