Sometimes coaches ask me, “Do you think email marketing for coaches still works?”
My response is, “Well, 88% of people report checking their email everyday.”
So the short answer is yes, email marketing is still a very important platform for building your business as a coach. It works well because there are fewer distractions than social media and other advertising methods.
Plus, your email list is your property that no algorithm can touch. Social platforms change their rules constantly, and paid ads get more expensive every year, but your email list is yours to keep and nurture however you want.
The coaches I work with who see the most consistent growth aren’t the ones chasing every new digital marketing trend. They’re the ones who’ve built a simple email marketing strategy that connects with their audience week after week.
In this guide, I’ll share exactly what to send your list to keep them engaged and warm them up to working with you. You’ll find everything from practical email templates to the apps that make it all manageable.
What’s Covered in This Guide
Here’s what you’ll learn about email marketing for coaches:
- Why growing your email list matters, so you have a marketing asset no algorithm can touch
- 12 proven email ideas (plus a few bonuses), from client case studies to weekly challenges
- Essential tools and software for email campaigns that makes a real difference
- Key metrics to track, so you can see what’s working and what’s not
- How to avoid the spam folder with simple fixes that improve deliverability
- The types of emails that convert, using simple writing strategies
Let’s start with why email marketing works so well for coaches.
Why Email Marketing Works for Coaches
When someone first visits your website, they’re likely not ready to work with you right away. That’s why it’s important for them to have a way to stay in touch with you via email marketing.
This way, when they ARE ready, they know that you’re the go-to person for them.
Here are a few ways that using email marketing helps you to build trust with your audience.
Give value ahead of time
Email marketing allows you to give value ahead of time. That’s why I always encourage my web design clients to include some kind of free resource (or freebie) on their website that entices visitors to subscribe to their email list.
A valuable freebie, such as a downloadable guide, a short video, or a snappy email course, should be designed to give a quick win to your potential client. When you capture email addresses this way, you’re starting relationships with customers engaged from day one.
Want the freebie I show in the above graphic? Click here to get it!
This freebie helps you capture email addresses and starts the relationship with a subscriber on a positive note by giving them support right away.
Build industry authority
Regularly sharing your coaching tools via email helps you to become the go-to authority in your niche. This credibility also makes your business more referable since people tend to recommend coaches they trust and who solve a very specific problem. When you consistently show up in inboxes with helpful content, you drive sales through trust rather than pressure.
Pro Tip: An effective opt-in page for your freebie makes you much easier to refer since your subscribers can easily send it to their friends.
Establish a key touchpoint
Considering that the average person checks their email everyday (58% of those open their inbox first thing in the morning!), the email inbox is one of the most consistent and reliable touchpoints you can have with your audience. With average open rates for coaching businesses hovering around 25-30%, you’re practically guaranteed to keep customers engaged better than any social platform can promise.
What to Write in Email Marketing for Coaches
Here are 12 ideas for what coaches might send to their email list to build that like, know, and trust factor.
1. The Useful Recycle
Have a recent social post that got a lot of engagement? Give it a second life by recycling it into content for your email list. You might expand that engaging snippet into something deeper and more valuable for your subscribers.
This could mean expanding on the topic with additional detail or even converting it into an audio version for those who prefer listening. Your email templates don’t need to be completely original every time—sometimes your best subject line comes from a post that already resonated with your audience. This strategy helps you connect with those in your audience who might prefer listening over reading, as well as giving your content broader reach.
When you change the medium, you change the message.
2. Solve a Problem
The biggest secret to creating super helpful content is this: anytime you get asked a question about a life problem specific to your niche, write an email about it. It’s like delivering a mini coaching session directly to your subscriber’s inbox.
If one person took the time to ask, chances are, there are many more silently seeking the same answers. Focus on solving the problems your audience is asking about, rather than what you believe they should know. This approach keeps customers engaged because you’re addressing their real struggles. Every problem-solving email strengthens the connection between you and your subscribers, showing them exactly how you’d help if they became a client.
3. Round Up Your Resources
A clever strategy in email marketing for coaches is to curate a roundup of your own blog posts or podcast episodes that address a common challenge.
For instance, a divorce coach might group together a few podcast episodes they’ve recorded on working through financial challenges post-divorce, while a performance coach for athletes could compile a handful of blog posts on growing mental resilience when physical training hits a plateau.
By grouping related content, you make it easy for your subscribers to find and consume the coaching tools they need. These email campaigns also drive sales indirectly—when subscribers see the depth of your expertise across multiple pieces of content, they’re more likely to trust you with their transformation. Plus, this has the added bonus of solidifying you as an expert on the topic you coach on.
4. Answer a Few FAQs
When you notice a pattern of repeated questions about your offer from potential clients, it’s a golden opportunity to craft an email that addresses these frequently asked questions directly.
