B2B relies on trade press for decision-makers

With dmexco just over and the Media Days just around the corner, it’s hard not to think about the future of the media. The “B2B Decision-Maker Analysis 2014/15” study by the German trade press shows that 94% of the 7.6 million professional decision-makers in Germany use trade media as a source of information in their day-to-day work. Many of the trade journals already have an online edition. Interestingly, however, B2B decision-makers prefer the print edition, as 82% of those surveyed stated.

Reading behavior plays a major role here: while a news ticker on a smartphone or tablet provides brief information about the latest news, many prefer a long, sophisticated article in the print version, as it is easier to read. Incidentally, this has nothing to do with age – over 99 percent of decision-makers under the age of 40 obtain their information from the trade press. Digital journalism is nevertheless important – because a high-quality article should of course also be found online. Whether only relevant excerpts are displayed in the online editions or on social media platforms does not detract from the legitimacy of the print medium, as long as the reader is referred to the original article. ZEIT has just reported that Axel-Springer Verlag is entering into a cooperation with Samsung to make online articles accessible anytime and anywhere in future. This clearly shows the relevance that publishers attach to mobile journalism in order to reach readers on all channels.

Trade press is an important source of information for decision-makers

The trade press is the most important source of information for decision-makers, especially when it comes to impulses for purchasing decisions. Readers particularly value the credibility of neutral and reputable information. 83 percent of top managers state that they have researched information on the provider’s website after reading specialist media; 81 percent of top managers have made personal contact with providers on the basis of a specialist article.

Recommendations for corporate communications

So much for the results of the study. But what does this mean for corporate communications?

As important as social networking and content marketing are, the placement of high-quality, edited specialist articles in trade journals is still just as important. It is advisable to keep the following in mind:

• It is important to monitor and analyze the relevant trade press for decision-makers in the respective customer segments.
• The communication strategy must be in line with the company’s strategy: content on the company website, social networking platforms and publications in specialist media must be coordinated.
• Companies are well advised to write press releases in such a way that SEO is effective for both online and print channels.
• It is an advantage to maintain editorial contacts with journalists from the relevant trade media in order to quickly place the latest news in the trade press.

Companies are faced with the challenge of placing company-specific content on all channels in line with the communication strategy and also responding to the different target groups. Involving external consultants in corporate communications is definitely an advantage when it comes to translating company news into exciting, journalistic content. Especially for the specialist press for decision-makers, it is essential to have press releases edited with a trained external eye. This way, nothing stands in the way of the desired increase in brand awareness and the acquisition of new customers.

What is your opinion of trade journals? Observe yourself – what do you expect from specialist articles and where and when do you read them most often? We look forward to a lively discussion!

From Jacqueline Althaller