The Claymanite: Will Three Hot Marketing Trends Impact You?

Not Your Grandfather's B2B Publication

As recently as about four years ago, business-to-business publications were essentially the "go-to" source for three things. Those three things were advertising opportunities, branding opportunities, and the chance to reach a targeted, qualified audience. We are all familiar with the hard times these publications have experienced especially over the last two years. However, even despite all of the bad news about B2B publications, Clayman Advertising has been monitoring what is working right now in the publishing world, and we've found a lot of good news.

What You Can Rely On

Despite all of the troubles that have fallen upon B2B publications and despite the changing landscape of the marketing world, three advantages remain in working with B2B publishers.

1. The audience is still qualified: It's true that Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter can offer big numbers, but you can't really know for sure who you are reaching and Social Media sites cast an extremely broad net. While messaging might reach some who find it relevant, it is difficult statistically to reach a niche audience in a big sea. B2B publications, however, only reach people who are interested in receiving industry-specific information. If a publication is BPA or ABC audited, one can also ascertain exactly how many people are requesting that they receive communications from that publisher.

2. The content is still high quality: A lot of information is available online. However, sites like Wikipedia, not to mention individual blogs, do not have to filter information through industry experts. Business-to-business publications have spent years, if not decades, building credibility and trust with industry leaders, companies, and their readers. As long as the phrase "content is king" continues to ring true, B2B publications will have a valid argument for their survival.

3. The leads can still be qualified: Because publications must represent who they are reaching, and because the majority of a publication's audience is legitimately interested in the subject matter, leads generated from an ad in a publication are more qualified than a lead that might emanate from Social Media or other marketing tactics. Instead of throwing a pebble into a big lake and hoping that the ripples might reach someone who could become a lead or a customer, B2B publications let you reach your targeted audience directly.

An Expanding Trend

Despite all of these arguments in favor of business-to-business publications, they still have been forced to reconcile their traditional mode of business with the new world in which we live. Charles Darwin would be able to write a treatise about those publications that have passed into non-existence versus those that continue to thrive. However, it is not just a case of "survival of the fittest." It is a case of "survival of the most innovative and adaptable."

Clayman Advertising has been carefully monitoring how publications are adjusting to new requirements, new economic realities, and new marketing strategies, and we have found a lot of interesting new offerings. These opportunities remain credible because they are targeted to the publication's audience yet they are exciting because they supplement and expand upon the foundation of print and online advertising. Here are some examples of ideas that we have seen several different publications in different industries introduce over the last couple of years.

Webinars: While publishers still generate content for their readers, they have begun to incorporate content from their advertisers through the form of webcasts or "webinars." Publications approach these opportunities in different ways. Some still generate the content for the webinars but allow companies to sponsor the content. This is an excellent branding opportunity and generally also offers the sponsor highly qualified leads with contact information from the registration form. Other publishers give advertisers cart blanche in terms of webinars so long as the content is not strictly promotional. These opportunities are win-win. The publisher drives traffic to the website while the advertiser builds branding and a reputation for thought leadership.

Virtual Conferences: We have seen more and more publications partner with vendors to create a virtual trade show or conference over the last couple of years. There are several benefits for the publisher and the advertiser. First, the publisher is able to generate a great deal of web traffic around the event. "Exhibitors" or sponsors of the event tend to receive exposure not just through the event but also through all of the promotions that the publisher will produce. The publisher and the exhibitors receive excellent contact information through the registration process. The virtual trade shows we have seen also tend to offer educational seminars as part of the opportunity, again offering the publication and the sponsors an opportunity for branding as thought leaders.

Lead Generation Programs: Several publications, especially over the last year, have launched lead generation programs. Like a webinar or a virtual trade show, lead generation programs create opportunities for the collection of highly qualified leads along with contact information gathered from registration forms. The most common version of this type of opportunity we have encountered has been white paper programs. Visitors to the publication's website have to register to be able to download an advertiser's white paper. Again, the focus is on the content both from the advertiser's perspective and from the publisher's perspective. The publication's readership benefits from the new availability of valuable industry information.

Research: Publications are increasingly offering and/or cooperating with research initiatives. Because publications generally can segment their readers based on job title, location, or other criteria, they are excellent to work with when market research is needed. Publications are also increasingly willing to send surveys to their opt-in e-newsletter lists so long as the communication is clearly from them and clearly not spam.

With the times and technology changing so rapidly, publishers are more receptive to ideas on how to expand their offerings. If there is a specific kind of opportunity that a company would like to pursue, many publishers will take the time to listen to the idea and either find a way to make the idea reality or offer reasonable alternatives.

Business-to-business publishers continue to say that their print publication is still their highest priority. However, publishers also appreciate that their readers and their advertisers are looking for more than industry-specific content. There is a huge demand for content that is offered in new ways that are compatible with the increasingly connected and mobile world in which we live. Just as marketers have been preaching the gospel of integrated marketing, B2B publishers are increasingly espousing the values of integrated publishing. The more creative they are in delivering content to their qualified readers, the more their advertisers and their readers will benefit.