We hear from clients all the time, “I want to be on the front page of the Wall Street Journal” and “I’d love an article in the [Insert Local City] Business Journal.” Highly-known top-tier media outlets are those with national, or even global reach, and are accessible to a significant number of consumers. These publications are always on our mind to get our clients featured and quoted in.
However, we wouldn’t be doing our clients justice if we didn’t share the importance of industry specific publications as well. What is an industry specific publication? They are media outlets that focus on a specific business sector such as real estate, law, logistics, construction and beyond. These publications are a hidden gem that can boost your company in more ways than you think. While top-tier media will get sometimes millions of eyeballs on your company name and the story you are commenting on, it’s highly important to get the right eyeballs on your work, such as those working day-in-and-day-out of your specific business sector. It’s important to think, quality not quantity.
Let’s take a look at some of the positives of adding industry publications to your earned media public relations strategy.
Connect with a target readership: As a business owner, what are the daily/weekly newsletter round-ups and monthly subscriptions you are receiving from your niche industry? If you are receiving this information, just think how many others are reading these articles as well. These outlets and associations are getting in front of the right eyeballs – niche individuals who are interested in learning from thought experts, staying up to date on industry trends and wanting to be “in the know.” Work with your PR team to create a list of trade publications that your team of experts can be pitched as a source for quotes and insights, and include these outlets on your company press release distribution list. Our client McCarthy & Company, PC used this press release tactic to get coverage in Accounting Today when they just launched their Q4 2022 New Jersey office expansion and acquisition announcement.
Become a thought expert with a byline article: Many industry publications allow outside sources to submit articles. This means you can control the message, the story, and much of the content. You may have to ensure the article isn’t too self-promotional, but you can benefit from having your byline with an acknowledgment of your company in the bio of the article. These elements aren’t available in most top-tier publications. PR pro tip – focus these bylines on upcoming trends, timely industry updates or following the publications editorial calendar schedule. As an example, Maven client Federal Realty had Kari Glinski write a byline for Northeast Real Estate Business, titled, “Reimagining Philadelphia’s Shopping Centers” where she discussed reimagining retail potential, merchandising insights, local growth and sustainability efforts.
Earned media efforts can be turned into owned efforts to increase impact: Your company earned the byline/feature (YAY!), your company name and expert is now published, and many of the subscribers have read the article. As the popular phrase goes, “the buck doesn’t have to stop there!” Owned media is any online property owned and controlled by a brand, such as a blog, website or social media channels. Repurpose this news on your owned channels, for example, celebrate on your social media channels so your clients and colleagues can read and share the news to their networks, or consider having the author of the byline right a blog for your company website talking about why they chose that topic and link to the article. Just recently, Maven client IronLink Logistics shared exciting news about their Q1 2023 rebrand and rename on their newly branded LinkedIn account and other social channels that was picked up by Cargo Insights.
As you continue to map out PR plans, don’t forget about these under utilized trade publications – it may just bring in new clients and add more credibility to your company’s brand.
To read more about optimizing trade publications in your public relations strategy, read Carly’s recent blog on the topic.
Posted In Media Relations, Public Relations