Move brand awareness needle with white paper posts

Content is king. How many times have you heard that statement? A recent case study posted on the Marketing Sherpa website (www.marketingsherpa.com) makes the point that interesting, informative content is a great way to build your brand at a cost that is very affordable.

The case study features a marketing automation software firm that launched a content marketing campaign in April 2010. Goals were to build brand awareness, drive website traffic and increase the number of completed online requests for information. It was also intended to improve website SEO.

Not surprisingly, the first item created for the company’s campaign was a white paper, which is traditionally the content marketing piece for B2B marketing. White papers offer a great opportunity to provide useful and credible information about your industry, your company and your products. They also allow you to position yourself and your firm as an expert in the field.

The company in the case study decided to divide its white paper into a series of shorter, easy-to-read guides that were embellished with creative graphics and humorous illustrations. The guides, which covered a variety of topics, were each designed to be read in about the time that it takes to drink a 16-ounce cup of coffee.

Your approach may be different, depending on your industry and the topic you wish to present. Does your intended audience consist of technical specialists or top management? Industrial engineers or vice presidents? Someone whose job it is to consider your product and has the time to read a lengthy article, or someone with just a few moments to glance at a summary?

Often, white papers tend to be heavy on copy with a few charts and graphs thrown in. In today’s short-attention-span online reading world, it may be necessary to limit copy and add more design elements as well as crisp photos and well-written captions that quickly illustrate your point.

Once created, a good white paper has a multitude of uses. While I don’t normally advocate handing out literature at trade shows (because it usually never makes it back to the office), a well-produced white paper can make an impact when distributed at smaller shows and conferences. Tabletop literature events are particularly well-suited to distribution of white papers.

White papers also make a great leave-behind piece on sales calls and can serve as part of a proposal package. Send a link to the page where the white paper can be downloaded in your email communications to customers, such as newsletters and quarterly promotions.

Also consider sending a PDF of your white paper to selected trade publication editors as background material, especially if the white paper deals with a timely issue or topic. If you have a dealer organization, send a link to that group for their information and use. Post the white paper on your company’s Facebook or LinkedIn page, if you have one, or tweet about it to your followers.

Creating white papers need not be difficult or costly. Good, relevant topics are the key to success. Access to one or two of your product experts is also very important. Topics need to be informative, even educational. In some cases, you may wish to challenge a long-held industry standard or belief in a white paper. Just make sure that you provide a solution to the problem.

Once you have created a series of white papers, post them to an online library that is part of your company’s website. In every case, make sure there is a way to contact you for more information.

Content is still king when it comes to marketing. Start adding content to your marketing program with a proven old standby, the white paper.