When developing a publicity campaign for their businessmany owners overlook the importance of trade magazinesand journals as vehicles for reaching new customers. Whilemass media publications have widespread readership, thetargeted nature of trade publications make the informationthat appears within them even more powerful.
Unlike general interest publications, readers of trademagazines and journals already have an establishedinteresting a specific subject. for example, it is safe toassume that readers of American Printer are generallypeople who work in or have an interest in that subject. Writing a how-to-article that appears in a trade publicationestablishes your business as an "expert" in that specificarea. Think about it - reading an article written by yourcompany in trade magazines provides a different level ofexposure and a new image of your business to potentialcustomers.
Here are a six guidelines for writing material for trademagazines:
1. Familiarize yourself with trade magazines in your industry- Trade magazines usually publish industry news, casestudies and educational articles. New is primarily written bythe editors. Case studies and educational articles areavailable for contributing authors. case studies describehow a service solved a particular problem. Educationalarticles teach the reader how to do a particular job or activity.These two types can be great in establishing additionalcredibility among potential customers, portraying the authoras an "expert" in that area.
2. Know your targeted publication - Read a few issues or thepublication that your are targeting. Review the contents tomake sure that magazine publishes the type of article youhave in mind. Review the publication's headings to get asense of what specific subjects are covered in each issue.Obtain a copy of the publication's editorial calendar, ifpossible, to see if your idea fits into a specific theme orissue. Tis background knowledge will better your chancesof publication.
3. Contact the editor - Discuss with he editor the article ideayou that you that are interested in writing. This will avoid anymisconceptions and duplication of effort. For example, youwould not want to begin writing an article on spill controlproducts if an article on that same subject appeared in thelast issue. In addition, this give the editor a chance toprovide his/her input into the development of the article.Editor feedback can be very valuable, both from a contentand final publication point of view.
4. Write concisely - The key to writing for publications ismaking the material as easy to read possible. do not usejargon; be clear in your writing. Short sentences are the rule.No matter how important the topic, if the article is long anddifficult to understand, it will not be published.
5. Provide illustrations - Investigate the publication your arewriting for to see if they use photos, illustration or graphicswith the articles. Innovative, clear graphics can help sell anarticle and better your chance of being published.
6. Ask an expert to review the article - Often having anotherperson read your work can provide a fresh perspective ofwhat your article is actually saying. Have a colleague reviewthe final manuscript for accuracy. If possible, have aproof-reader review the article for any inconsistencies prior
to submission to an editor.
Trade magazine publicity and media relations can be animportant part of an overall public relations and marketingprogram. The development of a consistent public relationsprogram can result in the creation of a positive reaction to acompany's product or service from its target audience. This,in turn, helps a company achieve another goal - increasedbottom line dollars.
For thirty years, Martin Cohn has been providing publicrelations services to a wide variety of clients. You can readmore articles at http://www.cohngroup.com |
