Executive coaching is sold differently from most coaching. Your buyer is often two people: the leader you coach, and the company (an HR partner, a CEO or a founder) that pays. Both want proof that you understand leadership at their level before they book a conversation. Marketing that works for life coaches, such as motivational quotes and trending audio, usually works against you here.
The short answer: position yourself around one leadership situation (for example, first-time VPs, founders scaling past 50 people, or new CEOs), publish practical leadership content on LinkedIn and as short videos every week, make it easy for both leaders and sponsors to start a conversation, and run a short, structured discovery call. Referrals still matter most, but consistent content is what makes people refer you by name.
How executive coaching is actually bought
| Buyer | What they care about | What convinces them |
|---|---|---|
| The leader (individual) | A specific problem: a new role, a difficult team, burnout, a board relationship | Seeing that you understand their situation in detail |
| The sponsor (HR, CEO, founder) | Measurable change in the leader, confidentiality, low risk | Your process, structure and evidence of results |
| The referrer (peer, past client, advisor) | Not looking bad when they recommend you | Being clearly known for one thing |
Your marketing has to speak to all three. Content shows the leader you understand them. A clear process reassures the sponsor. A specific position gives referrers an easy sentence to say about you.
Why content works for executive coaches
Senior buyers do read expert content. In the 2024 Edelman–LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report (3,484 business executives surveyed), 54% of C-level executives said they spend an hour or more a week reading thought leadership. 73% of decision-makers said it is a more trustworthy basis for judging an organisation’s capabilities than its marketing materials. That survey covers B2B buying in general, not coaching specifically, but the behaviour is the same: leaders judge experts by how they think.
And the audience is on LinkedIn: the platform reports more than 1.4 billion members. For an executive coach, LinkedIn is usually the main channel, with short videos repurposed to Instagram and YouTube Shorts for reach.
Step 1: Own one leadership situation
“Executive coach for leaders” describes thousands of people. Pick a situation leaders search for help with:
- First-time managers of managers (new directors and VPs)
- Founders moving from operator to CEO
- New CEOs in their first 12 months
- Technical leaders stepping into executive roles
- Leaders returning from burnout or a career break
Write your position as one sentence: “I help [leaders] [achieve outcome] without [common cost].” For example: “I help first-time VPs in tech lead through managers without working 70-hour weeks.”
Step 2: Content that senior leaders respect
| Format | Example | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Situation breakdown | “Your top performer just became your peer. Here’s the first conversation to have.” | Shows you understand real leadership moments |
| Framework | “The 3 questions I ask every new VP in week one” | Shows you have a method, not just empathy |
| Contrarian view | “Most leadership offsites fix nothing. Here’s why.” | Signals independent thinking |
| Anonymised client story | The situation, what shifted, what changed in the team (with permission) | Proof without breaking confidentiality |
| Sponsor-focused post | “How to tell if coaching is working for your leader after 90 days” | Speaks to the person who pays |
Keep the tone calm and specific. Leaders scroll past hype. For a full approach to this kind of content, see our thought leadership content strategy guide.
Step 3: A simple channel plan
- LinkedIn (main): three to five posts a week. Mix short videos with text posts made from the same ideas.
- Short video everywhere else: the same videos on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts reach leaders outside your network.
- A monthly long-form piece: a newsletter, article or podcast episode for depth.
- Referral partners: HR consultants, recruiters, VCs and boards who see leaders struggle first.
One recording session a week can feed all of it. Here’s how to batch-record a week of short videos.
Step 4: Turn attention into conversations
- Offer something useful: a short leadership self-assessment, a 90-day plan template for new executives, or a guide for HR on choosing a coach.
- Make the next step easy: a comment keyword or a direct message, followed by one or two questions: what role are you in, and what’s the situation?
- Offer a call only when it fits: a 20–30 minute conversation to understand the situation and explain how you work.
- Prepare a sponsor version: a one-page summary of your process, confidentiality and how progress is reviewed, for the person who signs off the budget.
The DM mechanics are in our guide to comment-to-DM automation. On LinkedIn, the same principle applies by hand: reply to every thoughtful comment and move good conversations to messages.
A weekly plan for busy executive coaches
| Task | Time |
|---|---|
| Note this week’s client themes (anonymised) as content ideas | 15 minutes |
| Record 4–5 short videos from prepared scripts | 45–60 minutes |
| Review post drafts made from the same ideas | 15 minutes |
| Comment on 10 posts by leaders and HR people you want to reach | 15 minutes a day |
| Follow up with referral partners | 30 minutes |
Mistakes executive coaches make with marketing
- Generic inspiration that senior leaders ignore.
- Breaking confidentiality, even by accident. Anonymise properly and ask permission.
- Only speaking to the leader and forgetting the sponsor who pays.
- Posting from a company page instead of your own profile.
- Stopping after a month. Senior buyers watch for a long time before they reach out.
For the wider picture across every coaching niche, see our complete guide to marketing for coaches.
Want it done for you?
HustleGrowthz runs content for executive and leadership coaches. We research your market, write 30 scripts a month in your voice, edit and publish the videos, and set up a simple way for interested leaders to start a conversation. You record for about an hour a week. It costs $999 a month or $5,999 a year (pricing). See social media management for coaches or book a free strategy call.
Sources
Edelman and LinkedIn: 2024 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report (PDF); LinkedIn: About Us. Both accessed 10 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do executive coaches get clients?
Mostly through referrals and visible expertise. Position yourself around one leadership situation, publish practical leadership content on LinkedIn and short video every week, offer a useful resource, and run a short discovery call. Prepare a one-page summary for the sponsor who pays.
Is LinkedIn good for executive coaches?
Usually it is the main channel, because leaders and HR buyers are there. LinkedIn reports more than 1.4 billion members. Post three to five times a week from your personal profile and repurpose the same videos to Instagram and YouTube Shorts.
What should executive coaches post?
Breakdowns of real leadership situations, frameworks you use, contrarian views, anonymised client stories shared with permission, and posts for sponsors about how to judge whether coaching is working.
Who pays for executive coaching?
Often the leader's company pays, through HR or a CEO, while the leader is the coaching client. Your marketing should speak to both: the leader's situation and the sponsor's need for a clear process and evidence of progress.