It’s one of the lesser used PR tactics out there currently, but writing a white paper for your company’s product can do wonders for your business. I suspect the reason it’s so rare now is because they take time and energy to produce. Plus, it takes a mixture of creativity and raw know-how to make a proper white paper.
But in the right hands, they can do magic. Here are just a few reasons you need to start on your own white paper right this minute.
1. Creates Authority
Have an “authority” problem with your company? The more people think your business knows what it’s doing and talking about, the more likely they’ll buy from you. After all, why would they shell out their hard earned cash if they don’t trust you at all?
This can be easily solved with a white paper. A properly done white paper can make even the most skeptical person know just how much you know your industry. When you know what you’re talking about and it shows, the customer equates this knowledge with your product. The solution to whatever they need is to buy your stuff!
2. Answer a Problem
Your customers have issues that need solving. If this wasn’t the case, why did you make your product?
At the core of every sale is a basic dilemma: there’s something wrong, and I need it fixed. Looking for a sandwich? I’m hungry; if I eat this, I won’t be hungry anymore. My hands hurt when I open a can; if I use this electric opener, they won’t hurt anymore.
What you can do with a white paper is answer yet another dilemma in your customers’ lives. The best part is, it doesn’t matter what you sell. Even if it’s the simplest, silliest product ever made (my vote goes for the banana case), there’s a dilemma. Let the public know what the issue is, then solve it with your white paper.
3. Dynamic
One of the best things about the modern white paper is the ability to make it as dynamic as you want. Instead of a stale paper press release you submit to a newspaper, your white paper can have pictures, graphs, videos and links to websites that back up your argument.
This creates more of an “experience” for your reader. No more just reading countless paragraphs on how awesome your company is – now they can see it and experience it firsthand! Not only will this mean they may actually read your white paper, it also gives off an air of professionalism, not to mention mastery of modern technology. Just make sure you have lots of good material in there and not a bunch of filler or the point will be lost.
Have you ever written a white paper? What was the hardest part about writing it?
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of 7 Cheap PR Tactics for Success in Any Economy here: https://www.ereleases.com/free-offer/cheap-pr-tactics/