Personal Branding for Coaches: Stand Out in a Saturated Market

There are 1,000 coaches in your niche. Maybe 10,000. And most of them say the exact same things you do.

"I help women build confidence." "I help entrepreneurs scale." "I help people find their purpose."

It's vanilla. It's forgettable. And it's why most coaches struggle to get clients.

The coaches who stand out aren't necessarily better. They're just more specific about who they are and who they serve.

The Problem with Being Too Broad

When I started coaching, my positioning was: "I help entrepreneurs grow their businesses." Sounds good, right?

Wrong. It's so broad it means nothing. What kind of entrepreneurs? Grow how? In what timeframe?

I posted content for six months with that positioning. Zero clients.

Then I niched down: "I help female coaches hit $10K months without posting on Instagram daily." Specific. Targeted. Clear.

First client booked within two weeks.

The lesson: specificity sells. Broad positioning makes you invisible.

Your Positioning Formula

Here's the structure that works: "I help [specific person] achieve [specific outcome] without [common pain point]"

Let's break it down.

Specific person. Not "entrepreneurs." Not "women." Get more specific. "Female coaches under 40 with kids" or "Burned-out corporate executives making $100K+" or "Health coaches who hate selling."

The more specific, the more people think "That's me!"

Specific outcome. Not "success" or "growth." Give me numbers. "$10K months" or "40-hour work weeks" or "3 clients per month" or "6-figure launch."

Vague outcomes don't convert. Specific ones do.

Common pain point. This is what makes your offer unique. "Without posting daily" or "Without paid ads" or "Without sacrificing family time" or "Without feeling salesy."

This addresses their biggest objection before they even ask.

Example: Instead of "Mindset coach," try "I help burned-out corporate women quit their jobs and build 6-figure coaching businesses without sacrificing time with their kids."

See the difference?

Have a Point of View

The coaches who stand out have opinions. They're not afraid to say things other coaches won't.

"Niche down or stay broke." "You don't need a website. You need clients." "Posting 3x a day is killing your engagement."

These statements polarize. Some people love them. Some people hate them. And that's exactly the point.

Vanilla positioning attracts nobody. Polarizing positioning attracts your people and repels everyone else.

What's your contrarian take in your niche? What do you believe that most coaches disagree with? That's your differentiator.

Show Your Personality

Stop trying to be professional. Be you.

Use your actual speaking voice in your posts. If you say "hell yeah" in real life, say it in your content. If you're sarcastic, be sarcastic. If you're serious, be serious.

The coaches who book the most clients aren't the most polished. They're the most authentic.

One of my clients was posting super professional content. Proper grammar. Business language. Zero personality. And zero clients.

I told her to rewrite one post like she was texting her best friend. She posted: "Okay real talk. I'm exhausted. I built a coaching business that requires me to work 60 hours a week. This isn't what I signed up for. Anyone else feel like they're drowning?"

47 comments. 12 DMs. 3 discovery calls booked. Same person. Same expertise. Different voice.

Create a Signature Framework

Every top coach has a named framework. The 3 C's. The CLEAR Method. The Authority Accelerator.

It doesn't have to be complicated. It just needs to be yours.

Your framework should be 3-5 steps. Give it a memorable name (acronyms work well). And use it in every piece of content you create.

This does two things. First, it positions you as an expert with a proven system. Second, it makes your content instantly recognizable.

When people see your framework mentioned, they know it's you. That's brand recognition.

Consistent Visual Identity

Your brand should be recognizable at a glance.

Pick 2-3 colors and use them consistently. Use the same filters on your photos. Have a recognizable post format (same font, same layout, same style).

When someone scrolls their feed, they should be able to identify your content before they even see your name.

This isn't about being a designer. It's about being consistent.

Proof Over Promises

Don't just say you're good. Show it.

Share client transformations with specific results. "$4K months to $12K months in 90 days." "60-hour weeks down to 35 hours with more revenue."

Share your own transformation story. Where you started. What you struggled with. How you figured it out.

Share revenue screenshots if you're comfortable. Testimonials (video is better than text). Case studies with before/after numbers.

Proof builds trust faster than any credentials.

Your Content Strategy

Here's what to post each week:

Monday: Teach your framework. Break down one step in detail.

Tuesday: Share a client win. Specific results. What made the difference.

Wednesday: Controversial take. Your unpopular opinion in your niche.

Thursday: Behind-the-scenes. The messy reality of building a coaching business.

Friday: Personal story plus lesson. Something that happened to you that they can learn from.

This mix positions you as an expert (framework), builds trust (client wins), drives engagement (controversial takes), shows your humanity (behind-the-scenes), and creates connection (personal stories).

Common Branding Mistakes

Trying to appeal to everyone. You can't. Pick your people and speak directly to them.

Being too professional. Nobody hires robots. They hire humans.

Copying other coaches' style. Your personality is your competitive advantage. Use it.

Your Brand in 3 Sentences

Write this down:

"I work with [specific person]. I help them [specific outcome]. Unlike other coaches, I [your unique approach]."

Example: "I work with female coaches who are exhausted from posting daily on social media. I help them book 5-10 discovery calls per month with strategic content posted 3x per week. Unlike other coaches, I don't believe in quantity. I believe in quality that converts."

This becomes your bio. Your website copy. Your elevator pitch. Everything.

The Reality Check

Your brand isn't what you say about yourself. It's what people remember about you.

Are you memorable? Or are you one of 1,000 coaches saying the same generic things?

The coaches who win aren't the best coaches. They're the ones who position themselves most clearly.

Get specific. Have opinions. Show your personality. Prove your results. And watch how much easier it becomes to book clients.