Expert Marketer Reveals TOP Tips For Online Fitness Coaches On LIVE Coaching Call
Marketing For Fitness Coaches Podcast with Kandace Dickson | CoachRx Podcast Network
Marketing for Fitness Coaches: Real Strategies from a Live Coaching Call
Building trust, attracting leads, and growing a coaching business feel overwhelming, especially with all the conflicting advice online. In this video and blog, you'll get real-world insights from a live coaching call between Kandace Dickson and OPEX coach David O’Brien. They unpack proven content strategies, the “7-Eleven rule” for trust, and practical tips to connect with your ideal clients without burning out on content creation. This recap walks you through exactly how we pulled those threads together, so you can borrow what fits and leave the rest.
The 7-Eleven Rule: Building Trust That Lasts
At the heart of effective marketing is the 7-Eleven rule. This classic concept draws from psychology: it takes about 7 hours and 11 interactions for someone to feel genuine trust in you. For fitness coaches especially, this means you can’t expect a client to sign up after one or two social posts. You want to aim for consistent, quality contact whether that’s through YouTube videos, podcasts, or DMs. Every touchpoint builds familiarity and brings you closer to a real coaching relationship.
Why Video Content Matters Now More than Ever
YouTube is now the second largest search engine in the world. As search habits drift away from Google’s homepage, people are increasingly seeking out answers and coaches on YouTube. Video content gives you face-to-face time with your audience. They see your body language, hear your voice, and get a true sense for your coaching style, all things that text or images can’t match. Video wins because it builds trust and engagement quickly and deeply.
David O’Brien: Marketing in the Real World
David O’Brien, an OPEX coach originally from Ireland and now building his remote coaching practice from Abu Dhabi, shares what’s working for him. After finishing OPEX’s CCP certification, he saw his coaching stand out thanks to his personalized, value-first approach. About his journey, he shares:
“I just can’t get my videos below 90 seconds. I love to teach and share, and it’s connecting with people.”
He’s a perfect example of a coach embracing technology and content marketing while keeping his personality front and center.
The Power of a Single Focused Lead Magnet
Every social post should drive toward a single powerful lead magnet. Why? Top of funnel content should direct potential clients to one clear next step. The best lead magnets solve a very specific problem and feel like actual coaching, think simple checklist our how-to guides, a short video lesson, or a quiz followed by a personalized message. Make your lead magnet specific, easy to consume, and loaded with value and a quick win. Then stitched on a three-email mini-course so new subscribers feel coached the minute they opt in.
Quick win → confidence → consult.
No more DMs full of loose ends.
Weekly Content Anchors: The Backbone of Your System
A weekly content anchor is a high value piece of content, often a long-form video or podcast on a single topic or question. This becomes your teaching opportunity and your marketing spark. By sticking to one topic each week, you create clarity for yourself and your audience. You also give yourself an opportunity to get more eyes on the one piece of content you worked hard on producing.
Benefits of a weekly content anchor:
You know what to post, reducing stress.
Your audience expects regular, valuable updates.
Answers client objections up front, saving you sales time.
Builds a content library you can reuse for prospects and current clients.
Makes it easier to repurpose or clip into short-form content.
Short Form vs Long Form: Shift Your Mindset
Long form and short form content work together, but serve different roles.
Long form (podcasts, YouTube videos): Builds deep trust, lets you teach, and nurtures your warmest prospects.
Short form (Instagram Reels, TikTok): Drives discovery, grabs new eyeballs, and pushes people to your anchor content or lead magnet.
Spending all your time on short clips drains your creative battery and leads to burnout.
Long form is where real connection happens. People listen during their routines; at the gym, in the car, or winding down at night, and they get to know you more deeply.
How Long Form Content Builds Real Connection
That 7 hours of needed trust builds up when people consume your long-form content. Listeners often multitask, they’ll play your podcast or YouTube show while working out or doing chores. This regular presence weaves you into their daily routines. You become a familiar voice guiding them, which increases trust and makes them more open to working with you.
Make Every Short Clip Count
Short form isn’t going anywhere, it’s how you grab attention. Focus on creating clips with strong hooks that pull people in within the first 3 seconds. Rather than cranking out dozens of minor posts, invest more time in fewer, higher-quality clips. Use them to drive traffic directly to your anchor content or lead magnet.
Content Creation in Action: Learning from The Pros
David asked about fitness coach Sam Smith’s hybrid approach: Sam records audio podcasts but also sets up his phone to film himself, grabbing extra clips for Instagram. Tim Ferriss, known for his thoughtful writing, shifted away from video podcasts to focus on written scripts and audio. It’s about comfort, choose formats that match your strengths and keep you consistent.
