During a telesphone seminar for Publicity Hounds in my mentoring program, one of my mentees asked how she can find labor statistics for a particular industry.
The first answer that came to mind was the U.S. Department of Labor. But a much easier source, I said, might be a trade association. If you aren’t using trade associations to help you in your publicity campaign, you’re missing a valuable tool that can save you valuable time. Here’s how:
–If you belong to a particular trade association, let their PR department know that you welcome calls from reporters. Often, if the media need sources in a particular industry and they don’t know who to call, they call the trade association and ask for names of members.
–Sending a direct mail piece? You can often buy lists of names from industry trade associations.
–If you’re a speaker, and you want to be hired to speak before audiences in a particular industry, contact the editor of that association’s newsletter or trade magazine and start submitting articles. Months later, when you call the meeting planner, you can refer to the articles you’ve written–proof that you’re not a novice to the industry. I’ve written many articles for the Society for Marketing Professional Services magazine and PR Tactics, read by members of the Public Relations Society of America. Both have led to numerous speaking engagements.
–Writing an opinion column and looking for ammunition to support your position? If so, find out which trade associations support your cause. Trade groups are among the most ardent lobbyists.
–If you need statistics to incorporate into your story pitches, or for letters to the editor or articles you’re writing, you can find them by calling trade associations or visiting their websites.