New studies on white paper usage are yielding
interesting results. For example, a recent TechTarget study showed
that 79% of IT managers use white papers to learn something new
about relevant technology and trends. This speaks to trust levels:
the white papers could come from analysts or vendors and the IT
managers still found them useful. Speaking to the sales process,
62% use white papers to educate themselves on products and implementations,
so an educational white paper is extremely helpful in getting the
vendor on the buyer's short list. IT buyers are also using white
papers quite early in their buying cycles. Vendors who know how
to take advantage of this can influence purchase decisions early
on by educating prospects and guiding them through the decision
process.
Not all white papers fit the bill, but if
you observe the following six best practices, yours will be one
of them.
Your white paper should be a problem solver, not
a brochure!
Your white paper should present the problems and issues that your
qualified readers have along with a strong objective analysis of
a technology that will help solve the problem. Then focus the discussion
on how your products apply the technology to solve the customers'
problems. This approach educates the prospect on the nature of their
problems, on relevant technology, and on your products' capabilities
in light of the solution they need. Including case studies helps
the reader to align an actual implementation to their specific situation.
Titles are important A white paper should always lead with a clear
title and abstract. Attractive titles attract readers, and an abstract
serves as the come-hither text for syndication blurbs, email ads
and Website offers. Both title and abstract should clearly communicate
a benefit and/or a solution to a known problem. For example, here
are some top-performing titles from TechTarget's syndication site:
Top 10 Reports Every Email Administrator Lives
For
7 Tips to Enforcing Corporate Governance Policy
on Your Network
The Silent Killer: How spammers are stealing
your email directory
Pick the right format
Popular white papers usually center around three different formats:
analyst-written, vendor-written, and a hybrid white paper/case study
format. Consider using all three in an integrated white paper marketing
campaign.
Analyst-written.
The vendor does not write these directly, but either assigns the
research and writing to an independent third-party research or analyst
firm, or sponsors an existing white paper because the research and
conclusion support the vendor's technology, company or product.
The advantage is that IT readers assume objectivity on the analyst's
part.
Vendor-written. Vendor-written white papers
should focus on customer problems and issues, analyze a given technology
approach, present examples, and align the vendor's products and
capabilities to solving the problem. This is the most common type
of white paper, and works very well in the sales cycle.
White paper/case study. This is not
the typical 500-600 word customer success story, although they're
very useful. This is a full-on white paper with a detailed and practical
presentation of the technology at work at a given company and how
it solved their problem. These types of white papers are not as
common as classic papers, but they tend to show excellent response
rates and conversion percentages.
Registration The jury is still out on registrations - whether
or not to use them, and if you do use them what kind of information
to ask for. The argument against registration is that you knock
out perfectly good prospects that way because people don't want
to fill them out. The argument for registration is that if a prospect
is really interested, they'll register. Most agree that prospects
turn away from long and involved registrations. One registration
type that is testing well requires only basic information but also
presents several optional questions. They have gotten an excellent
response on the optional.
The second issue with registration is: why do it
if you don't follow up on it? A phone call following a download
gives you live contact with a prospect who's ready to buy, and if
they're not ready yet - but are still interested -- lets you ask
permission to send more information. The person then enters an integrated
marketing campaign of direct mail and email, newsletters, Webinar
invitations, and so on.
Effective promotion Effectively promoting your white paper uses
both passive and broadcast channels. Passive methods like syndication
place your white paper before thousands of readers, while broadcast
reaches highly targeted readers through mailings to in-house lists
and legitimate opt-in ezines. This is where that title and abstract
come in handy. The more compelling and customer-oriented they are,
the more likely the viewer is to register and download.
Customized microsite A great way to bring those registrations home
is to have a customized landing page for the white paper, and better
still a microsite devoted to supporting it. Create the Web pages
with the registration form on the landing page, and two-to-three
supporting tabs for more information. Like "What's in it for
me?" which explains how the white paper will help them, and
"Learn more" with further resources to download like case
studies and positioning documents.
Clear contact information Include very clear contact information with
a real person, not "info@uselesscompany.com." In the same
research study I quoted above, 64% of IT managers reported that
they contacted the vendor company within one month of downloading
their white paper, and a good 44% said they did it within a week.
You want them to contact you easily.
White papers are the centerpiece
of integrated technology marketing campaigns. They should support
and gain leads for your newsletter, promotional mailings, Webinars
and telemarketing. The more you contact leads with information that
they accept and value, the more likely they are going to think of
you when they're ready to buy.
The Christine
Taylor Company
P.O. Box 3499
Wrightwood, CA 92397
