How to Use Instagram’s Latest Updates to Attract More Coaching Clients
Female Coaches: Ready For A Profitable Coaching Business?
3 Steps To Get Seen, Get Heard, and Get Paying Client
Ever wonder how you can leverage your Instagram account to build trust, showcase your experience, and attract more coaching clients? What are the best ways to use Instagram to attract new clients for your life coaching business?
Recently, Instagram has made significant changes to its platform, affecting how content is displayed and consumed. If you’re a coach looking to grow your visibility, these changes are an opportunity to adjust your strategy and get more eyes on your content.
In this post, we’ll dive into Instagram’s recent changes, how they impact your marketing efforts, and actionable steps to grow your audience using social media marketing for coaches.
Instagram’s New Feed Layout: What Changed?
Instagram recently transitioned its post format from the familiar 1080x1080 square to a more dynamic portrait-style layout, measuring approximately 1094x720. This change creates a vertical, mobile-friendly display, making content appear more like video on users' mobile devices—an important shift as the majority of Instagram users access the platform via their phones.
For coaches looking to build brand visibility, these changes to the layout are crucial.
Instagram is a highly visual platform, and aesthetics play a major role in how users perceive a brand. Your visual identity—colors, fonts, imagery—directly reflects your brand and creates an immediate impression on potential clients.
With Instagram’s new layout, images and text that once fit seamlessly into the square format may now be cut off or look disjointed, potentially undermining the professional look you're aiming for. To maintain a cohesive brand presence, it’s essential to adjust your social media marketing strategy accordingly.
Your content should not only look good, but also align with your brand’s message and values.
As a coach, your Instagram feed is often the first point of contact for potential clients, and ensuring that your visuals are polished and strategically aligned with your branding helps reinforce your authority and trustworthiness.
A strong, consistent aesthetic across your posts builds recognition and ensures that your brand stands out in a crowded marketplace.
Action Step:
Start creating graphics in portrait mode to match the new format and keep your feed visually appealing. You can use tools like Canva, but make sure to preview the final design on your phone to see how it looks.
The Power of Instagram Reels for Visibility
If you’re trying to grow your coaching business on Instagram, utilizing a variety of formats, including both Reels and posts, is essential for a well-rounded social media strategy. While Reels can be a game-changer for expanding your reach, regular posts still play an important role in maintaining your brand presence and engaging your current audience.
Reels, in particular, have proven to be incredibly effective due to how Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes them to non-followers.
These short, engaging videos are pushed to users who don’t already follow you, making them a powerful tool for reaching new audiences.
In my own 30-day experiment with Reels, I was able to reach 15,000 accounts, the majority of whom were not following me prior. This shows just how impactful Reels can be for broadening your audience. What’s even more interesting is that Reels don’t need to be overly polished or serious to perform well—sometimes simple, light-hearted content resonates more with viewers.
While Reels are excellent for attracting new followers, traditional posts (such as images or carousels) are crucial for nurturing relationships with your existing audience.
Posts allow you to showcase your expertise, provide valuable tips, and maintain a cohesive brand aesthetic. They offer a more static, polished way to highlight your coaching services, client testimonials, or longer-form educational content. Posts also give your profile a more professional and consistent look, helping reinforce your authority.
By combining the attention-grabbing nature of Reels with the deeper engagement provided by regular posts, you create a holistic content strategy that both expands your reach and strengthens connections with your current followers. Together, they serve different but complementary purposes, ensuring your brand visibility continues to grow while nurturing the audience you already have.
Action Step:
Take on a 30-day Reel challenge! For the next 30 days, create and post Reels consistently. Whether it’s sharing tips, quotes, or even showing off your daily routine, Reels can help you build your audience and grow your authority as a go-to coach in your niche. Need inspiration? Follow Me On Instagram to get ideas on how to structure your Reels for maximum impact.
Instagram’s New "Status Note" Feature
Engaging your current followers on Instagram is just as important as attracting new ones, and maintaining that connection can sometimes feel like a challenge. While Reels and posts help you reach new audiences, features like Instagram’s new “status note” are perfect for keeping your existing followers engaged and informed.
The “status note” is a quick and easy way to let your followers know what’s happening in your world without needing to invest the time required to read through the entire post or Reel. This feature appears next to your profile picture and can be used to give brief updates, such as announcing when you’ll be going live or promoting a special event with just few characters.
For coaches, this is a fantastic tool to keep your audience updated in real-time.
The beauty of the status note is its simplicity—it ensures that your audience stays engaged with minimal effort on your part. Since the note is visible to everyone who follows you, it provides a gentle nudge that keeps your presence top of mind without overwhelming your followers with constant notifications.
Using the status note in combination with other Instagram features like Stories, polls, and interactive content can help build a deeper relationship with your existing followers, creating a more loyal and engaged community.
When someone sees your status note, they have the option to like or reply to it. Only you can see who has liked or responded to your note, maintaining a level of privacy. Your note will appear at the top of both your inbox and your profile for up to 24 hours. If someone replies, it initiates a private conversation between just the two of you, which you can easily find in your inbox. This feature allows for direct engagement in a more personal and casual way.
