Of those who responded, 95% identified those areas where they could improve PR. "Doing more contributed articles" topped the list.

Contributing articles to industry trade publications is a good way to increase your company's exposure and gain credibility.

Yet from my experience, confusion reigns when it comes to writing contributed articles. A few of the misconceptions I've heard over the years include:

"Publications have to print your article if you're an advertiser."

"We can't afford to advertise so we want to write an article about our product."

"We've already written the article. Now we want it published in these six publications."

It's true editors of publications are always looking for good material that will be of interest to their readers. However, this means your article should be newsworthy -- and what you may consider news, most editors probably won't.

Before contacting any editor or reporter, determine your article's newsworthy-ness. Some examples of news include:

• A trend or problem in your industry that will change how things are done.
  
• A case study or tech brief that shows how your company has solved a recurring problem.
  
• An on-staff expert who can discuss a new application or technology.

Once you've determined your article idea, you can "pitch" it to a publication. Says Lyn Chamberlin, President of skye media, inc., "Pitching articles is an art. You must know your publication, its audience, and most importantly, your editor or reporter."

Lyn advises reading a publication for a number of months. This will give you an idea of the types of articles the publication likes and what it has run in the past. Also look for special "tech briefs" or "applied solutions" sections -- these are easier to get than feature articles and may be just what you need.

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When pitching articles to trade publications, keep the following in mind:

1. Visit the publication's Web site to see how to deliver the pitch and to whom.

2. Keep the pitch short and to the point. State the article idea, the author's qualifications, and a short case for why the publication's readership would find the article of interest. Remember, you're trying to sell the editor on your idea. Think the way he/she would think.

3. Consult the editorial calendar to see which topics the publication will be covering in the months ahead. Then devise your pitch around one of the topics.

4. Don't pitch to more than one publication at any given time. Editors want original content. If you don't hear from an editor or reporter within two weeks, try another publication.

5. Don't write the article and then try and pitch it. Most editors want the article tailored to their audience.

6. Don't tell the editor you're an advertiser. He or she doesn't want the editorial copy "tainted" or "biased" by marketing.

7. Build relationships with editors by introducing yourself at trade shows and other industry events. The more editors get to know you, the more they'll call to see if you have an article they can run!

And remember, PR is not a way to get out of advertising. Says Lyn, "While closely related, PR and advertising perform different functions. To be effective, a marketing campaign will include both."