When I was starting out in my career in cable television, I told my boss that I wanted to learn the industry. Her response: "read the trades". As the SVP of marketing and programming for a major MSO and featured in Cable World, on the cover, as one of the most powerful women in cable, I figured she knew what she was talking about and took her advice. To this day I continue to read the trades and would quickly advise anyone breaking into a new career to do the same.

 

For veterans of the business, executives making critical decisions for their company, mid-management and new kids on the block, trade magazines make business work. Every level of personnel in every type of business can benefit from the content in trade magazines.

 

I hear marketers say print has no value because it has no measurable ROI. Yet as Rich Tehrani pointed out in his blog, while they insist they can't spend marketing dollars on print ads, they clamor to get their CEO on the cover. Interesting.

 

The value of print that you can't get through other mediums of advertising is something tangible. The value of print is the experience. A break from your computer. Kick back in your chair to brief yourself in fifteen minutes on industry research, insights and social updates. The experience of having this glossy magazine delivered to your desk, that you can hold, mark up, tear pages and pass along. Copies in lobbies and conference rooms for visitors and employees to peruse can provide talking points and for companies that are featured, even through ads, is a great tool to showcase.

 

So the value of print...people read them! 

As a matter of fact TMC's publications have seen substantial increase in subscribers over the past year.  Check out INTERNET TELEPHONY, Customer Interaction Solutions, UC magazine and NGN Magazine.