WINNING WITH WHITEPAPERS
A Guide to Effective Content Marketing w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
WINNING WITH WHITEPAPERS
A Guide to Effective Content Marketing
Winning With Whitepapers Š2013 Reflection Marketing Ltd. All rights reserved 3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
2
Table of Contents
04
About Reflection Marketing 04
Our Services 06
Introduction 07
The Content Conundrum 08
Framework for Success 12
Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty 14
Getting it Out There 17
Summing It All Up
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
3
About Reflection Marketing Reflection Marketing is a full service agency that combines traditional and digital marketing techniques to provide our clients with creative, tailor-made packages that include strategic planning, design, content creation and online programming for promotion, advertising and PR. For the last 5 years we have been servicing organisations that operate in diverse sectors and industries across the UK, including:
FINANCIAL SERVICES MEDICAL AUTOMOTIVE HOSPITALITY ARTS & LEISURE PUBLIC SECTOR
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
4
Our Services ADVERTISING Well planned multi-channel advertising campaigns that effectively spread you messages to your target market.
DIGITAL
BRANDING
DESIGN
Creating brands that resonate with your customers, making you stand out in a crowded market place and building trust.
ONLINE MARKETING
STRATEGY
Website development, app programming and mobile solutions using the latest technologies and techniques.
Pay-per-click, online display or affiliate marketing campaigns designed, managed & integrated to your business needs.
Responsive interfaces linked to clever functionality developed by inspired programming
Promotes your business across a range of websites, search engines and social networks
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
Research and campaign planning that forms strategies for the most effective ways of reaching your customers.
Customised & developed to your business needs – most importantly why you need that strategy in place
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
Beautiful design that spans your whole marketing mix and supports your messages with inspiring visuals.
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
5
Introduction CONTENT IS THE MAIN DRIVER OF TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE. Well produced information not only attracts human visitors but also search engines who recognise it as a key ranking factor, helping you appear higher in search results. GOOD CONTENT HAS VALUE . People share it through email or social channels, with the result that it can quickly go viral - exponentially reaching a huge audience. We call the strategic production of online material to attract website visitors, content marketing.
CREATE GOOD CONTENT
CONTENT IS FOUND!! ENGAGEMENT & POSSIBLE LEADS CREATED GOOD CONTENT GETS SHARED Content marketing is relevant at each stage of the sales cycle, putting information in front of prospects as they research, select and purchase a production or service
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
6
The Content Conundrum The internet is packed with content of varying quality but, to be frank, mostly junk. How do you cut through the spam and produce something that people will want to read and share with their colleagues? It has to be well written, produced to a high standard and have genuine value to its readers. There are many options available to you – landing pages, video, blog articles, podcasts to name a few but one of the most effective is THE WHITE PAPER .
01
02
03
A white paper is a document that describes how a product, service or technique solves a particular problem and provides its readers with genuine advice. As a marketing tool it will promote sales without being overly commercial, and is effective whether you operate in a business-tobusiness or business-toconsumer environment.
A good white paper is informative, highlights the benefits of its subject and focuses on insights or ideas that are of value to its intended audience. It is both a marketing and technical document, yet it is neither a blatant advertisement nor a detailed product guide. Instead it offers an easily understood overview, written in a clear, accessible style.
But writing a white paper is a time consuming task that requires an in-depth understanding of its subject as well as demanding creativity and excellent writing skills. Fortunately white papers typically follow a standard format which can be adapted to fit the object or topic that you are writing about.
Read on to find out how to put one together...
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
7
Framework for Success The secret to a winning white paper is to ensure that it is organised, well planned and insightful so that it creates a natural and genuine interest amongst its readers. HERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES ON HOW TO ORGANISE YOUR WHITE PAPER:
01 LENGTH
Aim to have between 5 and 25 pages. However, do bear in mind that by having too little content your white paper may appear to have low value whilst too much may be daunting to its intended audience.
02 TITLE PAGE
Give your white paper a title that will encourage people to want to read it. Using trending terms, alliteration or including particular industry issues can help entice readers. Whilst your main title should be short and punchy, you can include a sub-title which is more descriptive of the purpose of the document. If the author of the white paper is well known in your sector, include his or her name.
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
8
Framework for Success... con’t 03 CONTENTS PAGE
List the main document sections and the pages on which they can be found. Don’t be too granular – there is no need to include too deep a level of sub-section.
04 BOILER PLATE
Optional but good to consider. A boilerplate is a brief description of a company and can be a useful way of putting a commercial message in your white paper.
05 INTRODUCTION
This is a single paragraph that summarises the purpose of the white paper without presenting its ultimate conclusion. Your introduction should catch people’s attention and pique their interest by letting them know what they’ll learn by reading on. It will be concise and easily understandable.
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
9
Framework for Success... con’t 06 THE PROBLEM
A white paper will offer a solution to a particular problem or issue that is of genuine concern to your audience. The more urgent, the better. So this section consists of two or three paragraphs that cover the matter. Begin by concisely describing the problem in the first paragraph and then drill down into more specifics, such as the background to the problem or its impact in certain areas of your industry. Back any facts up with references, figures, real cases and inspiring stories. Cite any third-party sources where appropriate.
07 THE SOLUTION
Now that you’ve defined the problem it’s time to move onto the most detailed section of the white paper – the solution. At this point you must provide your readers with enough information so they can make an informed decision about the solution you’re proposing and how it specifically applies to the problem described previously. Take a step-by-step approach that makes it clear how your concept can be implemented. Subtitles and bulleted lists can help in this respect. And where possible provide evidence and examples.
