Internet Marketing: Confessions of a 'White Paper' Junkie

I'm a sucker for a good white paper. When I'm researching something online, and I see a link or menu item marked "White Papers," I undergo a predictable Pavlovian response: "White paper? Yes please! Where do I sign up?" So What's a White Paper? White papers used to be exclusive to scientific and engineering fields. When a new finding was discovered, it was often published in a white paper. But now white papers have entered the marketing mainstream. Today, many companies (especially in the high-tech B2B sector) use white papers to educate prospects about topics pertaining to their products or services. I download white papers about Internet marketing, search engine optimization, new software ... you name it. I download white papers about white papers, but don't think too hard about that one or your head will explode. I even have a special Hotmail account set up for my white-paper-harvesting habits. White Papers and Internet Marketing Why do I download so many white papers? I'll tell you. And if you're a savvy Internet marketer, you'll immediately see the opportunity in this. When it comes to improving my business, I'm an information junkie. There isn't a twelve-step program in the world that can cure me of that. I read three or four articles every day and spend about two hours online -- researching, reading, and, of course, hunting for relevant white papers. And here's what it means to you as an Internet marketer. If you're selling a product or service related to my areas of interest, you could capitalize on my desire to learn about those areas. With a little effort, you could have me (and thousands like me) reading your message with rapt attention. What Makes a White Paper Worth Reading? Don't just throw together a bunch of old news and call it a white paper, in hopes of capturing leads. Don't repurpose the company brochure and call it a white paper. Instead, focus on putting new and helpful information into the piece. I may leave your website, and I may ignore the emails you send to my alternate email address, but there's a magic moment in every white paper experience where the author has my undivided attention... What happens from there depends on the white paper's content: * If it's an outright sales pitch, I'll probably delete it. * If it's helpful information, I'll probably read it and save it. * If it's relevant, helpful information -- with clearly described value and an effective call-to-action -- I'll probably read it, save it, and act on it in some way. In the latter case, I might return to the site to learn more about the subject. Or who knows, maybe I'll even call or email directly ... with my real email address. The point is that white papers, when expertly prepared, can educate readers into the company's favor. Qualities of a good white paper: * It educates before trying to sell anything. * It's objective during the educational stage. * It's well developed and thorough. * It provides information that can help the reader in some way. I'm a white paper junkie. So are a lot of "information shoppers." Use this to your advantage by offering white papers full of helpful content. Educate first, and sell second. * Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett. You may republish this article in its entirety, provided you leave the byline, author's note and website hyperlink intact.