Myth #18: I Need a Huge Audience to Be Successful
- Laura
- May 11
- 8 min read
Myth #18 is this:
“I need a huge audience to be successful. I need to build a massive social media following and tons of people looking at my posts to have a successful business or be a good coach."
This sounds logical, right? The bigger the platform, the bigger the impact. The more people watching, the more clients coming your way. But let me tell you: this is one of the biggest myths I’ve seen hold powerful coaches back from taking the next step.
You don't need thousands of followers to make a difference.
You need connection.
You need clarity.
You need consistency.
That’s it!
I know coaches making a full-time income with under 1,000 followers. And I know others with 10,000+ who are barely paying for their platform subscriptions. The difference? It’s not the number. It’s the relationship. It’s the trust. It’s the conversion.
Let’s break this down a bit.
Why Engagement Matters More Than Followers
Social media loves numbers. It feeds us views, likes, and followers like candy. But those numbers don’t necessarily mean anything if the people behind them aren’t engaging, trusting, or connecting with you. And candy isn’t always healthy or good for you, right?
Your business is not a popularity contest. It’s a relationship-building mission.
Coaching, especially, is built on trust. Someone is not going to hire you just because you look cool or perfect online. They’ll hire you because they feel safe, seen, and supported by your content and conversation.
Which means your energy is better spent on connecting than collecting.
Followers are just numbers. Engagement is connection. And connection leads to trust and trust is what people buy.
Whether you have 50 followers or 5,000, if no one is interacting, it’s like talking into a void.
But if you have five people who consistently show up, listen, and ask questions? That’s the beginning of a business. You can really make a difference and build a strong foundation with five people.
I know that might seem crazy to you, but I did it. So I know. And I’ll preach it til the day the cows come home to Trader Joe’s.
Example
For example, without naming names, Coach A, as of right now has 597 followers. She shows up consistently, shares her story, teaches freely, and invites people to work with her in a very personal way. And she has a waitlist for her coaching sessions.
Meanwhile, Coach B has over 10,000 followers. Gorgeous branding. Polished reels. Great style. But she hasn’t seemed to figure out how to invite people into deeper relationship, so she’s still struggling to turn those views into paying clients.
It’s not about who looks more impressive. It’s about who builds more trust.
I think this is major lie about social media perfection that feels so intimidating to coaches and business owners and even just people thinking about it. When all you really want to do is serve people well in coaching but you look at social media and begin dwelling on what it would take to get famous there enough that you can make money, it’s very disheartening.
What to Focus on Instead
If you’re a coach, or really anyone wanting to use social media for something meaningful, I want you to shift your strategy:
Stop trying to go viral and start trying to get real.
Instead of chasing growth for the sake of optics, try these things:
Start meaningful conversations in DMs with people who interact with your posts
Build an email list and send thoughtful, helpful content
Offer genuine value in your captions, not just calls to action
Comment on five accounts in your niche this week and build real connections
Social media is just a tool. It’s not the source of your success. You are. Your story is. Your coaching is. Your ability to serve, to lead, to guide—that is the foundation.
So if you’ve been holding off on building your coaching business because your follower count feels too small, hear this:
Your following doesn’t have to be big to be fruitful.
Your voice is not too small.Your story is not too late.Your people are not too far.
They’re closer than you think. You just have to speak to them, not the algorithm.
If you’re not careful, it’ll start to feel like your coaching business depends on your ability to post, reel, hashtag, and dance your way to visibility.
But here’s what I want you to know- you don’t need a massive platform to build a meaningful, sustainable business. In fact, you don’t even need a platform at all.
Some of the most successful women I’ve coached don’t even use Instagram for business. They aren’t TikTok famous. They don’t have a podcast. They aren’t running Facebook ads. They just know who they serve, how they help, and they stay consistent in showing up in their real life and relationships.
Other Options
I know a coach (actually quite a few of them) who has never posted a single reel. She built her coaching business through her church small group and referrals. She hosted a few local gatherings where she taught what she’s passionate about, offered to walk alongside women in transition, and now has a thriving client load, with zero social media presence.
Another coach I worked with was deeply introverted and hated being online. So she sent personal emails to women she already knew, former co-workers, family friends, women she’d volunteered with, and simply said, “Hey, I’m offering coaching. Here’s what I help with. If that’s something you’ve been needing, I’d love to talk.” And she kept being consistent about it. She just kept opening up about who she helps and how and what they can get out of coaching. She made it about them, not about her social media numbers, calendar, or algorithms.
