Minimum Viable Marketing System for Fitness Coaches (No Website or Email)
Marketing For Fitness Coaches Podcast with Kandace Dickson | CoachRx Podcast Network
If marketing has been pulling you away from coaching, I get it. Most fitness coaches don’t need more tools, more tech, or another complicated plan that turns into a second job.
What you need is a simple system you can actually keep up with, one that brings in qualified leads without living on the content treadmill.
In this video and blog, I’m laying out the minimum viable marketing system I teach inside the OPEX Method Mentorship. It’s built for solo coaches who want consistent conversations with the right people, without relying on websites, funnels, ads, or email platforms. It’s simple by design, and it’s meant to scale as your content library grows.
Why I teach a minimal marketing system (and who it’s for)
I’m Kandace Dickson, CMO of OPEX and CoachRx. I’ve spent over 20 years in marketing and growth strategy, and the longer I’ve done this, the more I’ve believed in one thing: simple systems win, especially for coaches.
If you’re a solo coach, your time is limited. Your energy is limited. Your attention gets pulled in a dozen directions every day. So a marketing system that requires constant setup, constant optimization, and constant content output is a problem, not a solution.
This system is for you if:
You’re getting started with content and want a clear path forward.
You want a minimal setup that still supports real client acquisition.
You want a way to use content to “coach” before someone ever pays you.
You want leads who show up already leaning yes, not cold strangers who need convincing.
At its core, the goal is simple: help people spend time with you, learn how you think, feel supported by your teaching, and decide you’re the coach for them before you ever “sell.”
When that happens, your sales process stops feeling like a performance. It becomes a confirmation.
The foundation: your coaching content signature
Before the system works, you need the fuel for it. That’s your coaching content signature.
I built the coaching content signature as a simple method to help you:
Clarify your core point of view.
Dial in a message that stands out in a crowded market.
Get clear on your beliefs and what you’ll say (and won’t say).
Choose transformational topics you can teach over and over.
Show up with a content style that feels like you.
Create content that actually coaches, not content that sounds like everyone else.
If you skip this, your content will feel generic, and your offer will sound like every other coach. With it, you stop staring at blank pages. Ideas come faster, and your message starts to feel like yours.
Inside this overall model, your coaching content signature informs every asset: what you teach, how you teach it, what client tensions you focus on, and how you position your offer.
The minimum viable marketing system (the full flow)
This system lives on two platforms: YouTube and Instagram.
No website required. No funnels. No ads. No email platform.
The flow looks like this:
Long-form YouTube content that builds trust and explains your coaching.
Short-form Instagram content that starts conversations.
A DM process that qualifies fit and guides people to the right videos.
A simple offer document (plus an optional personalized Loom) that helps someone make a clear decision.
What I like about this approach is that every part supports the next. You’re not posting just to post. Each asset has a job, and the jobs stack together.
Start with a “hero offer video” on YouTube
The green circle in my model is the hero offer video. This is the anchor for everything else.
It’s a long-form YouTube video that does three things:
It clearly explains the problem your potential client is living with.
It walks through your process for helping them overcome it.
It states the promise and outcomes they can expect when they work with you.
Because it’s long-form, you don’t have to rush. There’s no weird pressure to squeeze your entire offer into 30 seconds. You can explain things like a real coach would.
The simple formula: problem, process, promise
I like this structure because it forces clarity.
Problem: Speak to the painful tensions and obstacles that are keeping someone stuck. This is where you show you understand what it feels like to want fitness results and keep missing them.
Process: Explain how you coach people through that problem. Share your method and your unique perspective. Help them think differently about what’s actually going on.
Promise: Share what outcomes they can expect, and what changes when they commit to your coaching.
In that same hero offer video, I want you to cover a few key details that most coaches avoid, even though people are silently looking for them:
Who your coaching is for, and who it’s not for.
What working with you looks like (support, structure, expectations).
Why hiring a professional coach matters, especially for long-term results.
Concrete outcomes someone can expect.
Proof, both in the video and in the description.
A clear next step that leads directly to a conversation with you.
The point is not to make it “salesy.” The point is to make it so clear that the right person thinks, “This is exactly what I need.”
Create magnet videos that actually coach (your new lead magnet)
Next in the model are magnet videos.
These are high-impact coaching lessons built around the biggest client tensions you know exist. Each magnet video goes deep on one challenge and gives real next steps someone can use right away.
I think of these as a fresh version of a lead magnet.
People don’t need another PDF. They’re already overwhelmed, and most downloads just sit unread in inboxes. A magnet video lets someone get value fast, hear your voice, understand your standards, and feel what it’s like to be coached by you.
What a strong magnet video looks like
A magnet video should feel like a real coaching session, not a motivational speech. I want it to be focused, practical, and specific.
For example, if you’re an individual design coach and you work with people coming from template programs, a magnet video could cover:
Why a program built around someone else’s life breaks down.
Why design matters, because needs, goals, and constraints vary.
Why long-term results come from habit built on top of habit.
Why real coaching includes exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle habits, not just workouts.
That kind of lesson builds confidence in you and your method. It also helps someone self-identify, either they’re your person or they aren’t.
How many magnet videos do you need?
Start small, whatever you can sustain.
One, three, five, it’s fine. Then, my goal is for you to create one weekly as you build your library. Over time, you end up with a bingeable body of work that keeps working even when you’re busy coaching.
Every magnet video should link to your hero offer video in two places:
In the YouTube description.
In the YouTube end cards, so it’s the natural next watch.
That way, when someone finds you through a magnet video, YouTube and your own setup guide them deeper into your offer.
