Written by Karla Jo Helms – at JoTo PR Disruptors.
[Byline: a line in a newspaper or publication naming the writer of an article, written by the author him/herself and usually as a vendor-neutral piece, imparting knowledge and expertise. Also call KOL or Key Opinion Leader piece/article.]
Essential communication skills haven’t changed, but the 24/7 digital media landscape has changed the expectations for leadership communication forever.
Prominent leaders utilize a host of oral, written and nonverbal communication skills to motivate employees, educate investors, market and sell to customers, sign prospects and streamline business processes.
Technology and the digital 24/7 news cycle have forever impacted the expectations for leadership communication.
Public trust in media institutions and industry leaders has dropped to an all-time low, and the 24/7 news cycle calls for leaders to act with precision and decisiveness under deadline—often in media they aren’t familiar or comfortable with.
Public Perception
Distrust across the board is up among the public. According to data from the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer, over 70% of the 28 countries surveyed are classified as “distrusters,” meaning that under 50% of the public trust in the mainstream institutions of business, government, media, and NGOs to do what is right. (1)
People have retreated into self-curated information bubbles, where they consume only media that confirms their perspectives, as if selecting their news like a playlist for music. Fully half of respondents indicate that they consume mainstream media less than once a week and then turn to multiple targeted news channels and industry news for their information (up to 12 or more).
Likewise, the US is enduring the worst collapse ever recorded in the history of the Edelman Trust Barometer. This is led by a decline in trust in government, which is down 30 points among the informed public and 14 points among the general population, while for the informed public trust in each of the other institutions sank by 20 or more points.
General population trust declined nine points on the Trust Index scale to 43, placing the nation in the lower middle segment. But informed public trust imploded, down 23 Trust Index points to 45, ranking the US lowest of the 28 nations surveyed, and all but eliminating the trust gap between the informed public and the mass population. This decline is transversal, across age, region and gender.” (2)
The Good News for Business Leaders
Expert voices across business registered broad gains in credibility, with the net effect of technical experts, financial 
industry analysts, and successful entrepreneurs all enjoying credibility levels of 50 percent or higher today.
The growing regard for voices of authority is in accordance with the mounting expectations for today’s businesses, and CEOs specifically, to lead. Sixty-four percent agree that CEOs should take the lead on change rather than waiting for government to impose it. Moreover, the believability of a business’ analysis of an important social issue (46 percent) is nearly on par with that of a major news source. (3, 4)
How This Effects Leadership Communication
Technology and the trebled growth of the media industry since 2010 has provided leaders with more powerful communication lines to effectively connect with internal and external stakeholders. If used appropriately, these mediums can assist leaders in not only gathering timely and relevant data, but also has given them the power to extend their reach, exposure and influence well beyond their localities.
JOTO PR Writers have been ghostwriting for CEOs and their leadership teams for over 30 years (we are not that old, but our writing teams are!). Our writers are experienced in writing for healthcare, finance, IT, telecommunications, energy and many other B2B and technical industries.
JOTO PR Writers are fast-paced, know how media and technology impact leadership communication, understand the digital communication skills every leader must portray, and know how to write for leaders to effectively capitalize on all the new, numerous and various digital media channels, in order to:
- Convey their industry skillsets via context, approach and strategy;
- Cultivate strong relationships and networks worldwide;
- Build and sustain a human connection with clients, customers and investors;
- Establish, build and supervise a remote workforce;
- Interact in two-way communication with stakeholders in a forward-looking manner
And most important of all…
- Demonstrate authenticity.
BONUS: In addition, bylined articles get better SEO than many of their counterpart media publicity stories—the search engines reward brands who publish quality news stories with expert information in technical, business and industry press.
Bylined article writing and placement in industry publications is a key part of what JOTO PR does to put you on the map, enabling you to disrupt your market and help more people and organizations—and gain the high-level exposure you need to be considered an authority in in today’s online landscape.
Remember the old adage “if it isn’t written, it isn’t true?” Well today it is if it isn’t published, it isn’t true. Get published!
