Trade versus National media: Which should you focus on?

While the value of media coverage is clear, a big question that usually comes up is: Which type of media should we spend our time pursuing? Trade or national business?
 
Here are key considerations to take when pursuing either type and what each can do for your brand.
 
📰​Trade media
Trade media focuses on one industry only. So you can expect more thorough coverage of industry issues and announcements. It also provides the opportunity to deeply explain your offerings, competitive differentiators, new deals, etc.
 
It is also faster to earn because these journalists are familiar with your industry and product/service. Even if they don’t know your brand, they are likely to know your competitors or the market demand that your business meets.
 
Trade media often gets a bad rep because circulation numbers are smaller than national media. But, with trade media, you are speaking directly to your industry or a particular prospect. This makes them more relevant to your business objectives such as driving sales.
 
📰​National business media
These cover national and often global news. Such as global markets, trends cutting across industries, and focus on global and household brands that their readers will know.
 
Their journalists may not have a deep familiarity with your organisation, making coverage difficult to gain.
 
You can gain coverage though. For instance, offering thought leadership commentary on big topics they cover. But while mentions are good and will reach a large number of readers, most of them are probably of little strategic importance to you because they are in unrelated industries.
 
Despite the difficulty of earning national business coverage, the appeal is evident. National media are the news outlets that everyone knows, regardless of the industry they work in, and are a great way to build prestige and broader visibility.
 
💡 Finding the right balance
Creating a media engagement strategy that aligns your media coverage goals with your business objectives and target stakeholders is critical. For instance, if your goal is to boost sales or generate new business opportunities, then your attention should be on the trades. However, if your company needs top-tier visibility, such as for an IPO, then national business media should be your priority.
 
If you are looking for assistance with your #MediaRelations, please feel free to get in touch.
 
📷 Absolutvision at unsplash
 
For more details click here.