Action Step:
Use the “status note” feature to inform your followers about upcoming events, new content, or live sessions. Keeping your followers informed will increase engagement and remind them of the value you provide.
Why Reels Beat Posts in 2024
Short-form videos like Instagram Reels have become a powerful tool for coaches looking to grow their business and expand their reach. If you’re still relying on traditional posts, you’re missing out on the significant benefits that Reels can offer. From increased visibility to higher engagement, Reels have quickly become the go-to format for boosting your presence on Instagram.
The key advantage of using Reels at the time of this article is how favorably Instagram’s algorithm treats them.
Unlike regular posts, which mainly cater to your current followers, Reels are more likely to be pushed to non-followers, expanding your reach beyond your immediate audience. This means your content has a better chance of being seen by people who are unfamiliar with your work—potential clients who may be looking for the exact coaching services you offer. In my own experiments, I found that Reels reached far more accounts than traditional posts, particularly for smaller profiles that are still building their following.
Reels are designed to be fast-paced and engaging, often incorporating music, captions, and visual effects that keep viewers entertained. For coaches, this is an opportunity to showcase your personality, expertise, and the value you offer in an easily digestible format.
Whether you’re sharing quick tips, behind-the-scenes content, or inspirational messages, Reels allow you to deliver impactful content in a way that resonates with your audience.
As video consumption continues to rise, short-form videos like Reels are becoming the preferred content type for many users. By incorporating Reels into your strategy, you’re aligning with the platform’s trends, ensuring that your content stays relevant and competitive.
Ultimately, Reels offer a powerful combination of reach, engagement, and creative expression. By embracing this format, you not only increase your chances of being discovered by new clients, but you also create content that stands out in a crowded space.
Action Step:
Focus your efforts on creating Reels rather than static posts. If you’re unsure where to begin, download my [free Instagram checklist here] to ensure you’re covering all the bases in your content strategy.
Consistency is Key for Growth
One of the most critical takeaways from my Instagram experiment is the undeniable power of consistency.
Posting content sporadically simply won't give you the same results as maintaining a steady, regular schedule. This principle holds true not only on Instagram but across all social media platforms. Whether you're sharing Reels, stories, or posts, showing up consistently is key to staying relevant in your audience's mind and improving your overall visibility.
Consistency is one of the most influential factors in how social media algorithms, like Instagram’s, decide which content to promote. When you post regularly, the platform recognizes your ongoing activity and engagement, rewarding you by pushing your content to more people. This means your Reels, posts, and stories are more likely to be shown not only to your current followers but also to non-followers who could potentially become clients.
Consistency ensures that you remain top-of-mind for both the algorithm and your audience.
Beyond the algorithm, consistency builds trust with your audience. When your followers see you consistently delivering valuable content, they begin to view you as a reliable expert in your niche. This regular engagement creates familiarity and, over time, positions you as a go-to source for insights, advice, and services related to your field.
This strategy holds true on platforms beyond Instagram, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or even TikTok.
Each platform rewards consistency in its own way, whether by increasing your content’s reach, improving engagement, or driving traffic to your profile. By consistently providing valuable, engaging content, you cultivate a loyal following across any platform, enhancing your authority and increasing your chances of converting followers into paying clients.
In short, consistency isn't just about posting more—it's about positioning yourself as an active, reliable presence in your audience's lives. Whether you’re on Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other social platform, a consistent content schedule not only helps you stay visible but also nurtures trust and authority in the eyes of your potential clients.
Action Step:
Commit to a consistent posting schedule, especially for Reels. Need help staying on track? [Download this checklist here] to make sure you’re hitting all the key points with your content and maintaining consistency across your social media channels.
Leverage Instagram’s Updates for Your Coaching Business
Instagram’s recent updates provide a golden opportunity for coaches to boost their visibility and grow their audience, especially if you’re strategic about how you leverage these changes. From the new portrait-style feed layout to the significant reach and engagement that Reels offer, Instagram is prioritizing dynamic, visually engaging content. This shift presents a chance to stand out and attract new followers, but it requires an adjustment in your strategy to fully capitalize on these updates.
Focusing on Reels is a great starting point, as they’re a powerful way to reach audiences who may not yet be familiar with your work. Combined with the platform’s new features—like the status note and the updated feed layout—coaches can use these tools to maintain engagement with current followers while expanding their reach to new prospects.
Consistency remains key.
By showing up regularly with valuable content, you strengthen your presence, build trust with your audience, and stay top of mind for both your followers and Instagram’s algorithm. These practices will not only help you increase visibility but also position you as an expert, making it easier to attract clients and grow your coaching business.
Female Coaches: Building a profitable coaching business?
3 Steps To Get Seen, Get Heard, and Get Paying Client
What You'll Learn In This FREE Bootcamp:
How to market and attract the clients you really want
How to confidently answer what you do and who you serve
How to have a consistent flow of paying clients by avoiding these common mistakes
