Got White Papers?
MarketingSherpa just ran a great article about the dos and don'ts of getting your white paper syndicated. Actually it's a great primer for white papers in general, but the part about syndication is a definite bonus. Until you can read the full article for free http://www.marketingsherpa.com/sample.cfm?ident=29791 and after that it will cost you around $5 to read the full article. Here's a quick overview:
White papers are hot. Our research shows that 69% of prospects who download and like your white paper will actively pass it along to their colleagues. 36% of total downloads will be passed on to a supervisor.
The more people who read your white paper, the better your chance of closing a deal. One 2004 study showed that 57% of IT purchase decision makers said a white paper influenced at least one buying decision in the past 12 months.
But, with more than 48,000 white papers being promoted online by business-to-business marketers, you had better make sure your white paper isn’t a dud. To help you get the most bang for your buck, we bring you the soup-to-nuts dos and don’ts that can make or break a white paper campaign.
And here's an outline of the dos and don'ts, but you'll need to read the article to get the meat of the information:
12 Steps to Develop a Successful White Paper
Step #1. Ask lots of questions BEFORE you start writing...
Step # 2. Solve a tactical problem or offer fascinating data...
Step #3. Shorter is better...
Step #4. Get a marketing expert to write a compelling title...
Step #5. Format your paper for online scanning *and* offline reading,,,
Step #6. Write the summary/abstract for search engines and prospects...
Step #7. Keep registration form questions to a minimum...
Step #8. Place your paper with syndication sites...
Step #9. Orchestrate your listing dates...
Step #10. Turn white papers into podcasts...
Step #11. Promote your white paper...
Step #12. Lead Follow-Up...Eight Additional Tips Regarding PDF Files and Download Pages
#1. Always include a live contact for people to contact if the PDF "isn't working.”...
#2. Make the file as small as possible...
#3. Put your company contact information on every page as part of the standard header or footer...
#4. Make sure hotlinks are easy to hand-type in...
#5. Consider including your complete library on your PDF download page after prospects have registered to access one white paper...
#6. To take advantage of the viral aspect, add a "tell a colleague about this free resource library" form on the top or far right of the download page...
#7. Don't assume that just because a registrant gave you their email address to see a white paper, it means you can add them to your list and send them broadcasts...
#7. Don't assume that just because a registrant gave you their email address to see a white paper, it means you can add them to your list and send them broadcasts...Eight Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
Mistake #1. Bait/promotion disconnect...
Mistake #2. Registration question/demo target disconnect...
Mistake #3. Asking two questions instead of one...
Mistake #4. Asking for a sales call...
Mistake #5. Asking questions that have obvious answers...
Mistake #6. Asking questions the syndication vendor has already asked...
Mistake #7. Using brand names in titles...
Mistake #8. Not keeping your white paper “evergreen”...More white paper samples from KnowledgeStorm:
http://www.knowledgestorm.com/main/MarketingSherpa/index.jspBank Info Security:
http://www.bankinfosecurity.comCNET Networks Business:
http://www.cnet.comCMP Technology:
http://www.cmp.comFind White Papers:
http://www.findwhitepapers.comIndustryWeek:
http://www.industryweek.comIT Business Edge:
http://www.itbe.comIT Toolbox:
http://www.ittoolbox.comKnowledgeStorm:
http://www.knowledgestorm.comMichael A. Brown:
http://www.michaelabrown.net/Netline Corp.:
http://www.netline.comRetailWire:
http://www.retailwire.comTechTarget:
http://www.techtarget.comWeb Buyers Guide:
http://www.webbuyersguide.comWhitePaperSource:
http://www.whitepapersource.com/
