Marketing for Life Coaches: 8 Types of Life Coaching Niches

One of the most common questions new coaches ask is, do I really need to pick a niche? There are so many types of life coaching niches to choose from and with big hearts, life coaches want to help everyone!

It’s a hot topic when it comes to marketing for life coaches, with everyone in (and out) of the life coaching industry seeming to have an opinion on the matter. Some say you don’t need one, some say you should wait until you’ve been coaching for a while, while others say you need one right away. So how do you decide what is right for you?

By the end of this article, you’ll know the #1 niching mistake life coaches make, why you need a coaching niche, 3 steps to finally choosing yours, and 8 types of life coaching niches you can use as a starting point.

Marketing for Life Coaches: Why You Need a Coaching Niche

I get it. You started a life coaching business to help EVERYONE reconnect to their passions and purpose and be their most authentic self (or something along those coach-speak lines). You don’t want to dilute your coaching by saying you only help one kind of person with just one thing. Isn’t it good enough to just be a “life” coach?

No, it is not.

Here’s the thing, the #1 mistake life coaches make is confusing the term “life coach” with a job title. For example, when you ask someone what they do for a living and they say, “I’m a teacher”, your response is likely along the lines of, “oh, what do you teach?” See, just like a teacher, (or a lawyer, doctor, dancer, etc.) “life coach” is an occupation, NOT a job title.

A job title describes someone’s specific job or position, like “podiatrist,” whereas an occupation refers to a broader title or the entire industry in which someone works, like “doctor.” 

Because of this confusion, no one knows what the heck you do, which makes “life coaching” feel like a really tough sell. When you are not specific about what you actually do, marketing for life coaches becomes overwhelming. The industry is super crowded and, let’s face it, no one knows who you are right now.

Figuring out who you help and what you help them with is one of the first steps to making your marketing successful.

3 Steps to Finally Choosing Your Coaching Niche

Now that we can all agree that just saying you’re a life coach is not enough information. Let me ask you this, what are you selling?

If you answered coaching, I am sorry to say you are wrong. You’re selling transformation, or the result that someone will get from working with you. No one wants coaching. They want what coaching can do for them, and it is your job to show them what that is.

To get clear on this you need to understand where your clients are at now and how you’re going to help them get to where they want to be. Here’s how:

Step One (their struggle): What are your potential clients struggling with right now?

Step Two (your expertise): How will you help them?

Step Three (why they should care): What are they hoping to get out of working with you? What is their biggest desire?

Once you have these answers, use this formula to figure out your own specific niche: I help [1] to [2], so that [3].

For example, “I help dog moms struggling with separation anxiety to feel confident their puppy is happy and safe alone, so that they can leave the house without worrying the whole time.” (Side note: Does anyone actually do this? Cause I’d buy that!)

The important thing to remember when picking a niche is that you can change it anytime. Coaches get so caught up in believing that this is a forever decision, when in reality if you try something out and it doesn’t work, just try something else!

Types of Life Coaching Niches (Categories)

Hopefully, now you’ve got lots of ideas for the types of life coaching niches you’re interested in. Or to put it better, what problems you can solve for people.

But if you’re still unsure, don’t worry, I’m sharing 8 niches here as a starting point. I say starting point because these are just categories for you to consider, it is not an exhaustive list. There are literally thousands of different types of life coaching niches. The more specific you can be with the problem you solve, the more people will understand that you’re the one to help them. Let your imagination go wild!

? Mindset Coaching

A Mindset Coach supports clients by shifting unhelpful or negative mindsets to ones that help them achieve their goals.

Mindset Coaches help people build confidence about who they are, create healthy boundaries, and attract the love and respect they deserve.

They’re often experts in developing confidence, empowerment, and moving past limiting beliefs. 

? Productivity Coaching

A Productivity Coach supports clients with creating work/life balance.

Productivity Coaches help people create the time and energy to get more done and prioritize goals and tasks, so they can have a life outside of work.

They’re often experts in skills such as habit creation, creating more energy, productivity tools, goal setting, focus, and prioritizing what matters.

? Health, Wellness, or Fitness Coaching

One of the most popular types of life coaching niches, a Health Coach supports clients with setting goals, staying motivated, changing unhealthy habits, and achieving better health.

Health Coaches help people create a lifestyle that nourishes them by diving into their health challenges, diet, nutrition, fitness, exercise, strength and self-care.

They’re often experts in nutrition, fitness, biohacking, ageing, hormones, and different health-related problems.

? Career Coaching

A Career Coach supports clients with creating the career of their dreams.

Career Coaches help people get crystal clear on what they want to do and then help with the transition of turning their dreams into reality.

They’re often experts in skills such as career planning, resume building, negotiation and interviewing.

? Spiritual Coaching

A Spiritual Coach supports clients with finding their connection to the Divine in their life or work.

Spiritual Coaches help people explore their deep connection to the Universe by finding and listening to their inner voice, enhancing their intuition, and tapping into their spiritual side.

They’re often experts in meditation and energy healing.

? Relationship Coaching

A Relationship Coach supports individuals and couples in building successful romantic partnerships.

Relationship Coaches help people figure out why they’re consistently attracting the wrong partners, and help them build lasting relationships.

They’re often experts in self-love, dating, conflict resolution, communication, intimacy, and pleasure.

? Financial Coaching

A Financial Coach supports clients with reaching their money goals by changing their habits and mindset.

Financial Coaches help people pay off their debt, save for retirement, build an emergency fund, and work towards financial freedom. 

They’re often experts in budgeting, financial planning, saving, investing, money habits, and abundance mindset.

? Business Coaching

A Biz Coach supports clients with the hard and soft skills of business ownership.

This could include helping people with their confidence, vision, branding, business systems, sales, and marketing.

They’re often experts in branding, marketing, and sales.

The #1 mistake life coaches make is confusing the term “life coach” with a job title, it’s an occupation.

Sarah Mae, BLCC Co-founder & Productivity Coach for Entrepreneurs

The Bottom Line

Most coaches feel that if they narrow their niche, they’ll be excluding people who might need their help. On its surface, this seems to make sense. However, imagine other professions using this logic…

A teacher might think, I don’t want to be a kindergarten teacher because then I won’t also be able to help grade 12s. Or a lawyer may think, I don’t want to be a family lawyer because then I won’t also be able to help businesses.

If all teachers and lawyers thought this way we would have no teachers or lawyers.

I get it though, with all the different types of coaching niches out there, it can be hard to decide which niche to focus on. Especially if you’re someone who has lots of passions and areas of expertise. Remember that whatever you choose isn’t written in stone.