Tech Content Success Hinges on the Story Angle

People researching tech solutions have a lot of content to sift through. Unfortunately, much of it is consistently dull and uninspiring. In this sea of sameness, how much of it actually has an impact? Does it position the brand as an authority and differentiate it from the competition? Does it get a return on investment by generating brand value or leads? Does it get read or downloaded? 

To get readers to start reading, keep reading, and remember your brand, you need a good story angle and an engaging, conversational voice. In this blog, we’ll discuss story angle and cover voice in a subsequent blog.

Continue reading →
Get more leads with your white paper.

4 MORE Ways to Supercharge Your White Paper for Lead Generation

White papers are a win-win for marketers eager to establish authority, build brand awareness and generate qualified leads, and for buyers and influencers who need credible information to help them make crucial buying decisions. 

Especially in this age of business modernization, white papers are becoming more important than ever in positioning your company or solution as the go-to provider of your product or service. 

Readers have certain expectations when it comes to what they want in a white paper. In my last blog post, I covered the four top things to get right with your next white paper: 

  1. Strive for clarity in the text 
  2. Pay attention to length
  3. Open with a summary, close with a conclusion
  4. End with a call to action

The next four tips are more about making your white paper shine and attracting attention to it. 

Continue reading →
Lead generation for white papers

4 Ways to Supercharge Your White Paper for Lead Generation

White papers are still the king of content when it comes to attracting and nurturing qualified leads for complex or expensive solutions. But many white papers fail in their mission to get results. 

As more and more white papers are published, getting it right has never been more important. Start with these two steps, which are covered in more detail in previous blogs. 

Step one: Be aware of what white paper readers want, and avoid the two things that drive them nuts.

Step two: To attract the most qualified leads, base your white paper on a topic that’s of high importance to your best prospects. Then write the content and title to address their pain and how your solution cures the pain. 

To increase readership and leads even more, follow one or more of the following tips.  

Continue reading →

Best practices and process drive winning white papers.

Best Practices and Processes Drive Winning White Papers

Processes save time and money by guiding experienced professionals through a series of time-proven best practices to reliably create something of value. By not following a process, you make things up along the way, reinventing the wheel for each project.

The primary advantage of a process is that it manages a number of common but potentially vexing problems and pitfalls early in the game. This saves time, money and frustration down the road and positions the project for success. Processes are all about success.

Continue reading →

Chicago B2B Tech Marketing Writer

White Paper Writing for Lead Generation

For selling complex and expensive products, white papers are essential marketing tools that can elevate your brand, position your company as a trusted expert, promote your proprietary technology or idea, and capture or nurture a qualified lead.

B2B buyers do their own research — mostly online — before reaching out to a vendor. This is why white papers are so important. They get you into a conversation that’s already in progress.

White papers can take many forms, such as lists, which are great for building awareness, or backgrounders, which help in seal the deal with established prospects.

But for lead generation, a well-written, reader-centric problem/solution white paper delivers the most impact and makes the best impression on your most highly qualified prospects. It builds trust, which motivates action.

Continue reading →

Chicago B2B Tech Marketing Writer

Two Things That Drive White Paper Readers Nuts

If you’re using white papers to nurture or generate leads, getting your white paper right has never been more important. As white papers proliferate, it’s important to be aware of how to get your white papers to cut through the clutter and position your solution as the best choice.

Unfortunately, many white papers miss the mark when it comes to satisfying reader expectations. According to “Technology Buying and Media Consumption Survey, Report 2” by TechTarget and CMO Council, there are two things that drive white paper readers nuts. If you avoid these two hazards, you’re well on your way to a winning white paper.

Continue reading →

Why Savvy Marketers Use White Papers to Generate Leads, Build Credibility and Strengthen Brand Awareness

“When done right, nothing pulls in qualified leads like a well-targeted offer for a juicy white paper,” says marketing expert Larry Chase, publisher of Web Digest for Marketers. White papers are indispensable in reaching and converting qualified buyers who are making career-shaping decisions about expensive, complex solutions.

White papers showcase your unique solution

White papers — also know as discussion papers, special reports, e-books, executive briefs — are business-to-business (B2B) fact-based articles about a technology, process or innovation that sets your company, product or service apart from the competition. White papers are about a new or better way to solve a problem or achieve a result. White papers help buyers understand an issue and make a decision.

Continue reading →