Use short-form “hand-raiser” posts to start real conversations
Now we move to Instagram. This is where short-form content comes in, but with a different job than most coaches give it.
I call these short-form posts “hand-raisers.” They can be reels, carousels, or stories. Their job is to get attention from the right people and invite a DM signal.
Not virality. Not trends. Not chasing views.
Connection and conversation.
What to include in a hand-raiser post
Each hand-raiser post should do a few things, without trying to do everything:
Emphasize one real client tension.
Teach a micro-lesson (often a piece of a longer lesson from a magnet video).
Show proof of results when you have it.
Invite a DM keyword.
That DM keyword matters because it creates a clean signal. When someone messages you that word, they’re saying, “I’m interested,” and they’re giving you permission to talk.
This protects your time. It also keeps you from guessing who’s serious.
The DM flow: qualify fit, be helpful, and guide the binge cycle
Once someone sends the DM keyword, the next asset in the system is DM engagement.
If you can text a friend, you can do this. The point isn’t to run a complex script. The point is to be helpful, ask a few questions, and send the right video.
What I’m doing in the DM conversation
I’m using DMs to qualify fit and start a real interaction.
I’m paying attention to basic signals:
Are they friendly and engaged?
Are they responsive?
Do they answer questions, or do they disappear?
Responsiveness matters. A potential client who’s ready will usually respond.
From there, I ask questions that help me understand:
What they’re struggling with right now.
What they think the root cause is.
What tension feels most pressing to them.
Then I send the magnet video that best matches what they told me. I also let them know I’m happy to answer questions after they watch it.
This is where the binge cycle starts.
They watch the magnet video, then they’re guided to the hero offer video. If your magnet videos are organized in a playlist, you can also direct them to binge more lessons that match their situation.
This is how trust builds through watch time. They get more time with you, more exposure to how you coach, and more clarity on your values and approach. They stay in control, and that’s a good thing.
The follow-up that most coaches skip
If I haven’t heard back within 24 hours, I follow up. I keep it simple. I ask if the video was helpful, and if they have questions.
When they respond, I have an opening to ask if they’d like to understand more about my coaching offer.
If they say no, I don’t push. I offer another magnet video that could help, and I keep the door open.
If they say yes, I move to the next step: the offer document.
The offer doc: a simple Google Doc that sells without a call
An offer doc is exactly what it sounds like, a simple Google Doc that presents your offer clearly.
Here’s the picture I use. Imagine we’re sitting at a table, but we’re not allowed to talk. I can slide you one sheet of paper. You read it. Then you nod yes or no.
That’s the standard.
The offer doc should include whatever someone needs to make a decision without endless back-and-forth. Clear, organized, not overwhelming.
What I include in an offer doc
Inside the OPEX Method Mentorship, I spend a lot of time helping coaches build a structure that communicates with clarity and confidence. At a minimum, I want your offer doc to cover:
The pain your client is experiencing, in their words.
The outcome they want, stated clearly.
How your coaching bridges the gap from where they are to where they want to be.
What the coaching relationship looks like (some coaches present this in phases to show it’s long-term).
Pricing.
Answers to common questions you get.
A reason to start soon (some motivation or urgency to move).
I also like adding a personalized Loom video when it makes sense. If I’ve gathered good info in DMs, I can record a short Loom walking them through the offer doc and calling out the parts that match their needs. It’s personal, fast, and it helps someone feel seen.
Don’t overlook your Instagram bio (it’s part of the system)
This last piece gets ignored all the time, but it matters.
When someone sees a hand-raiser post, or meets you in real life, they often check your Instagram profile next. Your bio is the first impression, and it needs to do real work.
I want your bio to clearly state:
Who you coach.
Why you’re different.
How to take a direct next step to talk to you.
The DM keyword prompt changes everything
If you include a short DM keyword prompt in your bio (like “DM me ‘coach’”), a potential client can jump straight into the DM flow.
In that case, you may skip sending them a magnet video first. You might go straight to qualification and offer presentation, depending on what they need.
I also recommend linking your hero offer video in your bio links so people can watch it right away and get up to speed fast.
Why this system works (even if you’re busy)
I walked over 40 coaches through this model during the last OPEX Method Mentorship cohort, and the feedback sounded the same: it felt doable, sustainable, and smart.
That’s the point.
This system:
Keeps your tech and channels minimal.
Lets you stay visible with short-form without burning out.
Builds bingeability into your long-form content library.
Creates trust through watch time, which makes sales feel easier.
Replaces the pressure to “book calls” with DM qualification and a clear offer doc.
Gives you a process you can manage in a few minutes a day while still coaching your roster.
And it scales. When you’re ready, you can move into a more robust marketing model (I’ve shared a five-part system in other episodes that includes email nurture and more tech). But to start, this is enough. It’s clean. It works. It keeps you focused on coaching.
My closing thought on minimum viable marketing for coaches
If you want marketing that doesn’t take over your life, build a system that earns trust while you coach. A hero offer video, a handful of magnet videos, simple hand-raisers, a DM flow, and a clear offer doc can create a steady lead flow without a website or email list.
If this sparked ideas, I’d love to know what you’re going to build first. Pick one piece, take action, and let the system earn you more conversations with the right people.
Next Steps
👉 Download your free one page marketing plan!
👉 Subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode!
And don’t forget, Marketing for Fitness Coaches is part of the CoachRx Podcast Network, a collection of shows designed to elevate the coaching conversation. Discover more shows in the CoachRx Podcast Network here.
👉 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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