Pull marketing using white paper.
Learning how to write a white paper can be a great asset to your online business, when it comes to pulling customers into your sales and marketing funnel.
“Pull” marketing is about attracting customers to your business by providing value – and one way of doing that is creating white papers that provide sought-after information in your field. Not only does it attract customers, it enhances your credibility and reputation in your field.
Below we show you how to go about writing a white paper of your own.
The Focus Is The Customer NOT YOU!
The first important thing to bear in mind is that the white paper is not about you or your business.
It’s about imparting useful information that can attract people to download it – so you need to get inside the head of your target audience and consider what they want to know, how they want to know it and how you can present it to them most effectively.
Providing useful information means you will create a “lead magnet” to attract visitors wanting to know more; they download your report, enter your sales and marketing database and are there for further campaigns.
Crafting The Title
People will look at the title and make a decision whether it’s information they need to know – so take time to make the title interesting.
Often using the numbers 3, 5, and 7 is effective in grabbing people’s attention – such as “5 Ways to…”, “3 Steps to…” etc.
Pitching The Content
You want to present just enough content to be of value to your audience – 7 to 10 pages is often enough; don’t blind them or overload them with reams of information; you are whetting their appetite.
It’s not about you – but it is about letting them know that you know what you’re talking about and can provide value to their business; so keeping it relevant, succinct and incisive will serve you well.
Introducing Your Business
You can introduce your business on the last page, after you have presented the relevant information your customer downloaded your report to find.
If you are an accountant, for example, create a section in your white paper “5 Qualities to Look for in an Accountancy Firm” prior to introducing your own accountancy firm – it’s a good lead in, rather than just attaching it at the end.
Don’t Forget The Call to Action
Just because it’s a white paper doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a call to action after introducing your company. It’s the “pay off” you get for providing free and valuable information to your customer.
You can use the SEO Manifesto from our home page as a sample white paper to guide you on how to write a white paper for your business; many more valuable tips for your business marketing can be found in the FREE-to-watch Competition Crusher workshop: http://www.crusherworkshop.com.