Building trust with leadership for media strategy planning

Why showing impact is critical.

Comms teams need to focus on new media strategies to stay relevant and effective. But first they need to gain trust from leadership.

By focusing on this, teams can navigate emerging trends or channels with more confidence.

“If leaders trust your recommendations, they’ll take more risks with new formats,” Megan Corns-Russell, executive director of external relations at Texas Christian University, said.

During the Future of Communications Conference, Corns-Russell shared practical strategies for building trust to make messages more visible and effective.

To accomplish this, she said it’s key to keep a record of media performance metrics. For example, highlight that a press release generated 50 media mentions or that a newsletter drove a 30% increase in engagement. Present these numbers clearly in dashboards or reports so leadership can quickly see the impact.

“Numbers make trust tangible,” Corns-Russell said. “It’s one thing to pitch a new format, it’s another to show them how your previous campaigns moved the needle.”

Trust also grows when teams deliver results without overcommitting. Corns-Russell recommends starting small by piloting new media formats.

“Don’t ask leadership to bet the farm on a brand-new newsletter or micro-podcast. Start small, track what works, then scale,” she said.

Track engagement metrics like open rates, shares or earned media coverage, she said.

These small wins build confidence and create a foundation for larger campaigns, Corns-Russell said.

Then communicate openly about successes and challenges during the process, which will help sustain trust, she said.

“Leaders want to know what’s going right and what’s not,” she said. “Transparency makes them confident you’re in control.”

Provide regular updates through concise reports or dashboards. If a campaign underperforms, share insights and next steps. Talk about what worked and what didn’t while being open to feedback.

This honesty reassures leadership and shows strategic thinking even when experiments don’t go perfectly, she said.

“When leadership believes in your understanding of the audience and your judgment…that’s where your most impactful media campaigns happen,” she said.

To learn even more tips about media strategy, head over to view this presentation and more at Ragan Training here.

Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.

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