Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, and CNBC—these outlets have long been the pinnacle for executives looking to broadcast their message. For communication leaders, securing these broadcast placements once delivered huge returns, as it was the most reliable means to capture the attention of mass audiences.
But this is less and less the case, and in 2025 the cultural influence of broadcast media is quickly weakening. Over the past year, broadcast viewership has declined substantially, even for major legacy outlets like CNN and MSNBC. During the presidential election, a time when broadcast media historically peaks, traditional viewership dropped.
Meanwhile, the cord-cutting trend persists, with audiences dispersing across the internet into niche feeds and personalized content, leaving broadcast media in a precarious position. This is prompting communication leaders to ask: With more people getting their news online from deeply personalized feeds, what is the real value of traditional broadcast placements for executives?
From our perspective, the value of broadcast remains as strong as ever—what’s changed is the platform it’s delivered on. In this evolving landscape, LinkedIn stands out as one of the most significant yet untapped broadcast opportunities for executives. Over the past year, the professional networking site has quietly emerged as a powerhouse for business news consumption. With over one billion users and a 55% surge in premium subscriptions in late 2023, LinkedIn is now at the heart of business news and executive commentary. This is particularly evident in its trending news timeline, curated by over 200 global editors who spotlight executive insights around major news stories.
While LinkedIn's editorial team has traditionally focused on highlighting executive-written commentary, its news team is increasingly spotlighting multimedia content, with an emphasis on short-form video. This shift comes against the backdrop of a 36% surge in video content on LinkedIn over the past year, driven by the platform’s adoption of a TikTok-style video feed.
As LinkedIn's news arm continues to embrace the 'TikTokification' of content consumption, which gained even more momentum in 2024, it creates a significant new placement opportunity for PR professionals: a self-initiated, hybrid short-form video broadcast format, editorially supported by LinkedIn and seamlessly integrated into users’ curated feeds. These 1–2-minute videos provide C-suite leaders with a distinctive platform to showcase their expertise, demonstrate authenticity, and connect with audiences in ways that traditional, polished broadcast interviews simply cannot replicate.
At MikeWorldWide, we beta-tested this concept with a select group of C-Suite leaders, creating short-form video content tailored to real-time LinkedIn trending news timelines. In December, these efforts resulted in ten placements across our client roster, delivering over 1.6 million impressions, 2,456 engagements, and 65,000 views. On average, this approach outperformed our traditional written content nearly sixfold for each client involved in the test.
With the growing opportunities for earned broadcast placements on LinkedIn, our team has compiled a set of recommendations based on market research and insights from our beta testing period to help you secure impactful new media broadcast opportunities on the platform in 2025:
Tip 1: Develop a Recognizable or Relatable Interview Style That Reflects Your Executive’s Brand
Visual relatability and branding are key, just as they are in traditional business news shows (think Joe Rogan's iconic setup). A short-form video style on LinkedIn should be equally compelling and aligned with the executive's identity. Rather than producing one-off videos, focus on crafting a unique visual and storytelling style that LinkedIn users can immediately associate with the executive.
For example, Chris Kempczinski, Chairman and CEO of McDonald’s, often shares short videos of himself candidly speaking at his desk about McDonald’s updates or his leadership philosophy. His relatable, straightforward approach has made his content instantly recognizable. Your goal should be to create a distinct content style that makes the executive identifiable even without their name being shown.
Tip 2: Encourage Executives to Embrace Unpolished Media Formats
Traditional media interviews are polished productions, with well-researched briefing documents and carefully rehearsed talking points. However, on LinkedIn, the most engaging short-form videos are anchored in authenticity. These videos forgo makeup, formal preparation and overly curated messaging in favor of candid, off-the-cuff communication.
A great example is Daniel Ek, Founder and CEO of Spotify, who shared a short form video summarizing Spotify’s Q3 earnings takeaways on LinkedIn’s trending news timeline. Likely recorded on his smartphone in minutes, this video contrasted sharply with the highly structured nature of interviews on platforms like CNBC's Squawk Box. Encourage your executives to adopt a less polished, more genuine approach for LinkedIn video content to better connect and resonate with audiences.
Tip 3: Collaborate With Your Digital Team to Optimize Short-Form Video Content
The success of a short-form video often depends on its construction. To ensure strong performance, leverage key elements such as captions, graphics, smooth editing techniques and an optimized 9:16 aspect ratio. Enhance the storytelling with sound effects or visuals if they add value—and keep the video concise. We’ve found that about 90 seconds or less is the sweet spot for success.
Moreover, strong copywriting frameworks and SEO-optimized captions are crucial for boosting algorithmic visibility and driving engagement while adding additional context. Partnering closely with your digital team can make the difference between a video that drives impact and one that underperforms.
Tip 4: Build Relationships With LinkedIn Editors
Just as traditional media producers rely on trusted sources, LinkedIn editors curate content for their timelines. Once your executive establishes a consistent presence with authentic, high-quality short-form video posts, your communications team should focus on building relationships with these editors. Editors often maintain shortlists of content creators suited for specific timelines, and being on their radar can open doors to more targeted opportunities for your executive's content.
Clayton Durant is Director of Emerging Media & Platform Strategy at MikeWorldWide. Dorianne Ciccarelli is Vice President, Digital, at MikeWorldWide.