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marketing basics

GettingpublishedCarl Friesen looks at publishing your firm’scontent in media already trusted by its market.

Your firm may be seeking ways toget its message past the barriers— ranging from receptionists tospam filters — and in front of

clients and prospects. For their part,those clients and prospects can be just asfrustrated by the volume of new contentthat floods the world each day, trying tofind information that is trustworthy andtargeted to their needs.

One way you can help close this gap isby publishing your firm’s content inonline and print media that are reliedupon and trusted by the people your firmwants to reach. This not only makes itmore likely that clients and prospectiveclients will be exposed to your firm’smessage, but because of the credibility ofthese media, that message is more likelyto be believed.

So, while creating relevant and usefulcontent is key to your firm’s marketingprogramme, having it published on thefirm’s website and blog is only part of theprocess. It’s also important to go theextra step of publishing it in crediblethird-party media.

Finding and choosing effectivemedia for your firm’s messageIt’s important to avoid two errors inchoosing the right media.

The first is: “You are not yourmarket.” Many business professionalswant to get published in their own profes-sional journals or magazines, which hasits uses, but it’s not likely to reach peoplein the industries or occupations that theywant to have as clients.

Another error is what I call the ‘HBRComplex’. Many senior business profes-

sionals seek the prestige of getting theirideas into high-profile publications likeHarvard Business Review. Those publi-cations are notoriously hard targets. Tostart out trying to get your firm’s ideaspublished there is rather like a beginnertennis player challenging the club’s bestplayer — the results will be humiliating.

It’s much better to look for publica-tions that are looking for content fromprofessional firms like yours, and whichreach the people your firm wants asclients. These come in three main mediatypes:

• Printed trade and professional maga-zines, which usually also have websitesthat welcome outside contributions

• The websites of business and profes-

sional associations• High-traffic, credible blogs, whoseowners may welcome content fromqualified external writers.

These publications each have a highlyspecific focus, including:

• Industry publications — targeted to aspecific industry, such as mining, retail,manufacturing or shipping

• Professional or occupational publica-tions: including those for law,accounting, human resources, andsafety

• Geographic publications — servingspecific cities or regions

• ‘Cause-related’ publications, such asthose dealing with urban infrastructurerenewal, international development oranti-terrorism.

In each case, the publication has aneditor, owner or publisher — someonefocused on getting content that is ofinterest to their readers. One of thebiggest mistakes that professional firmsmake is to prepare content of interest to ageneral readership and then try to get itpublished in a niche publication. Someeditors will happily take virtuallyanything to fill space. But the editors ofcredible publications will want somethingof specific relevance to their readers.

Someone involved in making high-end office furniture, for example, willwant content that tells her or him how toreduce materials wastage, cut energyconsumption by equipment used in furni-ture-making, and how to demonstratevalue compared to lower-cost products.

Marketers can helpthe firm in this area,through beinginformed about the‘pain points’ the targetindustry is facing.

This article originallyappeared in professionalmarketing magazine. For

further details go towww.pmforumglobal.com

24 pm | Summer 2015

marketing basics

three sentences.

All of that should fit into a one-screen e-mail. Be sure you have the personal emailaddress of the editor, and address thisperson by name so they are less likely tothink it’s a mass-produced pitch from aPR agency.

Generally, if an editor hasn’t workedwith you before, you won’t get a response.So send follow-up email or make a phonecall. Always ask if it’s a good time todiscuss a query. The editor will tell you ifthey have a deadline looming, and don’thave time to talk about your story idea (inwhich case, you agree to call back whenthe storm passes).

Some business professionals are goodwriters, and others have strengths that lieelsewhere. If that’s the case, bringing in afreelance writer to help them get theirideas into text form, which they can thenreview and correct, is a good investment.

Publishing articles is just part of yourfirm’s marketing mix, but an importantpart. Articles can be posted to your firm’swebsite to attract traffic, on the author’sprofile on LinkedIn, and in printed formto be handed out in meetings.

Business professionals like gettingpublished, and this tool in the marketer’stoolbox can be a good way to build credi-bility for your role in the firm.

An online or print publication reachingthis market will give priority to contentthat provides answers to those issues,specifically tailored for that market.

Marketers can help the firm in thisarea, through being informed about the‘pain points’ the target industry is facing.Some industries face cost pressures fromrising occupancy costs, some have troublefinding the right skilled employees, andsome face tightening regulations.Marketers can help their client-serviceprofessionals generate relevant contentby coaching them through the issues theirclients are facing.

The next question is how to find theright media. Here are four main ways:

• You may already have a good idea ofwhich publications are read by poten-tial clients, so sit down with pen andpaper (or fingers and keyboard) andthink of publications, maybe with thesupport of other members of themarketing team

• Ask client-service professionals whatthey see in their clients’ offices, and attheir trade shows and conferences —bearing in mind the dangers of “Youare not your client” and the ‘HBRComplex’

• Online research using standard enginessuch as Google

• Media relations databases — somefirms subscribe to these, and others canbe found through the referencelibrarian of your local public library.

Presenting your idea to the editor,in the way they like to beapproachedMany business professionals who resolve

to get published will sit down and in a fitof creativity, write an article. Then, they’lltry to get it published. That is the wrongway to do it, and leads to angry tears,screaming and frustration.

You are much better to present thearticle concept to the editor first, andgain her or his buy-in to the article,before putting any time into writing thearticle itself. Do this through what free-lance journalists call a ‘query letter’,which is a mini-proposal for the article.

Editors prefer to get query rather thana finished manuscript because they canevaluate the idea quickly to determine ifit’s of interest. They can then work withthe would-be contributor to hone thetopic or maybe refocus it, to find angles ofinterest to the readers. It also means thatthere is less chance that your firm’smembers will waste their time producingan article that doesn’t get published.

There are four points to an effectivequery letter.

• Your proposed topic: describe yourtopic in two or three sentences

• Why the readers of THIS publicationwill be interested: here, you show yourunderstanding of your market — whatpressures are they facing? These couldinclude new environmental regulations,new technologies or new competitivepressures

• Points to cover: a brief outline of yourproposed article, with perhaps three orfour one-line bullet points

• The writer’s qualifications: editorswant to know that they are gettingcontent from people with the knowl-edge and credibility their readersexpect, and this can be done in two or

Carl Friesen is Principal ofGlobal ReachCommunications Inc., basedin Toronto, Canada. Visitwww.showyourexpertise.com.