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THE
TRADE MEDIA
If
your company only serves other businesses and is not open to the public,
then probably TV advertising does not apply to you. But you still
have an affordable marketing weapon that's also very powerful: the trade
media.
There
are two kinds of trade publications. At one end you have the luxurious,
glossy, full color magazines that sometimes charge tens of thousands of
dollars per page. At the other end you have the less pretentious
newsletters published by trade associations. Both can offer Internet
exposure as well (banners linking their website to yours). Sometimes
they publish CD-ROM directories (not so important) or they organize trade
events (very important).
We
suggest that you stick with the less expensive option - association newsletters
- for three reasons:
-
Less Fragmentation.
While for each trade market you have tens, or even hundreds of publications
in the "luxurious" category, there are probably only a few serious trade
association newsletters.
-
More Impact.
Trade association members may not read all the magazines in their field
- but they religiously read their association newsletter. That's
where they look for updates on crucial matters related to practicing their
profession.
-
Less Money.
Actually - a lot less. Often a half page ad costs two or three
hundred dollars - instead of several thousand dollars.
Like
any other form of marketing, the trade media requires consistency.
You need to repeat your messages and maintain your presence. Since
most trade publications are monthly, it's harder to create a huge impression
immediately. However, the trade associations offer unique means of
marketing that can strengthen your image. You can sponsor events,
participate in small (and inexpensive) trade shows, or just be present
at their events - for networking. When you network, it's ten times
easier to break the ice if people learned about you first from their trade
newsletter.
For
more details, please follow the red tabs on your right.
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