By , Craig Simpson
Published September 08, 2016
Many companies use white papers as a cleverly hidden marketing ploy. The idea is to write a document that doesn’t look so much like a sales piece, but looks more like an informational paper. The white paper wouldn’t replace your other marketing tools, but would be in addition to them, and might even “piggy back” with them, as indicated below.
For example, let’s say you run a heating and air conditioning company. You install, repair, and replace systems in businesses and homes. You know that with some larger clients you need to establish your credibility and authority. If you want to supply all the units at a large new office building, you have to look like you know what you’re doing. You may have sales brochures, but to clinch the deal you want something more impressive. So you put together a 20-page white paper with these elements:
Once you have your white paper completed, you can use it a number of ways. You can send a mailing to architects and business developers within a 100-mile radius of your company. You can either mail them the report itself, or send a brief letter or post card offering a “free report” if they will contact your office. You can send a report to anyone who inquires about your company. You can place print ads or online ads offering a “free report” on request. You can leave copies at your local Chamber of Commerce. You can arrange to give a talk at a local Rotary Club and pass the reports out there. I’m sure you can come up with more ideas on your own.
Creating a white paper can be a powerful strategy for any business—yours included. If you create technical tools or gadgets you’d be a perfect candidate. But even if you run a tire and auto repair business you can prepare white papers on tire selection, pros and cons of rebuilding an engine, maintenance schedules, and so on.
If you think you might want to try putting one together, here are some points to consider:
White papers can be great marketing tools, and really, you can adapt them any way you want. Start by thinking of a good topic that would be of great interest to your potential clients or customers. Then put together an outline, gather information, and start producing the report. You may already have a staff that can assist you with production, or your local print shop can probably give you the names of professionals you can use.
Just get started, and you may find it’s not that hard to turn a white paper into green money!
Craig Simpson has managed thousands of direct mail campaigns and grossed hundreds of millions in revenue for his clients over the past 15 years. Simpson is the owner of Simpson Direct Inc., a Grants Pass, Oregon-based direct marketing firm, and a respected speaker/presenter on the topic of direct mail. He is the co-author with Dan S. Kennedy of The Direct Mail Solution.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/can-white-papers-help-boost-your-business