I recently wrote about the benefits of direct mail for garnering new copywriting clients.
Now that I’ve been branded a “lover of all things old-school”, I want to teach you a pre-Internet content marketing strategy that still effectively lands new clients: Writing articles for trade magazines.
Trade magazines are print publications (remember paper and ink?) that focus on the business aspects of a particular industry.
You probably specialize in certain niches or topics, and focus your prospecting efforts on certain industries. Maybe you write for restaurants, or banks, or universities, or medical equipment manufacturers.
Believe it or not, there’s almost always at least one trade magazine for every industry you can possibly think of — including the ones you specialize in writing for.
Don’t believe me? I’ve written for trades ranging from In-Plant Graphics (for in-plant print shop operators) to The Federal Credit Union to Pizza Today, and my husband has written for Indian Gaming Business, a magazine for reservation casino operators.
Here are a few other interesting trade magazines:
- Pig International
- Candy Industry
- Federal Computer Week
- American Spa
- Archery Business
- Student Group Tour Magazine
- Roofing Contractor
- Biodiesel Magazine
- OR Nurse
- BUSRide
Get the idea? Each of these magazines has a very targeted market — just like your copywriting.
Many trade magazines run articles by professionals in the field and offer a bio at the end of the article, and that bio is seen by thousands of prospective clients. Even better, trades are often starved for quality content (like the kind you can provide).
For example, years ago I wrote for a magazine for KFC...
