B2B Companies: Are you an unknown?
“There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”
-Former United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
Rummy may not have made much sense in this 2002 quote, but this is what we do know: no matter how good your business is, if your potential B2B customers don’t know, then it doesn’t matter.
You’re in business because you found a niche—a service no one else was offering, a product no else makes, or a better way of doing things. You know you’re special. You know how hard you’ve worked. But do your company’s potential customers know that? Are you an unknown?
If you don’t know the answer to that, you probably are. But you don’t have to be. An article in the trade website or journal that your customers read can make all the difference. When potential customers read your opinions, insights and ideas in the forums and venues they seek out for advice, you’ve become more than just another company—you’ve become a thought leader.
If you’re an unknown quantity, call or e-mail us at Trade Press Services today. We can get you in print or online—guaranteed. And your company will go from being one of Rummy’s “unknown unknowns” to the industry leader that everyone knows.
Finding the Right Media Outlets
I’ve blogged before about press releases and how important it is to find not only the right contacts within various media outlets, but also the right media for your message. It’s not uncommon for business owners, managers and even public relations professionals to have unrealistic perceptions about the media. (Media, by the way, is plural for medium, and should always take a plural verb form: The media are biased, but television is a vibrant medium.) Some may have no idea where to start when it comes to identifying the proper media to receive their message or assume they have no story to tell, while others may assume that any media outlet, from CNN to the Peoria Journal Star, is interested in what they have to say. The truth lies somewhere in-between.
To start finding answers, look to customers for guidance. Gather data. Find out who is the market for your product or service? Who buys your products? Who do you want to buy your products? And most importantly, where do they get their information? You don’t have to guess. Call your customers and ask, or work with a professional who can identify what your target audience is reading, surfing, watching or listening to.
Once you know the answer to these questions, the next step is to determine the best media outlets to target. In the case of most B2B (business to business) companies, the mass media are not going to be a wise choice. Not only is news time or news space scarce on television, radio, and mass-market magazines, it’s simply too broad an audience. Unless you’re IBM pushing very generic IT consulting services to hundreds of thousands of businesses across the country, you’re going to be lost in the crowd.
For this reason, trade publications are a viable option. They make sense for companies that really want to get the word out about their products, services and solutions. Think of trade publications (both print and online versions) as precision laser guided missiles, as opposed to a clumsy 10-ton mass media bombs. These are the publications that zero in on your audience—the folks who want and need your skills and expertise. By getting bylined editorial coverage (articles with your name on them) in these outlets, you can establish yourself as an industry expert, marketplace leader, and the first place your potential customers will look when they need something.
Trade publications—use them to increase visibility, credibility and name recognition in your industry. Trade publication coverage—editorial content that gets your message across. That’s what Trade Press Services does best. Call or e-mail us today.