You don’t have to be visible to everyone. Just visible to someone.
Trade in the social algorithms for trusted and true relational rhythms.
What to Focus on Instead of a Social Following
Let’s talk about some practical ways you can build a business without relying on social media:
Email
Start an email list with five people you know. Send something helpful and encouraging once a week. Email is way more intimate than a scroll. Your email list is the only thing you truly own and can take with you when insta goes down and tiktok gets the blick block and Facebook changes its ways yet again. You simply can’t win against the tech space, the massive corporations that run them, and the constant shifting of people. Your email list is yours and will always be the number one best way to share your offer at any time going forward.
Word of Mouth
Tell your friends and former co-workers what you're doing. Let your community help you spread the word. Word-of-mouth referrals are powerful and already very warm.
Live Events
Host a small gathering. Lead a local workshop. Teach a free session at your church or community center. It builds trust in real time.
Partnerships
Partner with a nonprofit, ministry, or local business to offer value to their people. If you're a coach for moms, find a local homeschool group and speak at their meetup. Then make sure you’re offering a call to action for them to sign up for a freebie, book one session, or a free consultation.
Networking
Attend in-person meetups or virtual coffee chats with aligned entrepreneurs. Don’t pitch, just connect. Your next client may be in your current circle. Show up with joy on your face and be the person in the room who is there to serve the one in front of you instead of to gain something for yourself.
Printed Tools
Create a beautiful printed worksheet or story card and hand it to people you meet. Include a QR code to a private video or booking link. It’s tangible and memorable. I have a friend who’s ministry has a course and he put the link on a laminated card to give to anyone he wants. It’s not just a business card, but a link to get the course for free, and it’s super high value. No one wants to throw away something that offers a high-value freebie. But they throw away business cards all day long.
Smaller Numbers Can Mean Higher Engagement
Something that’s really wise in marketing is to clean up your email list. We do this occasionally in our ministry because we have such a large list. What you do is send an email giving subscribers the opportunity to opt out and get off your list if what you say and offer no longer serves them in this season.
They can always get back on your list later, but for now it cleans up your email list so that your open rate is higher. You have less people sending your emails to spam and that’s better for your account overall in your email service provider.
The reason this is a wise move is that you find out who is really engaged and who is not. You don’t want an email list of 5000 people but they aren’t interested in anything you send them. You may only have 500 who would even pay attention, 100 who would click, and 25 who would take action of some sort. What big numbers do is trick you into thinking you have 5000 people interested in what you have to say.
The problem with that is that you don’t. So you can make it mean a thousand different things.
No one wants what I offer so I should change it. Again.
No one cares about what I create. I should quit.
I knew this wouldn’t work. I don’t do this well enough.
And so on…
But the reality is that whatever you say and offer DOES work, just not for everybody and that’s normal for every person, every coach, and every business.
The same applies to social media followings. Just because you have so-called ‘friends’ on Facebook doesn’t mean you’re actually friends with them right? Well just because someone clicks the button that says follow or subscribe doesn’t mean they’re actually following you. It’s important to distinguish the two.
What you want is a small group of engaged people who you get to know and who get to know you, who like you and begin to trust you, and who became aware enough of the problem they have that you help solve that they will click the REAL button. The one that says ‘book a session’.
A Coaching Reframe
Here’s the truth: you’re not late, you’re not behind, and ou’re not missing out because you haven’t figured out Instagram. You’re just being invited to build a different way, one that actually fits your life, your energy, and your values.
You get to be successful quietly.You get to grow intentionally.You get to do this in a way that’s full of integrity.
So here’s your encouragement: if you’ve been spinning your wheels trying to show up where you don’t feel called- stop.
Your people don’t need a perfect feed. They need you to show up with clarity, confidence, and care.
Listener Challenge:
If you’re not up for the social media wild goose chase, choose one of the no-social strategies and try it this week:
Invite three women to a free coffee chat
Email five people and tell them what you're doing
Print a one-page guide and bring it to an event
And if you're still on social, and you love being there, engage with just five people in your niche- but this time, do it with the goal of connection, not collection.
And no matter what, make your goal that of serving others, not serving yourself. Keeping your head in that space will serve you well. I think I’ve read it somewher that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first :)
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