Why You Should be Using the Trade Press to Promote your Business
If you’re looking to get your business in the press, you’ve probably got your sights set on the glossy magazines and national newspapers, whether it’s The Times, The Daily Mail or Metro. But, have you considered going down the trade press route?
Why choose trade press?
Unlike consumer press, which is targeted at the general public, trade press targets professionals that work in a particular trade or industry. Nearly every profession has an industry publication. There’s Property Week for property and construction professionals; Ad Age, which is the bible of the advertising world; and TES for those in the education sector.
Trade newspapers, journals, and magazines provide educational information, expertise, and thought-leadership in the form of special reports, opinion columns, and feature articles, to keep readers informed of what’s happening in their industry and to help them solve their business challenges. The content is solely related to the industries they cover.
The benefits of trade press
Getting coverage in trade publications can be hugely beneficial when it comes to establishing your brand in your industry. And as trade publications are targeted towards a niche audience, they can be extremely influential.
When considering whether or not to invest in trade PR, brands often overlook the fact that consumer news editors very often reference trade titles when they’re looking for trending stories and experts to interview. If they pick up on your brand in this way, you could well end up featuring in the consumer title you wanted as well.
Greater opportunities for coverage
Getting featured in the trade press can be easier than nailing a story in a large media outlet. The likes of The Telegraph, The Times, and The FT tend to focus on larger companies: the ones with the seven-figure financing announcements, multi-million-pound merger deals, or big celebrity endorsements. But with the trade press, stories can be smaller and less flashy, but more in-depth. If your company has a very specific, highly technical new tool, its value may be hard to communicate to a wide audience, but the trade press will love it, technical details and all.
Thought leadership
Thought leadership is a key way to secure PR. The trade press is a great place to share thoughts on your sector and elevate yourself as an industry expert. Valuable thought leadership content is like rocket fuel for credibility and if written well, could lead to other opportunities such as being invited to be a regular columnist or contributor.
You can be technical
I’ve spoken before about the importance of keeping industry jargon and technical speak to a minimum when pitching for PR. This relates to consumer press because the general public aren’t experts in your line of work, or industry. But your trade audience is. They’ll understand the jargon, the quirks of your industry, and the technical specifications of your products, which may be exactly what they want to hear about.
Reach a relevant audience
Most trade publications have online versions, email databases, and social media accounts that you can tap into as a contributor. If the content is worthy, it will get shared, and shared amongst a more relevant audience than a consumer news or features page. Coverage in the trade press is also good to share on your own social platforms too.
Keep up with your competitors
The chances are, some of your competitors are already appearing in these trade magazines. Why allow them all the kudos? It’s good to keep an eye on what they’re getting up to but make sure you get some column inches too. It’s an important way to level the playing field in promoting your company.
Get a foot in the door
Trade PR is a highly specialised field and it takes time to build relationships with trade media, but the rewards it can bring are well worth the effort.
