Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion” skits sometime include fictitious sponsors such as the American Duct Tape Council and the Ketchup Advisory Board. They’re amusing reminders of how niche trade associations sometimes can be, but industry organizations are no joke when it comes to growing your company’s mindshare.
For example, trade association websites frequently have case study sections that showcase member company success stories. Those can be an effective way to get coverage in the mainstream and non-trade business press when those journalists parachute into an unfamiliar industry looking for real-world examples of how a particular technology is used. If you already have case studies, such as for your website, check with your industry’s trade association(s) to see if they can placed there, too.
Another opportunity is trade association newsletters. These have been around as long as there have been trade associations, but the amount and publication frequency have mushroomed since the Internet went mainstream. That mean associations frequently are hungry for case studies, contributed articles and other member content to fill their weekly or daily e-newsletters. Many also have blogs, which have to be updated frequently to keep drawing eyeballs. But the association’s executives have only so many hours in the day, and writing even a brief post once a week can be tough to squeeze in. Frequent guest posts by members are a way to keep the blog alive and thus relevant. All of these are opportunities for your company to show thought leadership, including taking a provocative stand that gets attention from potential partners and acquirers.
In many industries, particularly telecom, the number of trade magazines has dwindled over the past decade. Some trade associations have filled that void by creating or expanding their own magazines, usually in electronic form. These publications are in addition to, or in lieu of, an association’s e-newsletters. Either way, they’re like trade magazines in the sense that they’re often written by freelancers who need multiple expert sources for each story.
For example, I write for InfoComm’s Special Report series, which caters to companies that specialize in commercial audio-video systems such as digital signage and video conferencing. Sometimes I’m provided with a few sources, such as when the editor came up with the topic based on member input. But I often have to supplement those or come up with everyone on my own. Building relationships with freelancers can be an effective way to get coverage not only in trade association publications, but also in the other magazines and websites they write for.
Keep in mind that many of the traditional publishing rules still apply. For example, don’t be overly promotional in the hope that your product names will end up in the story. Instead, discuss the trend, customer problem or marketplace void that prompted you to develop a particular product.
Publishing ultimately is about feeding the beast. Like magazines, trade associations need large volumes of high-quality content. That means there are ample weekly and even daily opportunities for your company to provide fresh, provocative insights that will be delivered to your peers and potential customers.