Great Ideas for your Small Business: Create a “Roundtable”Editorial for a Trade Publication
Veteran public relations counsel harriett Ruderman dreamed up this great idea for her clients: “You get companies together in a group to discuss a key issue in a specific industry,” she explained. Then you submit the story to a trade publication.
Ruderman, based in Port Washington, New York, said hosting the roundtable is a “very good method of gaining respect and visibility within your industry. It’s good for an up-and-coming organization or small company that wants to put itself on the map.”
She suggests scheduling the discussion during a trade show or conference where all the players and the press are in attendance. Rent a quiet conference room and serve refreshments to keep everyone happy and full of energy. Make sure the conversation covers several key, even controversial, issues and tape-record it with good equipment for easy transcription.
“The roundtable discussion becomes the story,” said Ruderman, adding that six to eight participants is the ideal number. “If it’s done well, it always turns out to be a great story, and it will cement your relationship with the publication.”
What better way to get your name in print, brand yourself as an industry leader and, at the same time, network with other companies in your field?