By Kevin Gault
Popular “social media” websites such as Digg.com and Reddit.com let you submit links to news, photos or videos with the chance that your posting will be read by millions. But can these sites help you market your white paper?
The answer is yes-if you do it the right way.
Social media sites like Digg.com allow members to post links to any content. The community of readers at Digg.com selectively read and rate postings. If readers like what they see, they can Digg it-essentially a positive vote for the article. Alternatively, they can bury a posting. The highest-rated postings float to a more prominent position and may get a coveted listing on Digg.com’s homepage.
Recent top postings include “Tickets to the Moon Sell for $100 Million” and “Justices End 96-Year-Old Ban on Price Fixing.”
Using social media sites can pay off for your business. Cameron Olthuis of web marketing firm ACS says, “Social media marketing goes beyond just traffic and links. It is also great for creating mindshare, branding initiatives and brand awareness. It doesn’t matter if you have a new brand or one that is well-established, using social media can help build or strengthen it.”
What’s the best way to market your white paper on a social media site? Muhammad Saleem, author of the article “Writing Headlines for Regular Readers, Search Engines and Social Media” gives his insights: “Generally, people on these sites are looking for ‘flash’ commentary of around 500 words, so it’s best to make your blog posting entertaining, something they can read very quickly.”
But Saleem warns to be careful how you craft your copy-for these readers, a sales pitch is a total turn-off. “The people who read the content of these sites [like Digg.com] are very sensitive to the way you approach them,” he says. “They hate it when you try to sell them a product through the site. If it’s obvious in your posting that you’re trying to sell something, they’ll mark it as spam and won’t read it.”
So how do you tell social media site readers about your white paper without making them feel like sales prospects? Saleem advises that instead of an outright sales pitch, give them something interesting and fun to read. One angle is to compare your product to a competitor’s through a quick-hitting list of 10 reasons why yours is more efficient, less expensive or easier to use.
At the end of your posting, include a link to your white paper. “Communicate the fact that your product is something fresh, new and cutting-edge,” Saleem says. “Then post a link to your white paper. Many readers who are interested in the must-have product you described will download your white paper to get more information.”
A social media website can promote your white paper to thousands of readers, but to use it effectively, keep your posting short, fun and objective. No direct sales pitches. If you follow these suggestions, many readers will not only read your post, they’ll read your white paper as well.
