Trade publications: The impactful middle path


Trade publications are an effective way to reach a specialized audience. Unlike general-interest newspapers and magazines, trade publications are read by audiences within a targeted field or industry, especially those in leadership roles.

The reach of a trade publication may be smaller than a newspaper, but as Gini Dietrich points out on Spinsucks.com, it’s easier to get placement and gain visibility within a field–in our case, higher education. For communicators within academia, a trade publication might be a sweet spot for access and exposure between a newspaper and a peer-reviewed journal. There are examples in almost every field–whether it is law, veterinary science, engineering, or nursing.  You will also reach an audience that may be more likely to engage with your message–a great way to build organizational awareness and branding.

Leading higher education trade publications include:

In the long run, contributing quality content to trade publications could pay off when building networks within higher ed, or when recruiting experienced workers for your department.

If you have worked with trade publications in the past, please feel free to share your experiences in the comments field below. The University Public Relations team is also available to discuss outreach to trade publications. Connect with us at unews@umn.edu.

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