Let’s say you’re a health coach specializing in holistic skincare, and you find potential clients frequently ask about how well your natural skincare remedies work compared to traditional skincare routines. Answering FAQs like this both educates your audience on the benefits of working with you and reinforces your position as a trusted guide in your niche.
Creating email templates around your FAQs saves you time while keeping customers engaged. You can even repurpose these templates for your website or sales pages later. And don’t forget to end with a clear call to action, such as booking a discovery call or downloading your free resource.
5. Offer a Client Case Study
If a client gets results while coaching with you, then share their success story in an email to your list (with permission, of course). This will help your subscribers see the potential for change in their own lives.
Success stories are the ones that resonate most. People are looking for outcomes, and seeing someone else’s progress makes the benefits of working with you more tangible. These stories become the foundation of a successful email marketing campaign—nothing builds trust quite like proof that your coaching works.
Pro Tip: If you struggle with gathering case studies and testimonials from your clients, I’d recommend reading my article on how to ask for client testimonials with confidence.
6. Share Behind the Scenes
Share a unique aspect of your coaching process with your email list. When you do this, you invite them behind the scenes in a way that’s engaging and helps them see what it would be like to work with you.
I have a web design client who told me he starts every coaching session with, “What’s better than last time?” I told him he should highlight that method in his marketing material so potential clients start imagining the positive changes they could experience with him if he were to ask them that question every session.
These glimpses behind the curtain keep customers engaged by making your coaching feel real and approachable.
7. Give Opinion on Current Events
Talk about current events in your email content when you have something to say about them. Doing this connects with your audience on a more personal level and helps them see you’re a human engaging with what’s happening in the world, just like they are.
You might share thoughts on uplifting stories like the Chiefs clinching the Superbowl for the second year in a row in 2024 (if you’re a Chiefs fan!), or how you’ve seen resilience in more challenging events like natural disasters.
Whatever you share should help relate the current event with a coaching tool or lesson that shows you care and that subscribers can apply to grow personally. These timely email campaigns feel fresh and relevant, keeping your coaching connected to what’s happening in your clients’ lives.
See it in action: For an example of talking about current events in email, check out this email that’s a variation of one I sent at the start of the pandemic.
8. Discuss Recent Learning
What did you learn about recently from an in-person event, a book, or an online workshop? Share a nugget with your list in a way that builds credibility for your coaching expertise.
For example, if you’re a business coach who’s recently gone to a conference on increasing conversions during the sales process, share your top takeaway from the conference with your subscribers. This will help them see you as someone who stays “in the know” with topics like this, making it more likely they’ll want to hire you to tap into that knowledge!
See it in action: To see this strategy in action, read this email I wrote to my list after attending a Mastermind event a few years ago.
9. Share a Story
Humans learn best through story. That’s why I encourage you to always be on the lookout for ways you can tell stories in your marketing.
You don’t need to start a storytelling email with, “Once upon a time…” But you should be looking for experiences in your own life that you can tie to coaching principles to create a simple, powerful story in your emails.
For example, I could write an email to my list about how my kids approach technology with such fascination and curiosity, even though they’re little and don’t know how to use tech properly yet.
Since my list often is afraid of the tech, it might encourage them to be a bit more open and curious, too!
See it in action: I shared on my Instagram a way that parenting and marketing have a lot in common. I could have easily sent this as an email, too. Watch it below to see story in action!
10. Send Recent Content
This is what I do on days where I’m meant to write an email to my list, but I’m fresh out of ideas.
If I’ve published a blog post recently, I’ll take one nugget from that blog post and write an email about that nugget. Then, I’ll link to the full post towards the end of the email so my subscribers can click through and get more detail on that topic, if they want to.
If you’re a podcaster instead of a blogger, you could use the same principle to send subscribers to your latest podcast episode.
Not only is this a very easy email to send, but it also has the added bonus of driving traffic to your blog or podcast content, encouraging your audience to engage with you there and adding another touchpoint.
See it in action: For an example of how to share your blog, podcast, or social media content with your list in a useful way, see my example here.
11. Send a Survey
About once a year, I send a one-minute survey to my email list. I ask them questions like:
- What kind of business do you have?
- What kind of content do you like hearing about from me?
- If I could snap my fingers and solve one problem for you in your business, what would it be?
It’s a quick survey, but it gives me so much information on what my audience finds helpful and how I can curate my emails to solve their problems and build trust.
Understanding your email list this way helps you create better content that serves them.
I highly recommend surveying your audience at least once a year so you know what content your list is interested in!
See it in action: Feel free to steal the copy I used for my survey email this year, you can find that email right here..
12. Don’t Forget the Autoresponder
When someone first subscribes to your list, it’s critical that you welcome them with an automated email they receive right away. We typically call this an autoresponder email.
