Is the trade press losing its power?

Not so long ago, the trade press was the most important communication channel for industrial and technology b-2-b companies.

Getting news published in the trade press gave an impression of independent endorsement even though the piece originated from a PR agency or was even commissioned by the journal from an expert in a company. Yes - magazines actually paid good money for product managers like me to write an authoritative article. Today it is typically the manufacturer who pays for news inclusion in what are generally much slimmed down publications. The industrial sector has been in the vanguard of selling editorial as their display advertising sales have declined, pages per issue reduced and in several cases the number of issues per year reduced too as combined monthly versions become more common.

But news consumption is still popular. It has shifted to more immediate online media and new platforms where the company can now be a publisher. The better journals have recognised that monthly publications can offer a more reflective role with researched, balanced, in-depth articles rather than as a conduit for breaking news. Although most that include paid for news have slowly added an online dimension, they are no longer the only act in town. Many companies have themselves to embrace the new reality in their marketing budgets and PR is often viewed with at best curiosity and at worse suspicion and hostility.

The online value of news resides not just in the promotional value of the content itself, but in the links and positive impact on search engine rankings as it grows into a body of relevant information about your company. And it is not just text that gets indexed, pictures and video news are increasingly important. Add to this that news is not just viewed in the work place on a static PC, but increasingly on the move via smart phones and similar mobile devices. Marketing communications budgets now need to recognise the need to utilise a whole range of communication tools that should include a Virtual News Office, eNews (news by email), RSS, mobile and social media. This will also involve working closely with a suitable agency to build and operate news delivery systems and maintain a flow of quality content.

Market leadership credibility

Information has never been more universally accessible than now, in the Internet era. Turning to the Internet as a rich source of all knowledge has become the preferred starting point in the purchase cycle to research product/service options and to become better informed before entering into actual price negotiations. With the old business model  an enquiry would be followed by a sales call where the salesman had the upper hand due to superior and jealously guarded product knowledge. However the reluctance to share important information that can influence that final purchase decision is still kept back, at least on many company web sites. Yet that information, that unique knowledge or insight,  is probably what differentiates one company from its rivals. It is what establishes the company's credibility. The authority it commands within its specialist sector. A typical web site will show the company products and offer detailed technical specifications that can be downloaded, but then so do all the competitors. There is nothing to differentiate one product from another other than price!

What too few companies make use of is the White Paper. A document which can provide the essential background information that sets the product in context to the situation where it will be used. Not only can a White Paper be a valuable briefing document for the prospect, but it also establishes the company as an expert in that market, lends credibility to them as preferred suppliers and potentially, as a valuable business partner. Prospective customers will see beyond the headline price to a company that can also provide useful guidance and advice based on knowledge and practical experience. White Papers can provide checklists of what to ask for in a product, which specification points are essential, which are not and lead the prospect towards a product requirement that they are best placed to meet.  This may mean disclosing information that traditionally been withheld, but may also be the critical differentiator that wins a new  customer.

Can RSS complement e-mail marketing?

For some years RSS has been a neat solution to a problem that few people realised they had. One way of looking at RSS news feeds was to use them to keep up to date with topics of interest that individuals could customise - to in effect create their own virtual daily paper by grouping RSS feeds from various news publishers. For example you might chose to scan news headlines from the world at large using a feed from the BBC or CNN, news from your industry or profession, your favourite sports team or blog. To recap - RSS 'Really Simple Syndication' - offers headlines and opening lines of a news story with a link through to the full story on the web site of the news publisher. Originally it required special reader software to be downloaded to operate the system, but now that chore is even eliminated thanks to reader software  being a component of modern web browsers. RSS offered a quick way of remaining informed on topics important to the individual, a rapid skim of the headlines, perhaps reading one or two items in more depth and at a time convenient to the reader. Quite an attractive option compared to the assault of e-mails to the in-box.  RSS was seen as an alternative, even a replacement for e-mail but that has not happened. But according to BtoB "RSS has emerged as a strong complementary tool for e-mail marketers."  In a current article they propose 4 key tips:-

1. RSS only works if you are using it for frequently updated content.
2. Track and target your RSS feed.
3. Promote RSS using e-mail and promote e-mail using RSS
4. It's OK to double dip sometimes. i.e. repurpose content in both RSS and e-mail news.

The important issue is to get the message to your target audience. To learn how RSS and e-mail marketing can operate within a fully integrated marketing programme why not contact Technical Marketing for the full story.