In recent years, there’s been a boom in content marketing.
In fact, using content to engage with your target audiences can get you three times more leads than paid search advertising.
In addition, showing orientation in your market and backing up your value proposition with original content can put your business at an important strategic advantage.
One of the ways to do that is by producing a white paper.
This robust document has the potential to become the flagship of your content. Awash with statistics and well-researched insights, it can become a major lead magnet for your business. And while it may be difficult to produce, it’s definitely worth it.
So let’s say that you have written a white paper – what’s next?
You need to figure out the best way to promote it. Remember, in the world of content, what isn’t seen, practically doesn’t exist.
To ensure your white paper gets the attention it deserves, check out these red hot tips on how to promote a white paper:
Ensure it has internal value
The first step should be to share the white paper internally with your key stakeholders.
If your business model requires their validation or if you seek to pool funds in the future, this document can serve as a valuable bargaining chip.
After you get the green light from those within your network, it’s time to put it on your site. However, with a piece of high-value content like this, we’d suggest making it gated content.
Gated content is any content that requires users to fill out a form before accessing them. The benefits of gated content are simple:
- Allows you to measure the conversion rate of your landing page
- Collects more leads for your company’s sales funnels
However, if you decide to put the resource directly on your home page, you need to evaluate your website’s interface. You want to make the download process very simple and ensure its easily downloadable on desktop and mobile devices.
Why promote your white paper externally?
White paper writing is not a piece of cake.
You’ve probably put a lot of time and energy into it. Therefore, you want to ensure it reaches as many people as possible!
That’s why you should position the document as the focal point of your marketing efforts. It will allow you to think creatively and utilize a multichannel strategy to let the piece out there.
The first place to share your white paper is social media
The first logical step would be social media sharing.
This can be either through common informative posts or more creatively through features such as LinkedIn Publishers or Twitter Chats.
Consumers are crazy about interaction, so why not try out polls or collecting leads through SlideShare?
Moreover, if you feel like your white paper deserves some extra love, you can also experiment with sponsored posts across different platforms. Considering that research suggests that an average organic reach is only around 6.4% of the page’s followers, a combination of organic and paid posts may be a safer bet.
Use webinars and podcasts to chat about your white paper
At Publicize, we believe in the power of webinars. It seems we’re not alone.
Studies show that 20-40% of webinar attendees turn into qualified leads. You can organize a webinar, share the key takeaways, and offering consultations on the main pain points of your prospects.
Podcasts, just like webinars, are increasingly popular due to the value they bring to their listeners.
Whether you host an in-house one or an invited to speak on an external podcast, this is a great opportunity to mention your white paper in a very personal way that may cut through all the noise of social media and advertising.
Send out some emails about your newest piece of content
Another way to bring attention to your new keystone document is by building a block of marketing emails around it.
Directed at raising brand awareness, your white paper can be positioned as one of the primary calls to action.
You can tempt the audience by giving away a piece of valuable information in each email, whether through text or infographics. But always remember: The more personalized and engaging the email series is, the better.
Overall, the uses are diverse:
- Attending a conference? Print and bind your white paper and bring it as an effective handout to any event
- Starting a newsletter? Include a link there to build legitimacy
- Speaking at a panel? Mention your white paper there!
- Trying to impress your friends? No, that’s not gonna work… But you get my point!
Final Thoughts
Writing a white paper is really difficult. Furthermore, it may not be the piece of content that consumers would want to dive into when they finally get comfy on their sofa after a long day. However, that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t interest you or your target audience.
What it does show is that you need to think twice about where and how you want to promote it.
You shouldn’t just produce a white paper and store it away. If done correctly, a white paper is a piece of content that can be useful for a long time.
Not convinced? Well, here are a few reasons why:
- You can re-promote the piece again in several months.
- Utilize the conducted research used to produce the white paper to fuel your future PR efforts
- Can send it to journalists to showcase your industry knowledge and expertise
- Can strip it down and turn the key takeaways into separate blog posts.
Always remember that a white paper could be the king of your website content. But your audiences might not know it until they read it. So make sure you get your promotion right.
