A Marketer’s Secret Weapon: Trade Publications

Getting media coverage in trade publications, especially for B2B companies, is a great way to promote your product, service or business to a specific, targeted audience.

These publications are professional resources with relevant information on trends, recent developments in the field, new products, techniques and other news that is specific to an industry. If your content marketing game is strong, you’re already sharing these insights on your company’s blog, newsletter, social media pages and other platforms used to communicate with audiences. But sharing and showcasing expertise in an industry publication not only enhances brand credibility but also creates greater awareness.

For example, our recent media relations work with Virginia Distillery Company, a whisky distillery in Lovingston, Va., has been focused on consumer and trade coverage. But our goal here is more business-focused, to showcase Virginia Distillery Company as not only a premier whisky to consumers (and the best in our opinion), but as experts on the industry as a whole in order to appeal to and attract distributors, industry influencers and decision makers and more.

Ian Thomas of Virginia Distillery Company / Marian Cunningham, Assistant Distiller / Photo by Ryan Donnell

The results.

Wine Enthusiast featured Virginia Distillery Company’s Distillery Director and Head Distiller who was highlighted in a roundup of American distillers giving scotch some serious competition. Here, not only is Virginia Distillery Company’s product introduced to readers with a clear interest in the beverage industry, but it’s showcased as one of the best across the country. And a recent Q&A in Bonfort’s Wine and Spirits Journal with Virginia Distillery Company’s Director of Sales features her opinion about and insights into the entire category of American Single Malt whisky.

Here are a few tips for getting published in the trades and how to leverage those hits.

Getting Published in the “Trades”

There are a couple of ways to get published in trade magazines. Once your pitch has been accepted, it’s typically assigned to either a staff writer or freelancer. There are also occasions when the editor will agree to accept a contributed article. Well-known, mainstream magazines, such as Fortune or Business Weekly, may have the capacity to assign topics to their teams of writers. But most trade publications operate with a barebones crew, sometimes run by only one or two people. Many of those publications rely on contributed pieces.

When an editor accepts your pitch as a contributed article, make sure to go over the publication’s submission guidelines. Ask about:

  • Minimum and maximum word counts.
  • Whether you need to supply images, and whether those images need to be royalty free. If you’re required to submit images, ask about the specifications.
  • Deadlines, including if they grant extensions.
  • Whether the article will be online, in print, or both.

How to Leverage Trade Publication Articles

Once your article is published, it usually includes a bio at the end that is seen by thousands of prospective clients. Think about it – just a single article in a trade publication can generate hundreds of leads, specifically reaching the target audience that is most important to your business. The piece positions you as an industry expert to a highly targeted audience that is ripe for your product or service. One successful article can result in the publication asking for more.

Make sure you get the best marketing leverage out of any trade publication by merchandising every hit by:

  • Including it on your website and in your email campaigns and newsletters.
  • Sharing it with potential business partners.
  • Sharing it on your site’s blog and social media sites.

Getting published in a respected trade publication will boost your credibility and extend your brand’s reach. There are probably several editors ready for your pitch right now. If you’re unsure of where to start, we’re here to help.

Amanda Colocho

Amanda joined Hodges in 2015 after earning her undergraduate degree in mass communications and public relations from VCU. Since then, she’s been flexing her media relations, content strategy and social media muscles on accounts like Virginia Distillery Company, Motorcycle Law Group, Hilldrup, Kroger, Virginia Outdoors Foundation and Swedish Match’s Umgås Magazine.

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