Direct Mailing Trade Magazines
Trade magazines are periodicals that cater to a particular profession or industry. There are literally thousands of trade magazines that are available for consumers. It is not an exaggeration to say that every single field has one or more of these publications. Trade magazines cover topics ranging from government, agriculture, construction, journalism, finance, computers, tourism, etc.
Interestingly, most people will never hear about or read many of these trade magazines. This tends to be because trade magazines are not sold at retail stores (unlike their cousins – consumer magazines) and are only available through direct subscriptions from the publishers. Their content is incredibly specialized, though it is not supposed to be too technical for a layperson to understand. Therefore, unless you are involved (or particularly interested) in a certain field there would be no reason to pick up a trade magazine for casual reading.
Nonetheless, trade magazines are very lucrative products for many people. The magazines sell many subscriptions to many businesses in these large industries. The cost of these subscriptions tends to be more expensive than a subscription to a general interest magazine because they can help a business stay abreast with new developments in the industry – ultimately helping the business keep up with the competition.
In addition, trade magazines are an excellent forum for advertisers. Many companies with products that are far too specialized to advertise through other mediums are more than happy to promote their products in a trade magazine. That is because trade magazines offer an excellent opportunity to communicate directly to niche audiences like Lifesecure. Trade magazines understand this value and typically charge premium fees (relative to their circulation rates) to advertise within their pages.
Writers also substantially benefit from the trade magazine industry. Many people with aspirations to write for GQ or Sport Illustrated, spend time writing for trade magazines. Trade magazines usually pay quite well and offer a chance for writers to stuff their portfolios with articles and add more by-lines to their lists of credentials. It is also much easier for writers to advance in the trade magazine arena than working their way up the ladder of a large media conglomerate.
U.S. postal carriers profit from the trade magazine business as well. As stated earlier, most of these trade magazines are unavailable in retail stores. Therefore, they must be shipped directly to the customer. This means thousands and thousands of first-class postage deliveries each week. It is thought that trade magazines contribute millions of dollars to the postal industry.
The biggest winners from the production of trade magazines are the industries themselves. These magazines offer avenues for businesses to legitimately promote themselves and their products, both through buying advertisements in the magazines and through feature articles about companies in the industry. That is not to say that trade magazines are merely public relations packets, but they do serve a promotional purpose along with their genuine journalistic functions. By successfully integrating trade magazines into your direct mail business you will increase your industry reach.
As you can see, these little-thought-of magazines have made quite an impact on our economy. Trade magazines are a growing field and their looks to be more prosperity ahead.