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
10
Framework for Success... con’t 08 THE BENEFIT
Identify the benefit that the reader will obtain or achieve by implementing your solution or using your product, don’t simply list features. Then describe why this benefit is important to them. Suggest conditions, situations or environments where this benefit will matter or have impact, always using a theme that revolves around the needs of the intended audience.
09 CONCLUSION
This should be a single paragraph that summarises the problem, your solution and the positive result you would expect. Emphasise the advantages of your solution, and highlight any disadvantage of not applying it.
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
11
Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty Your first challenge is to decide on a topic for a white paper. Consider who your audience is and then choose a subject that is of interest to them. This could be a particular issue faced by companies in your sector, a “how to” guide or something that is trending at the moment. Keeping an eye on trade news websites, blogs or forums can help you to discover what people are talking about in your industry.
How to?
Your targetted audience
Bullet points?
Topic... Subject, Title
What’s trending... Annotate. Edit. Make it flow.
Understand the problem. Stay focused. Stay relevant Lay your document out with appropriate titles and sub-titles and then start putting your draft together by jotting ideas below each heading. At this point don’t worry too much about formatting your copy - use annotations or bullet points. You’ll go back later and edit your copy to make it flow well. Regularly refer back to your core topic to ensure that your writing stays focused and relevant.
Do remember... When writing a white paper you should first show that you understand the problems your readers have, and don’t try to praise your company, products or services from the outset. Set out the background to the problem and only then provide the solutions. If you give the answers first, your audience is likely to abandon the rest of the document and you’ll miss the opportunity to engage with them.
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
12
Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty... con’t As you write, bear in mind that although a white paper can cover quite complex topics, it’s important to make it easily accessible for readers of all levels of experience.
Brand it right
Break copy to digestible chunks
Bullet points
WAYS TO... Diagrams
MAKE YOUR WHITEPAPER MORE ENGAGING
Use imagery
You can improve readability by breaking your copy down into easily digestible chunks, adding clear subheadings and ordering it into bulleted lists. Use imagery, photographs or diagrams either to help explain your messages or for purely decorative purposes that add visual interest. Footnotes and sidebars can contain auxiliary information outside the main flow of the page. Ensure that you take an informal but professional tone, use plain English rather than technical expressions where possible and avoid acronyms. Where you must use abbreviations or technical terms always define them at the beginning of the document.
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
13
Getting it out there... After you’ve spent all that time and effort writing a white paper you’ll want people to read it. There are several ways to distribute it to your target audience:
Some of the samples of publication covers / repor ts which Reflection Marketing has designed for:
Stranded assets and the fossil fuel divestment campaign: what does divestment mean for the valuation of fossil fuel assets?
Stranded Assets in Agriculture: Protecting Value from Environment-Related Risks
Climate Change Property Fund Q1 Unaudited Financial Report to 31 March 2013
Climate Change Property Fund 2012 Sustainability Performance Update
Absolute carbon emissions reduction (2009 – 2012) for the 2009 acquisitions: -31.6%
Authors Atif Ansar | Ben Caldecott | James Tilbury
CCPF was recognised as Europe’s top sustainable office sector property fund by the 2012 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark survey
Authors Ben Caldecott | Nicholas Howarth | Patrick McSharry Advisory | Carbon Finance | Private Equity | Property
Advisory | Carbon Finance | Private Equity | Property
DISTRIBUTE YOUR CONTENT
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
14
Getting it out there... con’t • Create a section on your website where visitors can download white papers. You can include functionality which requires that a visitor supplies their email address before they can download the white paper, which is a great way to gather leads. In order for this to work, though, you must ensure you white paper is valuable enough to prompt someone to share their contact details.
Sample of whitepaper or publication downloads on website –
h t t p : / / w w w. i i g c c . o r g / p u b l i c a t i o n s
• Make sure you make a PDF version of your white paper so that it maintains its formatting across different viewing devices. • S end an email out to your contact list describing your white paper and including a link to a web page where they can download it
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
15
Getting it out there... con’t BLOGS PROMOTE VIA E-NEWSLETTERS
DISTRIBUTE YOUR WHITEPAPER
Affiliate partners
SOCIAL MEDIA
PPC advertising
PRINTED FORM
• P romote it in any e-newsletters you distribute it. Again, include a download link • Use pay-per-click advertising (PPC) to advertise it on search engine results pages • Advertise on the web through banners, sponsored links or affiliate deals • Post comments on blogs or forums relevant to your target audience to promote your white paper. When using this technique always make sure that your white paper is appropriate to the blog post or forum thread. Never simply post a link to your white paper, you’re guaranteed to be flamed • Have it professionally printed and distribute it via direct mail to your customers or hand out copies at trade shows or exhibitions
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
16
Summing it all up White papers can promote products or services without actually concentrating on sales. They create credibility and provide an opportunity to position your organisation and staff as thought-leaders in a particular field. And they offer a chance to build a relationship with your customers based on common interests rather than on a commercial basis. You may have to work hard on perfecting your white paper writing skills but once you have them, you’ll have mastered one of the most profitable techniques in marketing.
3 C O L E S H I L L S T R E E T, S U T T O N C O L D F I E L D , B 7 2 1 S D T +44 (0)121 355 3627
E info@reflectionmarketing.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM
W w w w. r e f l e c t i o n m a r k e t i n g . c o . u k
17