I’ve blogged before about press releases and how important it is to find not only the right contacts within various media outlets, but also the right media for your message. It’s not uncommon for business owners, managers and even public relations professionals to have unrealistic perceptions about the media. (Media, by the way, is plural for medium, and should always take a plural verb form: The media are biased, but television is a vibrant medium.) Some may have no idea where to start when it comes to identifying the proper media to receive their message or assume they have no story to tell, while others may assume that any media outlet, from CNN to the Peoria Journal Star, is interested in what they have to say. The truth lies somewhere in-between.

To start finding answers, look to customers for guidance. Gather data. Find out who is the market for your product or service? Who buys your products? Who do you want to buy your products? And most importantly, where do they get their information? You don’t have to guess. Call your customers and ask, or work with a professional who can identify what your target audience is reading, surfing, watching or listening to.

Once you know the answer to these questions, the next step is to determine the best media outlets to target. In the case of most B2B (business to business) companies, the mass media are not going to be a wise choice. Not only is news time or news space scarce on television, radio, and mass-market magazines, it’s simply too broad an audience. Unless you’re IBM pushing very generic IT consulting services to hundreds of thousands of businesses across the country, you’re going to be lost in the crowd.

For this reason, trade publications are a viable option. They make sense for companies that really want to get the word out about their products, services and solutions. Think of trade publications (both print and online versions) as precision laser guided missiles, as opposed to a clumsy 10-ton mass media bombs. These are the publications that zero in on your audience—the folks who want and need your skills and expertise. By getting bylined editorial coverage (articles with your name on them) in these outlets, you can establish yourself as an industry expert, marketplace leader, and the first place your potential customers will look when they need something.

Trade publications—use them to increase visibility, credibility and name recognition in your industry. Trade publication coverage—editorial content that gets your message across. That’s what Trade Press Services does best. Call or e-mail us today.