• Why White Papers Make for Great Marketing Collateral
• The Art of Choosing Testimonials
• Business Breakfast (for Perth WA only)

This issue is about content for your website.

First, an article on the benefits of white papers and how to create them. You can apply some of the principles to the creation of ebooks. Thank you Manoj for your contribution.

The second article relates to how to collect meaningful and valuable testimonials to promote you and your products/services.

If you are in Perth on Friday, 15th July, come and hear me at the Boffins Business Breakfast. I will be talking about the 'The 7 most Common Marketing Pitfalls of Websites". More information below.

Hope you enjoy this long newsletter.

1. Additional content on the company's Web site
   If you are not in the business of aggregating or publishing proprietary content (like a news site, for example), keeping a site fresh with some new content on a regular basis is a
   constant challenge. Here, white papers can add a bit of depth and variety to your Web site content. You can either write these yourself, or commission a third party to produce it for you; and the benefits of having additional relevant content are fairly well documented.
   
   
2. Ease of distribution
   White papers can be easily distributed for almost no cos/t to the organization. Readers
   of white papers are more likely to pass along the document to their colleagues or friends. How often does one hear of regular ads or other marketing collateral being circulated?
   Moreover, there are a number of white paper aggregators around that would be happy to list your white paper for fre/e. In such cases, you are only paying for the creative and distribution service (if doing it through a PR firm). But unlike traditional online advertising, you are not paying for the real estate as well. The advantages of having the links to the white paper and to your site are quite obvious.
   
   
3. Format
   The format of preparing a white paper is fairly simple, and therefore the turnaround time can be much faster. Typically, white papers don't go through numerous cycles of "I think
   that picture should be moved to this corner" and "the brand is not prominently displayed" kind of critical review sessions. With most other collateral, brevity is another constraint that one has to contend with.
    
4. Perception
   There is a perception (rightly or wrongly) that white papers are absolutely objective and factual, almost like scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals. A certain
   academic weight and bent is placed on a white paper, and specifically for that reason white papers should be used for marketing sparingly and intelligently.
    
5. PR value
   A white paper is treated as content and not advertising. Editors are most likely to include quotes from white papers; you can bet they don't write about ads.

1. Don't overuse white papers, or they will lose their value
   The same rule applies to press releases--or, for that matter, pretty much anything in the marketing mix or life!
    
2. Don't make the paper a multi-page text ad
   That is, don't attempt a hard sell with a white paper. Present the facts, and don't make claims like ads do. You might be better off paying for a good ad made rather than doing
   a white paper that attempts to be an ad with out its attention-grabbing flair.
    
3. Don't ignore the external environment
   The white paper shouldn't be all about a company, product or service; it has to be set in a much broader context. A white paper has to analytical and seen to be informative and
   educative.

1. Length
   Aim to keep the length of the paper to less than 20 pages, though some others recommend not more than 10 or 12. (The figure 20 is not based on a scientific study, but purely on anecdotal evidence and observation.) While the length has to be determined by the extent of detail you feel is necessary to successfully communicate the message of the paper, remember that with each page the challenge to keep the reader engaged mounts.
    
2. Graphics
   Relevant visuals--schematic diagrams or graphs and charts--undoubtedly have to be mixed with the text. However, many organizations begin their white papers with rather esoteric visuals that are an attempt to trigger curiosity and interest. But from a white paper reader's perspective (and especially those from a cost-conscious small company), these graphics do nothing more than add to the number of pages to print and are therefore an avoidable cost.
    
3. Weight
   The file size is another key factor, which is of course dependent on the two factors mentioned above. Keep it light, as a heavy file could potentially kill one of the key advantages of white papers--the distribution (or email pass-ons). People don't want to be receiving and risk sending too heavy a file.

1. What is the prevalent problem that is being attempted to be solved?
   
   
2. What are the common solutions that have been attempted and why have those not yielded the desired results? (Note that the objective should not be to do a competitive comparison, but instead to reiterate to the audience the gap between what is and what ought to have been.)
   
   
3. What is the technology/product/service/phenomenon that closes the gap and solves the problem? Statistical or visual or other strong evidence will be the key to driving home your message here. While proving it beyond reasonable doubt may be a tough ask, one approach is to think through the solution being presented in an FAQ mode.

© 2005 Manoj Aravindakshan

• Include only meaningful and positive remarks. Comments that are too broad are not persuasive, e.g. "I really liked your (name of product) and can recommend it". Potential customers need to discover specific benefits and convincing reasons for buying, e.g. "I saved $...", "It lasted twice as long as..."
  
  
• Obtain testimonials to cover the various benefits you promote. For this, you may invite a satisfied customer to provide a testimonial in a particular area you want addressed, e.g. customer service, product quality, on-time delivery.
  
  
• Select carefully the sources of your testimonials. They must convey credibility and trustworthiness. Add appropriate credentials, e.g. 'author of ...', 'winner of ...'
  
  
• Include identifiable information on the person who provides the testimonial, e.g. name, job title, organisation. Anonymous is not a credible name.
  
  
• Make sure you obtain the customers permission to broadcast their testimonials. A satisfied customer may be happy to give you a testimonial for a flyer, but not for your
  website.

For example, HerbaCall offers resources to independent Herbalife distributors. Paying subscribers can search or browse by categories a database with hundreds of Herbalife testimonials.

7 most Common Marketing Pitfalls of Websites

If you live or be visiting Perth on the 15th July, I would like to meet you at Boffins Business Breakfast where I will be giving a talk on the '7 most Common Marketing Pitfalls of Websites'.

Discover what drives online consumers and how to bridge the gap between what they want and what you offer. By obtaining a better understanding of online consumer behaviour, you will learn how to avoid the most common marketing pitfalls of websites and how you can maximise the potential of your site.   

Boffins Business Breakfast
When: Friday, 15th July Duration: 7:30 to 8:15am. Doors open at 7:00am.
Where: Boffins Bookshop, 806 Hay Street Perth WA Australia
Cost: $10 for coffee/tea, juice, muffin & fruit. Each participant will receive a $5.00 event voucher redeemable towards the purchase of my book '200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website'.
For reservations: ring Kathy Bel-Bachir, Boffins Promotions & Events Coordinator at 08 9321 5755 or email kathy@boffinsbookshop.com.au.  

If you can't make it for this event, ask Kathy to be placed on her mailing list. These business breakfasts are held monthly with a different guest author.

Feedback and suggestions are most welcome. Send to