What’s in a name? When it comes to marketing newspapers, plenty.
Consider The Herald Business Journal, a monthly publication that provides news and advertising of particular interest to the local business community. It’s mailed to 13,000 subscribers each month.
Until the May issue, it carried the name Snohomish County Business Journal. Yet Camano Island, which lies in Island County, and parts of Skagit County had become increasingly important parts of its market area. The newspaper’s name didn’t reflect that.
So it’s back to the future for The Herald Business Journal, which again carries the moniker that launched it 14 years ago.
“We’re creating a more vibrant product with more of a local focus,” said Trina Alger, who supervises advertising sales operations. “The name change reflects that while Snohomish County is our core, we do reach out to other communities.”
And the HBJ reaches out not just with news, but with advertising that creates an increasingly vibrant business-to-business marketplace. Ad rates have been revamped and special advertising packages geared to small businesses have been created in an effort to increase ad volume.
“We have something that’ll fit every advertiser’s budget, from mom and pop to corporate,” Alger said. “We have what they need to help them deliver their message. We want them to know that they can afford to advertise with us.”
Business news, of course, remains the HBJ’s main focus. It augments coverage in the Daily Herald by keying more on big-picture business issues than on day-to-day developments, said Kurt Batdorf, the Business Journal’s editor. “We report on what local people are doing with their businesses, like who’s starting something new.” The HBJ has also reported extensively on how local businesses are coping with a difficult economy, sharing ideas that have proven successful.
Each issue does include roundups of business articles that might or might not have appeared in the Daily or Weekly Herald, making it a handy way to catch up on news you missed.
Among the HBJ’s most popular sections is People Watching, a roundup with photos of who’s changing jobs in the local business world.
The annual Market Facts issue, published each January, is a much-anticipated Business Journal staple. It’s a virtual business bible, an indispensable reference guide packed with Snohomish County economic data and stories that look ahead to the new year. It’s been known to take a permanent place on business desks throughout the county, and beyond.
For a complimentary three-month subscription to The Herald Business Journal, or information on advertising rates and packages, contact General Sales Manager Jessica Slocum at 425-339-3445 or jslocum@heraldnet.com.
Each week, Here at The Herald provides an inside peek at the newspaper — its people and the work they do. Is there something you would like to know? Send your idea to Executive Editor Neal Pattison, npattison@heraldnet.com.
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