White Paper Marketing; More Sales Leads, Less Effort - Softcover

White Paper Marketing, 2nd Edition, More Sales Leads, Less Effort explains how to transform ineffective and costly push advertising marketing campaigns into highly qualified pull marketing programs by using information documents (edu-marketing). In this updated edition, you will learn step by step how to develop, write, promote and track white paper marketing programs. White paper marketing objectives include sales lead generation, improving search engine ranking value, increasing web traffic, developing credibility value, relationship building, and direct product sales. While some companies are getting better at using white papers to attract qualified inquiries, many white paper marketing programs can be enhanced by designing white papers to include additional response channels, finding more effective places to publish white papers, and by writing white papers in a style that better engages and motivates the reader. Discover some of the common mistakes companies make when using white papers in their marketing programs, including the defining the wrong objectives, failing to insert and measure response channels, and ineffectively designing the flow of white paper content (poor scanability and readability). You will learn how to create effective white papers by writing in a style that pulls the reader into the white paper, and by developing reader personas that allow you to use keywords and phrases that are specific to your targeted readers. Key locations where your white paper should be made available are explained, including self-publishing options, white paper directories and authority web sites. You will learn about white paper sponsorship options, and how to use sponsorship as a way to get your message in front of more qualified people. Getting white papers hosted on other web sites may require a white paper submission process that includes the submission of data, descriptions and classification information, as well as review by a subject matter expert. Some important things to consider when submitting white papers to directories or authority sites include avoiding duplicate content and audience matching. White paper response channels include gated access downloads, embedded links for supporting information, and inbound contact listings. Learn why the planning, design and insertion of tracking mechanisms for white paper response channels should be performed early in the white paper development process. Key ways to measure the success of white papers are described, including the number of summary page views, the view to download ratio, and inquiry response rates. You will learn several methods of the tracking inquires and actions that result from your white paper, including how to track inbound calls and links to resources. White paper economics are explained along with recommendations for revenue tracking and cost reduction. You will be able to identify the key roles necessary for white paper development and understand the approximate costs for such services. This book includes a sample white paper development project which describes the process from concept (worksheet) to implementation (sample white paper). The worksheet includes key elements, including the problem statement, pain points, a solution promise, key issues, solution teasers and reference lists, as well as other items. Learn how the 10 step development process simplifies the creation of effective white papers.