Buying media for technical markets used to be a relatively simple process. You would analyze magazine mission statements and circulation audits, listen to competing sales reps, and make your decision. What’s changed is the variety of marketing tools available and the lack of measurement techniques that might help advertisers decide what works and what doesn’t.

There is a common thread to all media tools: the publisher’s database. This, after all, is what they’re selling — the fact that they have located, qualified, and verified the existence of thousands of engineering professionals who specify products to be purchased. Then they create high-frequency editorial environments to attract the attention of those purchasers. If you can get your message next to the editorial, you get noticed, too.

This editorial environment used to be limited to printed magazines. Now it’s print, but also on-line magazines, on-line newsletters, webinars, search portals, and virtual trade shows. This is all called “media”, but there are pluses and minuses to each. Here are a few:

1. Print magazines and technical journals
   PLUS: Good for branding, retention, some lead generation, and creating an overall “presence” in the market. To accomplish this, you need a large ad (quarter page or bigger) and you need to be seen often -- four to six times per year in a monthly. If the publication comes out more often, you need a higher frequency to be remembered. It’s also important to submit technical articles to the magazine, as this is what the engineers really want to read. By themselves, these can get you some exposure, but it is more effective if they appear under an “umbrella” of advertising exposure, where you can sharpen your core message and differentiators.
   MINUS: Not as current as on-line magazines because of publishing lead times.
   
   
2. On-line magazines
   PLUS: A growing number of engineers are turning to electronic media, sometimes daily, for the most current industry developments. Advertising here gives you timely association with on-line editorial and allows readers to link immediately to your web site for more information on your company and its products. Also, it’s generally less expensive than print to create a strong presence relative to the format.
   MINUS: Publishers typically sell “views,” which means that your ad is toggled with other advertisers who appear in your position from time to time. Also, your on-line ad is quite a bit smaller than print, which limits your ability to convey a complete, technical message.
   
   
3. Webinars
   PLUS: Ideal for presenting detailed technical information while engaging in Q&A with potential customers. They can be publisher-sponsored with multiple presenters on a related topic, or single-company sponsored, where the publisher acts as host and moderator.
   MINUS: Limited audience (thousands instead of tens of thousands), and somewhat expensive relative to audience size.

Despite the plusses and minuses of each, the best marketing programs use a combination of technologies – print and digital – depending on the situation. Digital for breaking news and hyperlinks to your web site, print for more in-depth technical discussion. And webinars for targeted engineer-to-engineer marketing. Plus e-direct mail, print mail, printed literature, and PDFs posted on your web site. Consistent messaging and design, and fully integrated print and digital media for the best impact.