For the past six months, our marketing world has been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Our work arena has shrunk. There are no face-to-face presentations. There are no trade shows and conferences. There are no business lunches. How do we support our clients—and sign up new ones—when our channels of communication are so severely reduced?

Professional communicators are creative and resilient. Most of us dusted off old channels, like phone calls and emails, right away. We jumped into the latest versions of tele-conferencing via Zoom and Google Meets. And, there's always new technology waiting to be explored.

But, this is also a good time to revisit a 600-year-old technology known as the printed page.

In the transportation and supply chain industries, trade publications are still widely read and respected. They have a reach of thousands of readers per publication. Their readers are a highly targeted audience because they willingly subscribe due to interest in the published topics.

The easiest way to use the trade media to your marketing advantage is to buy advertising directed to your targeted audience using your own messaging. You can also work with the publication's editors to contribute an unpaid article or provide a source for a staff-written article.

The publications are getting creative, too. In addition to their print editions, almost all have a digital product with multiple website and social media channels. You can purchase an attractive bundle of eblasts, webcasts, eBooks, qualified leads, directory listings, sponsorships, and more.

As you ask yourself, "how do I continue to get my message and brand in front of customers," don't forget about our trade media.