In a recent debate on Linked In a question was asked “UK Tech journalists – lazy, complacent or focused correctly on the Big Guys”. In the electronics and industrial markets they are not, but it would not be human nature for them not to keep an ear open for the advertisers, even if it doesn’t result in the advertisers getting loads of coverage every week. In the current climate they have to be commercially minded to safeguard their own existence. A few years ago we did some research and found that in the European Electronics Press over 70% of the advertising was paid for by passives and emech companies but they only got about 25% of the editorial coverage!
Although I think most of the publishers of the controlled circulation press are looking into an abyss with with the demise of advertising – there are just more ways to split the budget – and advertising is only one (not very effective) route to customers.
Whatever your market, social media, search engine optimisation and technical blogs need to be a key part of your mix, if you don’t think so then you are wrong! Unfortunately it is just a commercial fact of life that most SMEs don’t care about brand. Many would rather be on the front page of Google than on the front page of an Electronics magazine.
