Big Star Copywriting » White papers - the content that works the hardest

White papers - the content that works the hardest

Have you ever considered that marketing by giving away your secrets could be the best thing for your business?

We all share a desire to improve. We crave expert knowledge and by sharing your in-built expertise in your market niche, you can attract new business, convert your prospects, and retain existing customers.

White papers are the most read marketing copywriting material

A study by KnowledgeStorm and MarketingSherpa revealed that business white papers are the most frequently read marketing material. 71% of respondents to their surveys said they read white papers. In terms of services, white papers are read more than case studies, product information sheets, reports, blogs, business websites, and articles.

People will exchange information with you (and then buy)

A key to understanding why white papers work so well as marketing is in the psychological effect of reciprocity. People have a need to reciprocate where they are given something for free (sometimes this is called gift culture).

You share your expert knowledge with me, so that I can gain an advantage and satisfy my desire to improve. In exchange, I feel the need to share something back – like my email address. By educating me, I also see you (and your business) as the expert to turn to when I am ready to purchase.

What you need to think about when creating white papers

Like any high-quality marketing content, your white paper needs to be carefully crafted. We consider these basic questions before beginning any white paper copywriting:

What is your message?
Who are you writing for and what is their immediate need?
How are your customers going to get it?
What do you want them to do after reading your white paper?

This last question is often one that is left out of most business white papers – a call to action. But, like all good copywriting services, white papers need to have a solid call to action to provide the next part of the sales process – getting customers to come back.

Knowledge as sales

If you look at the businesses that successfully use white papers as business tools, you will see that they rarely have just one or two white papers. They publish several, each one geared for a different purpose – and together these work to keep your customers coming back to you (the expert) for more.

If you offer a service, then selling your knowledge is a logical extension of this education marketing mix. If you offer products, white papers also give room for providing added value and differentiating your product in the marketplace. As an example, here are a few white paper services we have provided:

Customer use example white papers
Exclusive white paper reports
White paper guides to the sector
White paper comparison review of product category
White paper industry or sector coverage

Find out more about our White Paper Services or get in touch for some advice by contacting us now.

If you do one thing...

Many businesses - even the biggest brands - make the mistake of giving away content that has no real value to their readers, either because they don't want to spend time and money creating something that has worth or because they are reluctant to part with hard-won information. They think that the reader will be satisfied with a thinly veiled sales pitch. They won't - and if a customer gives you their email address in exchange for a white paper with little or no worth then you will lose that customer.

Make sure your content gives the reader something that they couldn't find elsewhere, and something that only you would know. Think of it as a way of extending your brand, moving beyond a purchase driven relationship to create a much deeper communication.

You don't have to give the game away but sharing something practical or entertaining shows the reader that you have something worthwhile to offer. Ultimately something worth paying for, especially if you tease them with promises of secret tips and techniques that could win them huge amounts of business... and by the way did I mention that there's a way you can double the amount of sign ups you can get on your email list?