Savvy marketing executives learn to combine advertising and product publicity in core trade publications to reach targeted customer base
(PRWEB) November 2, 2004 -- The goal of any marketing campaign is to communicate with ones audience. How else can you sell more products and services to grow your business? Traditionally, the main avenue for business to business (B to B) marketing has been key trade magazines, newspapers, and newsletters—with overwhelming success that has stood the test of time.
Trade publications act as a nexus of communication for a specific industry. This provides the ideal resource for companies to keep up-to-date on news, learn about new technology, and keep tabs on the competition. Since, by definition, communication is a two-way exchange, businesses also employ trade publications to reach out to a specific, dedicated readership.
This has traditionally been accomplished via advertising, a formula that continues to work. Additionally, increasing numbers of mar/com professionals are also realizing the value of product publicity to provide information about a new product or technology. This helps the editorial staff provide leading-edge news to their readers.
While some people mistakenly view advertising and product publicity as an either/or" proposition, a well-managed balance of the two is proving far more successful for many companies across a wide spectrum of industries. This powerful combination pulls the leads that drive the sales that boost profits and expand organizations. Documented successes include a product-development firm that increased their gross income from $2 million to $15 million in only two years; an engineering firm that expanded from $10 million to $100 million in five years; and a gourmet food company that tripled their sales two years running.
Given such successes, the use of placing both advertising and product publicity in key trade publications deserves closer inspection by any company owner, executive officer, public relations or marketing manager who wishes to rejuvenate their sales figures and jump ahead of their competition.
Product publicity—the latest marketing tool
In nearly every industry today there are niche publications that seek and reach carefully targeted readers. Much of the effort to discover the demographics of a given public has already been done by these publications and the credibility of the editorial focus has long been established. Therefore an article published in a prestigious trade publication carries enormous weight of validity.
Product publicity involves the use of what publishers refer to as "content"—articles such as new-product releases, case histories, how-to pieces, and educational white papers. Product publicity harnesses the power of the media to tell customers about a company's product, system or service. Stories about product technology that address common problems and issues faced by an industry at large are especially sought by trade publications that seek informative content for their readers.
"The power of publicity comes from the fact that an independent third party provides the endorsement," observes Elliott. "The endorsements come from either current users, industry leaders, or researchers, who are interviewed in the article. Prospective customers perceive such sources as authoritative. As a result, publicity usually generates high-quality leads."
"As long as the story offers valuable lessons for readers, and the story is not overly self-promotional, then trade-magazine editors will likely consider carrying the news," adds Elliott.
Teamwork for the future: advertising and publicity
Just as it has already proven for a large number of companies, the potent combination of advertising and product publicity holds promise as an increasingly vital element of any marketing plan. Look for it to gain increasing acceptance as the millennium's newest tool to help any organization expand its business to meet the expectations of its mission statement.
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