Trade publications as marketing

[Brown and Boris]

I wonder what experience people have of using the trade press as a means of marketing new products?

How willing are they to do a piece or publish an article about a new product? Can you cross their palm with advertising silver to get them to do it?

Is publication in trade mags a litle too blunt and unfocused?

I have a new product aimed at HR and training managers. I am reluctant to spend money on advertsing, mail shots or telemarketing because I think that it is controverial and unique enough to generate interest if I can just get it a bit of trade publicity. I suspect I could get more mainstream publicity too, but frankly the general public aren't the people with a cheque book for this type of product although I would probably scoop up a few HR and training managers. The mainstream media also have tended to over hype things and take an angle which doesn't always give it the spin you want and last time one of the nationals did a piece I ended up with loads of interest and emails from retired but bored teachers and HR managers and a few thretening emails!

How do I get into the head of trade editors to get them to do a piece? What floats their boat? Is it best to intialy pitch it as an interesting article before mentioning there is a product sitting behind the theories?

[shadowninja]

Editors would want more than "ABC Software Ltd releases ABCware 2008". You have to write something that is interesting and will help them sell their publication. Get hold of the publication that you are interested in and see what makes it to press. Maybe they are desperate for items and you will find it easy, though.

[singlecoil]

Brown and Boris said:

How do I get into the head of trade editors to get them to do a piece? What floats their boat? Is it best to intialy pitch it as an interesting article before mentioning there is a product sitting behind the theories?

You have to write it yourself. As long as it not too obvious, they will probably print it word for word. Nothing a publisher likes better than free copy. Lots of empty pages to fill

[Truckosaurus]

My sister in law edits one such trade publication. They don't actually write the articles themselves, but have contributors from 'the trade' and academia. So, you'll either have to write your own article or pay someone else to do it. I guess the article couldn't be blatantly about the product, but on the general subject or market that the product is aimed at.

[Brown and Boris]

Truckosaurus said:

My sister in law edits one such trade publication. They don't actually write the articles themselves, but have contributors from 'the trade' and academia. So, you'll either have to write your own article or pay someone else to do it. I guess the article couldn't be blatantly about the product, but on the general subject or market that the product is aimed at.

I may try that, something which is a balanced article (do they like that or is there always an angle?). Would you do that unsolicited, or try and get a sub editor to express an interest first?