The effectiveness of publicity is notoriously difficult to quantify, so anecdotal evidence of how it works is very valuable. We believe that publicity not only gives manufacturers great venues for explaining a product in depth, but also can establish a manufacturer as an authority on the subject, and a thought-leader in the field.
One of our clients just got a bit of direct experience in just how it works.
We placed and wrote an article, published in February, 2011, in a magazine with a strict “non-proprietary content” policy. This meant we could not name our client’s company or product in the article, we could only explain the problems his product solves and how it solves them. However, our client was on the byline of the article.
In June, he received an inquiry from a large contractor specializing in an area where our client’s product could be used. The writer had admired the article enough to make all his project managers read it.
More importantly, he invited our client to collaborate with his company, as an expert, in trying to change an outdated industry standard that was blocking use of our client’s product. The article didn’t lead directly to a sale, but it led to an opportunity to open up an entire area of the industry.
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Shortly after posting the above, I got an e-newsletter from the Door and Hardware Institute. They make the same point about writing articles as a way to build your apparent expertise:
One of our clients just got a bit of direct experience in just how it works.
We placed and wrote an article, published in February, 2011, in a magazine with a strict “non-proprietary content” policy. This meant we could not name our client’s company or product in the article, we could only explain the problems his product solves and how it solves them. However, our client was on the byline of the article.
In June, he received an inquiry from a large contractor specializing in an area where our client’s product could be used. The writer had admired the article enough to make all his project managers read it.
More importantly, he invited our client to collaborate with his company, as an expert, in trying to change an outdated industry standard that was blocking use of our client’s product. The article didn’t lead directly to a sale, but it led to an opportunity to open up an entire area of the industry.
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Shortly after posting the above, I got an e-newsletter from the Door and Hardware Institute. They make the same point about writing articles as a way to build your apparent expertise:
How Stuff Works?If you are interested in submitting an article for an upcoming issue, contact Chusid Associates for assistance in writing and placing your story.
What questions do you hear most frequently from your customers? What issues are common during installation of your product? What troubleshooting and "how to" tips can you pass along to openings professionals and end users? Doors & Hardware magazine is currently looking for manufacturers in our industry willing to write 1-2 page "How to..." or "Troubleshooting" articles to help answer and address those common industry-related questions.
Article submissions need to be general in focus - no mention of specific product names. Your company name will be included within the table-of-contents and at the end of the article. Readers and potential customers will appreciate and remember that YOU were the source of this helpful information! (Emphasis added.)