19 Apr Top tips to getting published in a technical publication
Anyone can place an advert if they have the money, but not anyone can get their content published in a leading publication. This article gives you some tips to help you get in-depth information about your technology and engineering solutions to your market – without bombarding them with adverts.
It is common practice today that any good marketing initiative should be backed up with a good content strategy. Today’s consumers are overwhelmed by adverts in many forms and there is always a possibility of your message getting lost. To truly engage with your target audience, you need to give them something they want – high quality, helpful content (through the media of their choosing). Most technical publications don’t charge for running your editorial, but that also means they have no obligation to run your piece. You need to give editors content they know their readers will like, so consider the points below next time you are generating technical content.
Limit promotional language
This is possibly the most important thing you can do. Editors are constantly receiving overly-promotional editorial submissions which are heavy on the adjectives and light on the actual information. Pieces like that go into the “use if desperate” box never to be seen again. Alternatively, if they are published, half the promotional language is cut out anyway. If your technology is truly “state-of-the-art”, “game-changing” and “revolutionary” it should speak for itself, which brings us to our next tip.
Don’t hold back on the detail
In the technology, science and engineering fields specifically, readers are starved for in-depth technical content as the media moves towards information “nuggets”, infographics and advertorials. While this works for many industries and certainly has its place, your techie target market is not your average South African consumer. You are dealing with engineers, scientists and innovators who face challenges in their occupation which you want to help solve. Your content needs to be somewhere between a blog and an academic journal article, so don’t hold back on getting technical. A technical article is the chance for you to show your expertise without being too overt.
Don’t assume knowledge
Going hand in hand with the previous tip, there is such a thing as being too high-level. This can be as simple as assuming that everyone knows what “4IR” stands for. While your market is sure to be highly educated, you don’t want to isolate them by assuming they know what you are talking about. Write out acronyms and provide context, just to be safe. If you aren’t sure, a good idea is to include extra info when you submit the piece to the publication and let them make the call.
Mention applications
At the end of the day, you want to prove to your reader that you can help them solve a problem they are facing (after all, you are implicitly selling something through your content). If you are submitting a piece to a particular niche publication, you might want to adjust your content to address a specific case study or application where your solution was successfully used – with measurable results. Your reader might be facing a similar challenge.
Tell readers where to get more info
A link to your company blog, social media page or other published articles positions you as a transparent company with lots to share. It shows your market that you aren’t just in it for the sales – you are the kind of company that wants to help your industry prosper. Additionally, it gives the editor further material to consider for publishing in the future – a win-win.
Not sure? Hire help
By addressing your target market through articles, blogs and opinion pieces, you can engage with them in a deep and meaningful way. However, if you are not one for words, you might do more harm than good. Consider using a PR company or a technical writing service. It is worth investing in, as one good article can be repackaged in a multitude of ways and offers a wealth of benefits when it comes to market engagement.