Finding Your Perfect Niche: Young, Aspiring Fathers
David’s niche is young, aspiring fathers looking to improve their fitness and be present for their kids. He discovered that when he digs deep, nearly every client’s real goal traces back to their family. This clarity makes his content sharper and his lead magnets more relevant.
If you can name exactly who you serve and why, your marketing becomes laser-focused. Don’t be afraid to get specific, the more you relate to a core audience, the faster you’ll build trust. Your consistency in content also give clear signal to the algorithms so that they know who your content is for.
Building a Content Library for Clients & Prospects
Answer every common client question in a video, and you’re building a content library that serves both potential and current clients. You save yourself time you can send a helpful clip after a coaching call, and those same videos warm up prospects searching for answers online. Aim for content that never goes out of style, so it remains helpful long-term.
Automate Your Lear Flow
Tools like GoHighLevel (GHL) used by David, or other CRMs, help you manage your leads, automate email and DM responses, and build smart funnels. While there’s a learning curve or potential setup cost, having a system that nurtures contacts automatically frees you up to focus on coaching and strategy.
Free vs Paid Content: Draw the Line
Post plenty of helpful tips and education publicly to attract and nurture leads. Your paid content is where you pitch your offer and ask for the signup. Use organic content to build trust and interest, offer more free value with your lead magnet.
Planning Your Content: Yearly Down to Weekly
Think like an editor. Big-picture planning means mapping out important seasons, when will your niche audience be most motivated to take action? Break those into quarterly, monthly, and weekly themes, so you stay organized and consistent. Use a tool like Notion, Trello, or your favorite planner to track topics, save ideas, and batch-create your content.
Making Long Form Video That Works
Aim for 8-20 minute videos for each content anchor.
Pick one topic or question for each episode.
A strong structure helps hold attention:
Hook (first 7–30 seconds)
Why the topic matters (address the problem)
3–5 key points or solutions
Real-life application or “what to do next”
Call to action (invite to your lead magnet)
Keep your pace clear and your points sharp. Bullet or number your main tips for clarity.
Start Strong: Hooks & Payoffs
On YouTube, you have mere seconds to get people watching. Lead with a bold hook: “Are you a busy dad struggling to find time to train? In this video, you’ll learn three strategies to fix that.” Let viewers know exactly what’s in it for them, and tease a practical payoff at the end.
Get a Boost with AI Tools
AI tools can take your rough outlines or rambling scripts and turn them into polished show notes or episodes. They’re great for tightening your hook, improving pacing, and making sure your key points land. This cuts production time and helps you keep releasing strong content.
Provide Value Before They Hire You
Every piece of content should let people feel what it’s like to be coached by you. End with a “next step” they can try that week and a call to check out your lead magnet. The more results you help them get for free, the more likely they’ll want to work with you.
Solo vs Interview: Choose Your Format
Both solo and interview formats work. Solo episodes give you full control and let you batch up episodes on your own schedule. Interviews add variety and energy, but require more planning. Mix them as you wish, consistency in delivering vlaue matters more than format.
Make Your Call to Action Unmissable
Your lead magnet link should sit right at the top of your YouTube description and get repeated naturally in your videos. Don’t scatter attention, use one main “next step” per episode and keep the path simple.
Stick With One Lead Magnet, at Least for a While
Avoid juggling too many lead magnets. Focus on promoting one high-value offer so your audience gets clear on how to connect. Revise or upgrade it occasionally based on feedback, but resist the urge to switch too often.
Repurpose Your Content: More Bang for Your Effort
Take your long form anchor videos and clip them for social posts. Drop the best clips into newsletters. Turn YouTube episodes into podcasts. Embed videos in blog posts to boost your SEO and reach. Each piece should live in multiple places, stretching your effort and maximizing audience touchpoints.
Don’t Let Perfectionism Hold You Back
Even coaches with decades of experience get nervous on camera and worry about getting it just right. What matters is authentic, thoughtful content, not flashy production. Your personality and clarity win every time. Focus on helping your audience, and let improvement come with practice.
Wrap-Up: Your Next Move
To recap, focus on three things to move the needle in your business:
Build a clear, valuable lead magnet that solves a real problem.
Use weekly content anchors to answer client questions and objections before the sales call.
Create strategic short form clips to spark curiosity and drive people toward your anchor content and lead magnet.
“Marketing is coaching before the coaching relationship.”
When you lead with value, over-deliver, and treat every asset like a coachable moment, the content writes itself and the right clients find you faster. Marketing is a practice, now you’ve seen the reps in action. Print the plan, work the system, and let momentum compound.
Let’s build. See you next week.
Next Steps
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👉 Have questions? If you have a question or want feedback on your lead magnet idea, DM me on Instagram @marketingforfitnesscoaches or @coachrx.app
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