Facebook? Only if you don’t mind competing with “If you were a reptile, what reptile would you be?” and pictures of Bob’s trip to the beach

Twitter? Radio? TV? Direct mail? Cold calls?

Face it—it’s hard to get your message out there these days, with so much “noise” competing for attention. Traditional methods of finding customers through venues like trade shows have fallen under your potential clients’ travel budget axe, and with spam filters and ad blockers, even the Internet has turned into a wasteland.

Fortunately, there is still a great way to get your company’s products and services in front of prospects. It’s affordable, easy and effective. It’s called editorial coverage in trade publications, and it’s probably the one medium that your potential customers still value and trust in an age of e-mail fishing and web hoaxes.

Think about it—even when times are tough, your potential clients still need to keep their fingers on the pulse of their industry. They may not attend this year’s expo in Las Vegas, and they’ve probably cut back or postponed some major purchases. But they’re not about to be left in the dark when it comes to the latest industry news, whether it’s reported by their industry association, professional organization or other group, in a magazine or journal, or on a website.

Your goal as a potential business partner for these customers is to get into what they’re reading—to be featured prominently in that trade publication. And not in some black and white ad. We’re talking about a feature story or column that positions you and your company as the thought leaders in the industry—the guys and gals to call when it’s time to make that purchase.

Sounds great, right? But how do you make it happen? That’s where Trade Press Services comes in. We provide editorial contacts, article placement, and writing services to make sure your company gets in print—guaranteed! The professionals at Trade Press Services are writing and publishing experts and can help your company reach new customers through white papers, corporate blogs, books and other media as well.

So take a break from the tweets, the fan pages, the SEO, the whole lot. Those things may have an a place in your marketing mix, but if you’re serious about positioning your company as the clear leader in its industry, editorial coverage can’t be beat. Give Trade Press Services a call today at (805) 496-8850, or e-mail me at gerri@tradepressservices.com.

Why place your company’s message in a trade publication—a magazine or periodical targeted to a specific industry? Fair question—and you’ll like the answer.

Editorial content—a fancy name for articles, as opposed to advertising—has many advantages over other forms of publicity. The first is shelf life. Display advertising in a magazine, e-mails and mailed promotional materials have very short shelf lives. At best, a display ad in a magazine lasts 30 to 60 days, depending on the publication. Printed promotional materials may stick around a day or two, or get placed in a filing cabinet for “future reference.” E-mails have the shortest shelf life, if they even get past your target’s spam filter.

In contrast, editorial content is forever. Trade Press Services can order reprints of your article to frame and display in your office, post to your website or blog, or distribute to clients. And because many, if not most, trade publications have a searchable, archived online index, your article will turn up in Google searches and be accessible to anyone with an Internet connection—anywhere, any time. Can you say the same about a 2” x 2” ad in the back of your industry’s trade journal?

Another benefit of editorial content placed in a trade publication is credibility. When Trade Press Services helps you place an article with your byline, photo and bio in a publication, you are instantly positioned as an industry leader or subject matter expert. When others in your industry (or your target audience’s industry) read that publication, they’ll automatically look up to you as a thought leader— someone who has the knowledge, skills and drive to not only do their own job well, but to advise others as well. And it’s a fact, readers assign more credibility and faith to the claims made in the editorial portion of a magazine than they do for paid advertisements.

Lastly, a final benefit of placing an article in a trade publication is cost. Other forms of publicity and advertising are far more expensive than targeted placement in the trade press. And when you consider the other benefits—shelf life and credibility—it’s a no-brainer.

Contact Trade Press Services today to start maximizing your PR dollar.