So, you have put the time and dedication into drafting a press release, news story or invite, and now all you want to do is get as many relevant eyes on it as possible. But who do you tell? This article will answer the age-old question: Who do I market to?

Calculating Your Best Choice

Notice in the paragraph above that I said, “relevant eyes,” because that is going to be the most important thing when deciding who to share marketing materials with. The first step to sending out your information is to decide who you want to see it.

Perhaps your company is gearing up to open a new storefront in a big-name city and you want to promote a grand opening. It doesn’t do much good to send an invite to a magazine or newspaper that only circulates on a coast hundreds of miles from the store. For this particular instance, you can share your story with local newspapers, television stations and online blogs to get as many people as possible in your area to come to your event.

Let’s say as a manufacturer, you drafted a press release about a new product feature in an existing power wheelchair. The people in your hometown probably won’t be interested in reading about it in the newspaper. However, clinicians and engineers who read trade magazines like Mobility Management may be very interested in learning about the new feature and deciding if it would work best for clients they are working with.

There are times you might just want to market directly to the end user. If you have a discount, event or product you wish to promote straight to the consumer, the best strategy is to take advantage of the digital platforms you already have, such as your company Web site. Creating pages focusing on news for consumers could greatly expand awareness, especially if you use your social media pages to boost traffic to the page.

Finding a Point of Contact

Once you’ve decided who you want to see the information and calculated in what publications or digital spaces it will be received best, you need to find a point of contact to send your information to. This is where Google is your best friend. Try typing into the search bar the name of the publication plus “contact us.” Most newspapers and magazines will have a “Contact Us” page on their Web sites with several people who can help you.

If you’re looking at a trade magazine, e-mail your materials to an editor or content editor. For newspapers, find the section relevant to you and search for an associate editor or content editor. Sometimes, only phone numbers will be available. Give the company a call and ask who would be most qualified to receive your materials.

Now that you know what information is newsworthy and where to send it, I’ll be back in the November issue to show you how to draft up the perfect press release. You can download this series’ infographics at
Free opportunities are included in the schedule.