What are the benefits of a targeted trade media campaign?

As part of an integrated PR and marketing communications programme, targeted trade media relations is a powerful way of helping to raise the profile of your business and engage with target audiences.

But like any form of communication, it needs to be well thought out. Freshfield represents many highly technical and specialist organisations and we have delivered impactful results through many highly targeted trade media campaigns. Here, we share some of the benefits of a targeted trade media campaign and offer some useful tips for creating one.

1. Communicate your expertise to a niche community

When creating a trade media campaign, consider the differentiator you have over your competitors. Ask yourself, what is the stand-out part of your value proposition, is it a product or service or simply how you do business?

Think how you will communicate this in a handful of key messages that will resonate with your target audience and address their key issues. Research the audience profile, who they are, their needs and how they currently receive information to ensure your content is of genuine relevance to them.

Find out what keeps them awake at night, their pain points in their sector and the big issues which will be of interest. To help your fact-finding exercise, also speak with the media to understand their agenda and how you can also satisfy their needs with your content.

By serving up meaningful and relevant content, you are able to communicate your expertise and relevance to a target audience.

2. Expands your digital reach

The more effective trade media offer different ways to reach your audience, so it’s not just about print and online editorial coverage.

When planning a campaign, evaluate the benefits of paid for opportunities with your desired trade media. For example, they may offer you the opportunity to reach their audience through their own paid for e-newsletter, delivering your message directly to the inbox of the audience with a link back to your website. Or they may offer sponsored social media posts and digital advertising opportunities.

Also consider other paid for opportunities that might amplify the reach of your campaign, such as LinkedIn advertising which can be clearly tracked and measured. Such platforms help to indicate interest in specific subjects and messages and can help you adapt the campaign as it progresses.

At Freshfield, we believe that what gets measured gets improved and we use software tools to provide meaningful measurement for our clients across the multiple media platforms we use to help guide decision-making for the future.

3. Focussed events can help you build relationships

Leveraging events organised by the trade media helps to develop relationships with a personal touch.

It is also an opportunity to provide individual experts in their specialist fields to demonstrate their knowledge through speaking opportunities and showcase your brand credentials to a highly targeted audience.

4. It can generate enquiries

Impactful work should = ROI. The editorial content offered as part of a trade media campaign is independent and should be of value. It should offer the reader valuable information they did not already know about an issue, a product or service.

Whether it is a news announcement, a technical article, case study or a social media post, make sure the messages are clear and consistent for clarity and impact.

The benefit here is that your message is directly reaching the audience you have identified as being important who are often middle to senior management with influence in decision-making and purchasing.

With the right message at the right time, your information could well be the solution they have been looking for, generating enquiries, leads and ultimately sales.

Six quick tips
1. Agree the purpose of the campaign and what you want to achieve
2. Research the media and get to know the needs of the journalists
3. Determine who your spokespeople are and train them
4. Supplement with a paid-media budget where relevant
5. Leverage media events and consider speaking opportunities
6. Measure meaningful activity and review

If you would like to discuss a PR and communications project, please call our experienced team today.