By Sheldon Gladstein
Many companies have this complaint: “We’ve written a great white paper. We’ve posted it on our website - and there has been VERY LITTLE RESPONSE.”
White papers have a great reputation for attracting leads, closing sales and helping companies reach positions of thought leadership.
But in order for a white paper to have its desired impact, it has to be read. Posting white papers alone is clearly not enough.
According to leading B2B copywriter Steve Slaunwhite, nearly 80% of companies post their white papers to their websites and wait.
In his book Writing White Papers, Michael Stelzner describes this as the “post and hope” syndrome. Companies are inevitably disappointed in the results.
Considering the marketing power of white papers, it is worthwhile to develop a white paper marketing plan.
Steve Slaunwhite provides several suggestions:
Price Tag Promotion
Promote white papers as items of strong value. Giving them away lowers their perceived worth. This doesn’t mean you should charge readers. To promote white papers as if they had a price tag:
- Put an icon on the home page referencing the white paper
- Build a separate landing page for the paper with compelling sales copy
- Request contact information as the “sales price” to gain access to the paper
E-Promotion
Companies should use their online presence to get the message out. For example, in the company ezine, describe the white paper and link to its landing page. Consider sending promotional copy to an opt-in email list and discussing on the company blog.
Print Hand-Out Promotions
In addition to PDFs, print physical copies of the white paper. These can be distributed as a “leave-behind” for salespeople or may be used at trade shows to stand out from the countless brochures that get “circular filed.”
Lead Generation - Direct Mail Piece
Direct mail campaigns that drive readers to sign up for white papers have been known to have high response rates. Prepare a direct mail piece about the white paper and include an icon-sized picture of the white paper.
Press Release
Use press releases to gain readers, especially if the product is new, unique or different. Make it newsworthy. Consider attaching the actual white paper (if you know the editor) or attach a note offering a copy.
The above ideas can be particularly effective in terms of their simplicity. They are by no means the only possible components of an effective white paper marketing plan. In a future edition, I will address Google Adwords, podcasts and other means to ensure your white paper achieves the desired impact.
About the author: Sheldon Gladstein specializes in writing white papers. To learn more, visit www.WhitePapersThatWork.com.
