Which Social Media Platform Should Coaches Be On?

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Which social media platform should you be on as a coach? Pick two: one search platform where people can find you, and one conversation platform where people can talk to you. That's the short answer to the question I've been asked more than any other in seven years of running my coaching business.

A few months ago, every coach in my feed was moving to Substack. Some swore it built them a six-figure business. Then the Substack chatter went quiet and everyone moved on to YouTube, and next quarter it will be something else.

If you've been chasing the "right" platform, this post gives you a simpler way to decide. You'll learn the three types of social media platforms, what each one does for your business, and how to choose the best social media platform for coaches at your stage.

Why "Which Platform?" Keeps You Stuck

This question usually shows up at one of two moments. You're ready to get your message out and need to put yourself somewhere. Or you've been posting on Instagram for months, consistently, and the comments aren't coming.

Before you pack up and move, know this. Some audiences are quiet. Commenting in public feels vulnerable, so plenty of people watch from the background and never say a word, until one day they slide into your DMs.

Silence on a post doesn't mean you failed, and it doesn't mean you need a new platform. If you haven't mastered one platform yet, adding a second only doubles the workload.

The 3 Types of Social Media Platforms for Coaches

Instead of comparing platforms one by one, sort them into three categories based on how people find and connect with you.

The 3 Types of Social Media Platforms

Tap a card to flip it

Search People find you Flip Someone types a question and finds your content, months or even years later. ExamplesYouTube, podcast, blog, Substack, Pinterest, ICF directory, Google Business Profile Pick one Feed The algorithm decides Flip You post, and the platform chooses who sees it. A clear message reaches the right people. ExamplesFacebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn Optional Conversation People talk to you Flip People can reach you directly, one‑to‑one or in a small group. ExamplesDMs, Messenger, WhatsApp, LinkedIn messages, email, Skool, Circle Pick one

Your two: one search platform + one conversation platform

1. Search platforms: where people find you

A search platform lets someone type a question and land on your content. That could be today or five years from now, wherever they are in the world.

YouTube is the clearest example. A woman searching for a resilience coach for women can find your videos long after you post them. Podcasts, blogs and Pinterest work the same way.

One search platform is easy to miss: directories. If you're an ICF member, list yourself in the ICF coach directory. When someone wants to hire a leadership coach, the ICF website is one of the first places they look, and your listing is free with your membership. Set up your profile this afternoon. A Google Business Profile does the same job for local searches.

2. Feed platforms: where the algorithm decides

Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and LinkedIn all run on a feed. You post, and the platform decides who sees it.

These platforms now use AI to read your content and match it to the people most likely to care. That works in your favor when your message is specific. When your content could apply to anyone, the AI can't tell who it's for, so it shows it to almost no one.

This is why getting clear comes before getting seen. In my Coach With Clients Academy, Get Clear is the second of five milestones. Write the way your dream client describes her own situation, using the exact words she uses, so the algorithm can put your post in front of the right person.

3. Conversation platforms: where people talk to you

A conversation platform makes it easy for someone to start talking with you, and for you to start talking with them.

Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger count. So do WhatsApp, LinkedIn messages and communities like Skool, Circle and Mighty Networks. Email belongs here too. When someone replies to your newsletter, you're in a private one-to-one conversation on a list you own.

You also don't need a Facebook group to build a group. A private Messenger or WhatsApp chat for the people you want to support works beautifully. One tip before you pay for a community platform: get clear on your offer first. If you haven't packaged your program yet, watch my Office Hours episode on how to package and price your coaching program before you sign up for another monthly subscription.

The Two-Platform Rule: One Search Platform and One Conversation Platform

After almost a decade in marketing, here's what I recommend to every client: pick two platforms for your coaching business.

Platform 1: One search platform

Choose based on how you like to communicate.

• You like to write? Start a blog on your website. No website yet? Start on Substack.

• You like to talk? Start a podcast or a YouTube channel. Today they're nearly interchangeable, since podcasts have video and YouTube carries audio shows.

Neither choice makes you more or less of a coach. A blog is just as valid as a video channel, and the right pick is the one you can show up for consistently.

When I started my coaching business in 2019, I couldn't find a stage that fit my schedule, my time and my personality. So I built my own. I started a podcast where I chose the topics and decided when to show up. If you can't find a platform that fits you, create one, and let your message become searchable.

Platform 2: One conversation platform

You might already be on Facebook and Instagram. The question is why. The real reason to be there is to start conversations with the people you want to coach, and posting into the feed alone rarely does that.

Pick a place where people can reach you without jumping through hoops. That might be Instagram DMs, a WhatsApp group, LinkedIn messages or your email list.

I use Threads for this. My posts there are unplanned. I share an opinion, or a moment with my dog Cooper or my cat Toby, and real conversations start. It feels like connecting with a human. Instagram's feed, by comparison, is curated and polished, and it rarely gets people talking.

Why Conversations Matter More Than Going Viral

Chasing 2,000 or 10,000 views is a different goal from getting clients.

Coaching is intimate. Your client will tell you things she hasn't told anyone else. She needs to feel seen and heard before she books a private session with you, and a busy feed rarely builds that kind of trust the way a real conversation can.

Every conversation you start also makes your next invitation easier. When you invite someone to work with you, it lands as the next step in a relationship instead of a cold pitch.

If you have the bandwidth, the team, and the tech to be on every platform, go for it. If you're early in your business and still building authority, two platforms are plenty.

How to Choose: The Easiest Platform Wins

Here's the rule I give every client: pick the platform that's easiest for you, and ignore what everyone else says works for them.

Every new platform comes with a learning curve. If you've never edited video, YouTube means learning a new workflow, building it into your routine and getting comfortable before you can be consistent. The lower the learning curve, the sooner consistency gets easy.

Then commit for 90 days. In three months you'll have real data on what's working, what isn't and what to change, which you can't learn while you're hopping between platforms.

Your 3 Action Steps This Week

1. Name your search platform. YouTube, podcast, blog, Pinterest or a directory. Pick one.

2. Name your conversation platform. Instagram DMs, Messenger, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, a private chat or email. Pick one.

3. Tune out the noise for 90 days. The voices telling you to be somewhere else will always be there. Stay with your two and let the results teach you.

Want Help Picking Your Two?

If you'd like a second set of eyes, book a free strategy call. We'll look at where your business is today, what's worth keeping and what can wait.

Got a marketing question of your own? Join me live for Office Hours every Saturday at 9 AM PT on YouTube. One coach, one question, three action steps. Save your seat here.

Want help actually setting up your two platforms this month? Join me inside The Builder Room for $27 a month. Every month you get a live Q&A with me plus 3 action steps you can finish that month, so your search and conversation platforms get built instead of living on your to-do list. Join The Builder Room here.

Cheers, Michelle