Why trade publications?

Why place your company’s message in a trade publication—a magazine or periodical targeted to a specific industry? Fair question—and you’ll like the answer.

Editorial content—a fancy name for articles, as opposed to advertising—has many advantages over other forms ofmagcolllage_small publicity. The first is shelf life. Display advertising in a magazine, e-mails and mailed promotional materials have very short shelf lives. At best, a display ad in a magazine lasts 30 to 60 days, depending on the publication. Printed promotional materials may stick around a day or two, or get placed in a filing cabinet for “future reference.” E-mails have the shortest shelf life, if they even get past your target’s spam filter.

In contrast, editorial content is forever. Trade Press Services can order reprints of your article to frame and display in your office, post to your website or blog, or distribute to clients. And because many, if not most, trade publications have a searchable, archived online index, your article will turn up in Google searches and be accessible to anyone with an Internet connection—anywhere, any time. Can you say the same about a 2” x 2” ad in the back of your industry’s trade journal?

Another benefit of editorial content placed in a trade publication is credibility. When Trade Press Services helps you place an article with your byline, photo and bio in a publication, you are instantly positioned as an industry leader or subject matter expert. When others in your industry (or your target audience’s industry) read that publication, they’ll automatically look up to you as a thought leader— someone who has the knowledge, skills and drive to not only do their own job well, but to advise others as well. And it’s a fact, readers assign more credibility and faith to the claims made in the editorial portion of a magazine than they do for paid advertisements.

Lastly, a final benefit of placing an article in a trade publication is cost. Other forms of publicity and advertising are far more expensive than targeted placement in the trade press. And when you consider the other benefits—shelf life and credibility—it’s a no-brainer.

Contact Trade Press Services today to start maximizing your PR dollar.