by tradesmeninsights | Jun 19, 2014 | Uncategorized
By Sandy Bucher, Media Engineer
If you’re interested in learning about a particular topic related to your profession, many publications, groups and associations offer webinars, or webcasts, for free or for a minimal charge, or they are included in association membership fees. Some may also be eligible for CEU credits.
Webinars are usually one hour or less in length and can be accessed with a computer or mobile device. Most webinars are presented live on a particular date. If you are unable to attend the webinar on the date it is scheduled, most webinars are housed for a period of time after the event and are available on demand, where you can watch it at your leisure. All webinars require the attendee to register with name and contact information, and a few questions related to the topic of the webinar may be asked as well.
The topics vary greatly, and depending on your interest, there are numerous sources for webinars and webcasts. You can easily do an internet search for a topic, or if there is a particular publication that you read every month, check out their website for any webinars that you would be interested in attending. You may even be able to get on a list to be notified of upcoming webinars. Or, if you belong to an association, watch for announcements of future webinars in any newsletters.
Following are some links to webinars that may be of interest to you for the plumbing, HVAC, electrical, industrial MRO and construction markets:
PLUMBING
Plumbing & Mechanical
HVAC
Contracting Business
ELECTRICAL
EC&M
INDUSTRIAL MRO
Plant Engineering
Plant Services
CONSTRUCTION
Associated Builders & Contractors
So if you have some downtime and want to increase your knowledge in the area of your profession, try attending a webinar presentation.
And if you are interested in presenting your own webinar, here are some posts you may be interested in:
Why Webinars Are a Good Marketing Tool To Reach Tradesmen
Tips for Putting on a Successful B-to-B Webinar
Webinars: Tips on How to Promote Using Email
10 Tips to Ensure a Successful Webinar Targeted at the Professional Tradesmen
by tradesmeninsights | Mar 27, 2014 | Uncategorized
By Sandy Bucher, Media Engineer, Sonnhalter
The World Wide Web turned 25 years old on March 12. Do you remember life before that, when you wanted to get the latest news and information, magazines and newspapers were only available in a print version?
How times have changed, and the options to get information are numerous now. These days, if you have time to read the latest issue of your favorite trade magazine, but don’t have the printed version readily accessible, you can read the digital version on your smartphone, tablet or computer. When you subscribe to your favorite trade magazine, most of them offer a digital edition, so if you prefer to get your news and information digitally, you can. And in some instances, trade publications also offer an app that feeds information from those publication’s issues and websites for your reading pleasure.
Click here for a link from Trade Press publications that allows you to download an app for either their Building Operating Management or Facility Maintenance Decisions publications. If you’re in the facility maintenance field, check it out. And keep your eyes open for other trade publications that offer an app as well.
by tradesmeninsights | Oct 17, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools
Today we have a guest blog post by Sandy Bucher, Media Engineer at Sonnhalter, sharing advice on how to reach the key people for your message.
If you are a manufacturer and want to reach a certain job title in a particular industry, in a particular market you want to focus on, targeted demographic inserts are another option to the standard print ad and are offered by most publications. Inserts can be one sheet, two-sided and are printed on heavier stock than the publication uses, but can also be a postcard or even a multi-page brochure. The inserts can be bound into, or glued into the publication, depending on the publication’s specifications.
Why inserts?
The purpose of using a targeted demographic insert is that a company can select just those readers they want the message to reach, and the publication will send it only to those selected, rather than sending it to the entire circulation. For an example, if you only want to reach the engineers or the plant operations people, you select just those titles. The cost for placing a targeted demographic insert is generally less than placing a full-run advertisement because you’re reaching fewer people. But you also have to consider the cost of printing the insert. If you’re using a one-page, two-sided insert, remember it’s like placing two ads (you get two pages, more real estate), so that may validate the expense of doing an insert.
Get noticed.
A targeted insert will get noticed. The paper stock is usually different than the paper stock the publication uses, so when flipping through the magazine, the magazine will naturally open to the insert, making the reader stop to see why the magazine keeps opening to that particular section of the magazine. A client of ours that uses the demographic inserts had someone call to voice his displeasure because the magazine kept opening to their insert and he was getting frustrated. But that’s what you want…you want to get noticed and the insert did exactly that for our client.
by tradesmeninsights | Jun 20, 2013 | Marketing Tips
By Sandy Bucher, Media Engineer at Sonnhalter
Here’s a little-known tip on an easy way to keep up with news in your industry.
If you are interested in finding out what’s happening in your trade, there are many trade publications available at no charge to tradespeople of all kinds, if you qualify. If you want to learn about the latest industry trends, read about upcoming trade shows or industry events or see new products available, all you need to do is request a subscription from these trade publications.
As long as you qualify for those magazine’s specifications, you should be able to receive your own copy of that magazine. Depending on your market, most of the qualification questions asked when requesting a subscription are the type of organization you work for, your job title or function, types of work your company does and do you buy or specify certain products/services. Sometimes they also ask for number of employees at your location, what types of construction fields is your firm engaged in or would you like a print or digital version.
Most subscriptions these days can be requested online from a publication’s website. It’s a pretty easy process. Take a few minutes and sign up for those publications that would benefit you in your work.
By Sandy Bucher, Media Engineer
