Marketing Tips - Getting Covered in Your Trade Paper

Dan Blank -- Expert Business Source, 1/9/2007 1:00:00 PM

Want to have more articles written about your company, your service or your product? Then communicate with the communicators.

Martin Cohn of Cohn Public Relations discusses the importance of adding trade publications to your marketing mix:

“When developing a publicity campaign for their business many owners overlook the importance of trade magazines and journals as vehicles for reaching new customers. While mass media publications have widespread readership, the targeted nature of trade publications make the information that appears within them even more powerful.”

He provides guidelines for writing material for trade magazines:

• Analyze and target.
  Decide which publications would offer the best fit for your expertise. Obtain a copy of the publication's editorial calendar, if possible, to see if your idea fits into a specific theme or issue. This background knowledge will better your chances of publication.

• Meet their needs, and they will meet yours.
  Case studies and educational articles are often welcome by trade publications, and can be great in establishing additional credibility among potential customers.

• Make contact.
  Reach out to the editors, and pitch your idea. If they are interested, be open to their input for developing the article.

• Write concisely.
  Ensure you cover the topic in a concise and easy-to-read manner. Avoid jargon and long sentences.

• Provide visuals.
  If the publication allows it, use photos, illustrations or graphics to help sell your article, and make it more appealing to potential readers.

• Get a second opinion.
  Ask an expert to review the article - often having another person read your work can provide a fresh perspective.

David Perry of Furniture Today magazine also has some advice for targeting publications and linking articles to your overall marketing strategy:

• Find the influencers.
  Find out who covers your industry, and who would be interested in news about your company. Don’t just pigeonhole yourself – perhaps you are a contractor who wants to get their name out in the local paper. If you also hold a yearly volunteering activity with a group of local kids, think about which editors you should contact for that type of story, as well as a business editor for other news.

• Communicate.
  Editors will not always hear about your story through the grapevine. Reach out to them, create a relationship, let them know about your news in a way that helps them do their job better.

• Organize.
  Develop a public relations strategy. This is an ongoing process, and like any relationship, the benefits should grow over time.

• Get help.
  Consider working with a PR agency if you need professional advice or don’t have enough resources to do it properly.