Trade media are dedicated to a specific topic, sector or industry. They are characterized, among other things, by presenting information to their audience in greater depth, and play a key role in the communications strategy for companies. Therefore, it is extremely important to engage with them so your business or organization can be perceived as a reference or even a thought leader by their journalists.
These are three fundamental factors why appearance in trade media should be seriously taken into consideration.
Segmentation
A common mistake is not paying enough attention to trade media due to the belief that their audience, readership or overall reach is small. This type of media generally have a segmented, top-quality audience, which should not be seen as a limited reach. On the contrary, that’s precisely where one of its main strenghts lies: what matters is the quality of the audience they reach. Generally speaking, audiences of these media consist of professionals strongly linked to the industry or to the main topics covered, which makes trade media an extremely relevant audience by its nature.
The presence in these media outlets allow companies and organizations to reach potential clients or stakeholders in a more direct way, and to obtain visibility within a audience that is genuinely interested in the topics surrounding your business. This increased visibility may as well lead to the emergence of new business opportunities.
In addition, trade media are often a source of consultation for general media and journalists when they must address specific topics that are outside their area of daily expertise. Thus, in Latin America as well as other parts of the world, journalists behind trade media can also be contributing to other media with a broader scope.
Depth and volume of information
As mentioned, trade media outlets trend to deal with the topics in great detail. The depth of their stories represents an opportunity to offer a greater volume of information about the company. Some media may even be willing to conduct interviews, or allow the company expert to write the column, enabling a direct approach with the audience.
For this same reason, working with trade media requires a differential approach, which contemplates greater complexity in the information and the key messages provided, since both journalists and their audience have the necessary training and interest in a deeper approach to the matters.
Credibility and reputation
Due to their specific focus, long-term professional relationships are usually established with trade media.
For this reason, it is essential that journalists perceive the organization as a reliable source of information, because this will provide the necessary credibility to become a source of recurring consultation.
The same happens with the audience. The public will distinguish the organization and its spokespersons as a reference in the subject or a thought leader. Gradually strengthening the presence in these media outlets can help building a solid reputation in the sector.
As the fundamental motto of public relations points out, it is important to “do it well, and make it known” to obtain a solid reputation with the most informed target.