Questions that help you decide whether the relationship is likely to deliver.

A media pack has landed in your inbox. It lists job titles, types of company and a neat percentage breakdown of who reads the title. There’s also a package on the table that looks like good value. Before you sign, it’s worth slowing down and asking a few questions. In my experience the answers tell you more about whether the relationship will deliver than anything printed in the pack.

I’ve spent around ten years on the editorial side of the desk. These are the questions I’d want a buyer to ask. They also make life easier for everyone once the work starts.

What should you ask about a publication’s audience?

The most revealing thing you can push for is clarity about the audience. Media packs tend to list job titles and companies and stop there. That’s a start, and it’s worth asking for more.

Ask for examples of who exactly is reading and what percentage falls into the groups you care about. Then ask how up to date those figures are. Publications are supposed to have this information. The risk is that the percentages describe the audience as it was some time ago. A title may have grown its readers or followers since then, so the real question is what share of that bigger audience is still the target demographic it started with.

This isn’t about bots. The readers may well work in the industry. What you want to know is whether they’re the decision makers who will see your message and engage with what you’re selling.

How much of the work will the publication do for you?

Get it agreed in writing how much of the work the publication’s team will do and how much will fall to you.

Two clients can pay the same for the same thing and need very different levels of help. One supplies a finished article that drops straight in with little or no editing. Another comes to the publication because they need help with that side of things, and the team can spend five times as long on the piece. Every sale is a little different and comes with its own rules, so have this conversation up front.

Clarity matters on your side too. I’ve lost count of the people who agree to something and realise at the last minute that they still have to deliver it. What arrives is either nothing or something scrabbled together, often leaning heavily on AI with nobody reviewing it properly. That lack of care shows in the finished piece.

A few practical points help:

• Ask for the publication’s list of requirements. Most will have one ready.
• Supply as much imagery as you can at the highest quality you can. Keep your logo off it.
• Be clear about what you can and can’t provide. It makes a real difference to how the work is planned.

Deals often pick up extra elements along the way. You ask for an article and end up with a banner advert and a second article too. It’s better to do one thing thoroughly than lots of things thinly. Know exactly what’s expected of you for every element and when. I’ve written more about this in is everything in that marketing package actually necessary?, and my guide to the other common extras in B2B media packages explains what each one involves.

Small teams are part of the bargain. Specialist publications couldn’t exist without them, and the people there won’t always have time to chase you. That’s not a criticism. It means the responsibility for knowing what’s expected, and when, is shared.

Who will you deal with at the publication?

It depends on what you’re buying. For adverts you’ll mainly deal with the sales and design teams. For content such as a sponsored article you’ll work with the editorial team.

Know your main point of contact from the outset. A lot of people stick with the person they already know, even when part of the work sits with someone else. If you’re speaking to sales, ask whether everything should go through them or whether they’d like to copy in a colleague for certain parts. Ask how the work is divided across the team too.

It’s not something to overthink. Most of this is simply knowing what to ask. I’ve seen jobs where sales said they were looking after something and editorial then picked it up. Once it had passed through editorial, it slipped off everyone’s list. That’s nobody’s fault as such. It’s the trade-off of small teams with a lot going on, and one quick question at the start helps avoid it.

When are the deadlines, and can you meet them?

Get every deadline up front, with a clear timescale of what’s needed and when. The best thing you can do for the relationship, and for the collaboration, is to meet them.

I appreciate that isn’t always doable. Every business has its own way of working and its own priorities. A trade media piece may not be top of the list for the people involved. Even so, never rely on a team’s ability to turn something around quickly. Being capable of it doesn’t mean the time exists. If you’re doing something last minute for a specific issue, you probably won’t be the only one. The sooner you get things in, the better.

How should you push a publisher for clearer audience stats?

The question most likely to get a vague answer is about stats and data. I wouldn’t automatically be wary of a publication that can’t give you everything you ask for. There’s another side to it. Content on a reputable title’s platform tends to stay there and remain searchable, so the person you want to reach may not be there right now and can still find it later.

If the answers feel evasive, push a little further. It’s easy to throw a lot of numbers at someone. Ask for the figures in plain terms, as if you’re completely new to this. You needn’t put it quite like that, and you shouldn’t need to demand anything. A good publication will be happy to walk you through it.

Which three questions should first-time buyers answer?

If I could hand every first-time buyer a checklist, it would be three questions to answer before any money changes hands:

• What are you capable of delivering?
• What are you actually looking to achieve?
• How much support will you need, and in what form?

Answer them honestly and share the answers with the publication. That way everybody starts on the same page about how much is going into the work.