Even with a very targeted list… still, only 10% of people will see an immediate need for what you offer. The other 90% may have a future need, but not right now. So, how do you make sure they are thinking about you when the need does arise?
To stay front and center in a prospects mind, you need to do two things. First, make sure you have a good drip program to touch them with helpful contacts on a regular basis. The second is have a great Whitepaper that they will put aside and reference on a regular basis.
Why a Whitepaper? Recent studies have found that more than 68% of prospects called a provider looking for additional information after reading a Whitepaper.
The reason whitepapers work is that great prospects are hungry for information rich documents. They’ll turn to these documents to:
- Use as a reference if guidelines or checklists are included
- Stay on top of new research and trends
- Determine whether a service or product fits their particular needs
Here are 5 things that make up a great Whitepaper:
- Don’t sell. Don’t exaggerate. You need to keep the hyperbole to a minimum. It CANNOT be self-promoting. It must be about helpful information.
- Make sure the value is easy to see and understand. Follow the rule that top reporters use… ALWAYS LEAD WITH THE LEAD! Which means, put your most compelling value right up front. Do NOT bury it… not on the 3rd page or even the third paragraph. You need to lead with it!
- Make it worth their while. Give them proof of their Return of Investment. Make it irrefutable. The reader must know… but also believe… that your solution will put them in a better position with concrete evidence.
- Make it sticky. Make sure that they will want to keep your Whitepaper around. The easiest way to do this is to provide things that they will likely use as a reference. These could include guidelines, checklists, Tip sheets, etc.
- And of course, the whole reason you are writing and distributing your Whitepaper is to get new business… so have a compelling call to action. Tell them what their next step is and why they should take it. And give them as many ways as possible to contact you… phone… email… Facebook… text… etc.
Does writing a Whitepaper require work, time and research? Yep. And that’s why you should do it. Your competitors aren’t willing to make that investment.
