Your publicity dreams may include being featured in major magazines such as Forbes, Fortune, Time, Inc., and others with circulation in the millions. Appearing in those publications can boost both your ego and your business. However!
A feature in Nailpro may not have the same cachet, but if your clients are nail salons, you should be there. Trade magazines and newsletters give you exposure where it counts—with your potential customers.
You probably already know many of the publications in your industry, but you can learn more about them and discover new ones online and in media directories at your library. Standard Rate and Data Service publishes information about magazines’ demographics, circulation, ad rates, etc. Writer’s Market, Ulrich’s Guide to Periodicals and other directories will provide lots of leads. There are also directories for newsletters, web sites and other media.
Once you’ve identified the publications you want to target, approach them in any or all of the following ways:
Send press releases with information of interest to their readers. Do you have a new product their readers need to know about? Do you know something that can help them be more successful? You may get a blurb or a story out of it.
Send information that establishes you as an expert in the industry, and let them know you are available for interview. They may run a profile of you, or contact you for a quote within an article.
Write articles and offer them for publication. You may get paid for the articles but, whether free or fee, you should insist on a byline that identifies you and your company. Some will include contact information, such as a phone number or web site URL.
Offer products for review in their publication. Books, tools, technology and other products are routinely reviewed in many trade publications.
Suggest a column. You may be able to land a monthly column by sending a few (3 – 6) sample columns to the editor, along with a description of your vision for the column.
Look for other opportunities to get your information published. Does the magazine run case studies? Maybe your company can be featured. Do they run contests or polls asking readers to comment on an issue or problem? Respond. Write letters to the editor. Consider the publication’s current features and see how you can fit in, and make suggestions for new ideas that will benefit readers.
