Writing Jobs Online: Understanding the Goals of Trade Publications
Setting, tracking, and maintaining goals, according to experts, propel people and organizations to success. One example is the following: trade publications that cater to the medical field and a another that caters to the aviation industry both have the same goal: to promote the business interests of a very specific niche or group. As you flip through the pages of these publications, what you will notice is that the presentation of this information is relatively the same. You'll find industry news or information, resources for the niche market, and human-interest stories that each reader can relate.
Industry Information
The major portion of the publication is to cover newsworthy topics on what is happening in the industry or niche that the publication serves. A crafting hobbyist publication may cover a story on how the price of silk ribbons is through the roof because of a supply problem out of China and even offer alternatives to crafters experiencing this problem. Articles typically cover outlooks, trends, and what to expect in the near and distant future.
Resources
Through feature stories included in the publication, classified ads, and listings, these publications also tend to provide resources for the industry. The trades for a professional copywriter, for example, offers graphic and website designer listings, editor resources, and print-on-demand (POD) resources that writers may need to complement or publish their own work.
Human Interest
You also tend to find stories and features on fellow professionals, hobbyists, or people with the same interests as you. These stories serve two purposes. First, it allows the publication to share industry information with you by weaving this information into a story. People love a good story and illustrating trends, how-to information, and resources by telling a story draws people in and tends to be more effective. Second, people tend to identify with and see themselves in the story being told. The more relevant the information in a trade publication is, the more effective it is in drawing in the reader and keeping them coming back for more.
Trade publications, in general, all have a common goal: to serve a very specific niche, industry, or market with relevant and useful information. While each trade publication serves its own market, trade publications tend to accomplish the common goal in similar ways. Because there is a common thread that weaves one trade publication to a completely different trade publication, these types of publications also provide an opportunity for writers of almost any genre to look to these publications as potential markets for their own businesses.
If you write on professional coaching and lifestyle topics, publishing an article in an aviation publication that caters to professional aviation companies can benefit from an article just as much as a home-based mom trade publication. Both groups need and can put to use the tips and advice that an article from your specialty can provide. In the end, your goal is the same and so is the goal of trade publications - both are to promote the interests that a particular group or niche has.
Industry Information
The major portion of the publication is to cover newsworthy topics on what is happening in the industry or niche that the publication serves. A crafting hobbyist publication may cover a story on how the price of silk ribbons is through the roof because of a supply problem out of China and even offer alternatives to crafters experiencing this problem. Articles typically cover outlooks, trends, and what to expect in the near and distant future.
Resources
Through feature stories included in the publication, classified ads, and listings, these publications also tend to provide resources for the industry. The trades for a professional copywriter, for example, offers graphic and website designer listings, editor resources, and print-on-demand (POD) resources that writers may need to complement or publish their own work.
Human Interest
You also tend to find stories and features on fellow professionals, hobbyists, or people with the same interests as you. These stories serve two purposes. First, it allows the publication to share industry information with you by weaving this information into a story. People love a good story and illustrating trends, how-to information, and resources by telling a story draws people in and tends to be more effective. Second, people tend to identify with and see themselves in the story being told. The more relevant the information in a trade publication is, the more effective it is in drawing in the reader and keeping them coming back for more.
Trade publications, in general, all have a common goal: to serve a very specific niche, industry, or market with relevant and useful information. While each trade publication serves its own market, trade publications tend to accomplish the common goal in similar ways. Because there is a common thread that weaves one trade publication to a completely different trade publication, these types of publications also provide an opportunity for writers of almost any genre to look to these publications as potential markets for their own businesses.
If you write on professional coaching and lifestyle topics, publishing an article in an aviation publication that caters to professional aviation companies can benefit from an article just as much as a home-based mom trade publication. Both groups need and can put to use the tips and advice that an article from your specialty can provide. In the end, your goal is the same and so is the goal of trade publications - both are to promote the interests that a particular group or niche has.
