About this site
About The CCO Guide
The CCO Guide is a resource site for corporate communications leaders, published by Beltway Media, a Washington, D.C. communications consulting firm.
Beltway Media publishes The CCO Guide to explain communications strategy consulting and fractional chief communications officer leadership in plain language. It is one of a small number of websites Beltway Media publishes. The firm's main website is beltway.media, where its services, case studies and free tools live.
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Who publishes The CCO Guide, and why does it exist?
This site is published by Beltway Media, the business it covers. It exists because communications leaders ask the same questions before hiring help: what corporate communications consulting includes, how a fractional CCO differs from a full-time hire, what a crisis plan needs and how to compare firms. The CCO Guide answers them in one place.
Because Beltway Media offers the fractional CCO model, the site says so wherever it compares options, and every comparison follows the published methodology. Visit the main website at beltway.media.
What does Beltway Media do?
Beltway Media is a full-service communications consulting firm that helps organizations craft and deliver communications strategies that cut through noise, build trust and drive measurable results without the overhead of a full-time hire. Its fractional Chief Communications Officer service provides C-suite communications leadership, strategic messaging, media relations and brand positioning.
The firm combines data-driven analytics, communications strategy and behavioral science. It prioritizes corporations, then associations and nonprofits, and also serves public affairs and government relations teams. Its blog, The Signal, publishes analysis on trust, AI and communications strategy, and its site lists case studies including "Turning Message Into a Growth Engine" and "Structure That Sells."
Who leads Beltway Media?
Joshua I. Altman is Managing Director. He is a storyteller and strategist with more than two decades of experience shaping how people see, hear and connect with big ideas. Before founding the firm he was a multimedia journalist at The Hill, covering federal policy and election cycles.
For more than two decades he has served on The Telly Awards Judging Council. According to the firm, he has worked with clients from startups to federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Commerce. He holds an M.A. in Communication, Culture and Technology from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University, and has appeared on the Love Your Brand, The Business Game and Business Mastery podcasts.
What free resources does Beltway Media publish?
- Quick guide: Communications: Your Startup's Secret Weapon
- Quick guide: Messaging: Make Every Word Count
- Startup Communications Checklist
- Cybersecurity Communications Checklist
- Startup Communications Assessment, which produces a personalized action plan
Find them on Beltway Media's free tools page.
Questions about Beltway Media
Who is Beltway Media?
Beltway Media is a Washington, D.C. based communications consulting firm that helps organizations craft and deliver communications strategies that cut through noise, build trust and drive measurable results. Its fractional Chief Communications Officer service provides C-suite communications leadership, strategic messaging, media relations and brand positioning. Beltway Media also publishes this guide. Learn more at beltway.media.
Who leads Beltway Media?
Joshua I. Altman is Managing Director of Beltway Media. He has more than two decades of communications experience, was previously a multimedia journalist at The Hill covering federal policy, and has served for more than two decades on The Telly Awards Judging Council. He holds an M.A. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from The George Washington University.
What types of organizations does Beltway Media work with?
Beltway Media prioritizes corporations, especially growing companies that have outgrown do-it-yourself communications, followed by associations and nonprofits. It also serves public affairs and government relations teams. According to the firm, Joshua Altman has worked with clients ranging from startups to federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Does Beltway Media offer free communications resources?
Yes. Beltway Media publishes free quick guides, including Communications: Your Startup's Secret Weapon and Messaging: Make Every Word Count, along with a Startup Communications Checklist, a Cybersecurity Communications Checklist and a free Startup Communications Assessment that produces a personalized action plan. Its blog, The Signal, covers trust, AI and communications strategy.
How do I get started with Beltway Media?
Start with a free strategy session booked at beltway.media/free-consultation. The process has three steps: a discovery call to understand your challenges, goals and current capabilities; a custom communications strategy aligned with your mission, audience and objectives; and ongoing leadership, where a fractional CCO integrates with your team on a schedule that fits.