This autoresponder email welcomes them to your list and, if you’re offering a freebie like we talked about earlier, delivers the freebie to them.
Marketing automation like this keeps new subscribers from falling through the cracks. Your email templates for autoresponders should feel personal, even though they’re automated. So use their first name, reference what they signed up for, and set expectations for what kinds of emails they’ll receive from you.
Sending an autoresponder engages new subscribers right away, as well as helping them to start to build trust and see that you’re a coach who does what you say you’re going to do.
More Email Marketing Ideas to Keep Your List Engaged
Once you’ve mastered the basics, here are a few more email ideas to add variety and keep your subscribers looking forward to hearing from you.
Weekly Challenges
Invite your list to participate in small, actionable challenges they can complete in seven days. A productivity coach might challenge subscribers to track their time for a week, while a wellness coach could suggest drinking 8 glasses of water daily. Include a call to action at the end of each challenge email, inviting participants to share their results or book a session to go deeper.
Tool Recommendations
Your subscribers want to know what marketing tools work well. Share the software, apps, and resources that make your coaching business run smoothly. Include honest pros and cons, pricing details, and specific use cases to help your audience make informed decisions.
Seasonal Check-ins
Send quarterly goal reviews or seasonal planning emails that align with natural transition points in the year. New Year goal-setting, summer schedule adjustments, or fall business planning email templates help coaches stay connected to their clients’ evolving needs throughout the year.
Myth-Busting Emails
Every coaching niche has its misconceptions. Address these head-on by debunking common myths your audience believes. These types of marketing emails position you as the expert who tells the truth, even when it goes against popular opinion.
Quick Tips Series
Create a serialized sequence of bite-sized tips delivered over several weeks. This approach keeps customers engaged by giving them something to anticipate. A business coach might share “Monday Momentum Tips” while a health coach could send “Wellness Wednesday” quick wins.
Resource Reviews
Review books, courses, or programs your audience is curious about. Share your honest take on what worked, what didn’t, and who would benefit most. These types of marketing emails provide value while establishing you as a trusted curator of quality resources.
Tools and Software to Power Your Email Campaigns
Choosing the right email marketing software makes the difference between spending hours on tech headaches or actually helping your clients.
For coaches, the best marketing tools include Kit (formerly ConvertKit) or MailerLite—all designed with service businesses in mind. When comparing options, look for marketing automation features that let you tag subscribers based on their interests, send email sequences automatically, and integrate with your booking calendar.
Skip the complex enterprise platforms. You need email marketing software that’s simple enough to use between client calls but powerful enough to grow with your practice. The ability to send email broadcasts, create automated welcome sequences, and track what’s working should come standard.
Most importantly, make sure your platform plays nice with the other marketing tools in your tech stack—your scheduling software, payment processor, and website should all talk to each other.
Metrics That Matter in Email Marketing for Coaches
Most coaches only need to pay attention to two metrics: open rates and click through rates.
Your open rate tells you if your subject lines are working. For coaches, a healthy open rate sits between 25-30%. If yours is lower, experiment with shorter, more specific subject lines that speak directly to your audience’s challenges.
Your click-through rate tells you how many people click on a link in your email. Aim for 2-3% minimum. Low click through rates usually mean your email list needs more compelling calls to action or clearer next steps.
To go a step further, you could track your list growth rate and unsubscribe rate monthly. A healthy email list grows steadily while maintaining less than 1% unsubscribes per campaign. If people are leaving faster than joining, it’s time to revisit your content strategy.
Most importantly, measure what matters for your marketing efforts: consultation bookings and client conversions from email. These numbers tell the real story of your email success.
How to Avoid the Spam Folder
The last thing you want is the emails you spent hours writing winding up in spam folders. Here’s how to stay in the inbox where you belong.
Start with the basics: verify your sending domain and regularly clean your list of inactive email addresses. If someone hasn’t opened your emails in six months, it’s best to remove them.
Your subject line matters more than you think. Avoid all caps, excessive punctuation (!!!), and spam trigger words like “free money” or “act now.” Instead, write subject lines like you’re emailing a friend: clear, specific, and honest about what’s inside.
When you send email matters too. Stick to a consistent schedule rather than disappearing for months then flooding inboxes. Most coaches find success with weekly or bi-weekly emails. And before you send email campaigns to your entire list, test with a small segment first to catch any deliverability issues.
Ready to Launch Your Email Strategy?
You now have proven email ideas you can use right away, the tools to implement them, and a clear email marketing strategy to grow your coaching business.
Where to start? Keep it simple: pick three email types that feel most natural, choose your email platform, and commit to showing up consistently.
Need help setting up your email marketing system? I offer it as part of my web design services. If you’ve got a coaching website project in mind, you’re welcome to head here and tell me about it.
