White Paper Pundit

Organizations that have several white papers posted on their website must confront an uncomfortable fact. Most are unable to determine which white paper a prospective website visitor will read first. Given this situation, every organization must ensure that a first time reader will receive the same solution advantage messages in each white paper they download from that website.

One tactic that white paper marketers can use is the same tried and true method that has been part of website design since its inception…using hyperlinks to link one white paper to another. This ensures that the first time reader that may pick up any one of several white papers from an online library and be redirected to other white papers that contain those strategic solution advantage messages.

What type of information should be linked?

In every white paper, after the reader has been given a thorough presentation of background and problem assessment-related information, it is time to present a solution advantage message. Depending on the type of white paper you are creating as part of your corporate white paper marketing strategy, there should be one particular portion of that paper that describes these bottom-line advantage messages in greater detail.

For example, if we were in the business of developing sophisticated administration tools for managing security for wireless networks, and our strategic advantage was innovative ease of use, we would want to ensure that any prospective customer reading any one of our white papers received that consistent message and the reasons behind it.

Of course we could add a paragraph or two to each white paper to tell that story, but as the overall size of today’s white paper is shrinking, it becomes less important to dedicate valuable content real estate in a new white paper to tell that repetitive story, rather than including a hyperlink to the original white paper that provided it in greater detail.

What are some things to keep in mind when you link several white papers together?

1. Less is More – Pick one core message that you feel best represents your most strategic advantage message. Then make sure that the message is linked in each subsequent white paper. If you link several strategic messages, you increase the risk of confusing your reader and creating dead ended links as white papers are updated and names or locations change.

2. Be Consistent – Place your advantage message in the same location on each white paper. If that location is your solution section or your “About ___ ” section, make sure it directs your reader to that same section for each subsequent paper. This not only ensures your solution message will be found, but that it will read and understood quickly by your target reader. If the reader has to hunt for that advantage message in different locations, you will increase the risk that they may not find it at all or move onto another website/white paper/ or work task, defeating one of its most important marketing purposes.

3. Target Your Links – Use a shaded text box or highlighting that includes both your advantage message and its hyperlink. This increases the chances that your reader will notices the strategic advantage message and click on the associated link. In addition, make sure your link directs the reader to the specific section within the target white paper that contains your solution message. Don’t direct them to the cover. They may not be able to locate your strategic solution advantage message on their own.

For example, if our advantage was a recent test result that showed the superiority of our solution, a shaded text area directing the reader to the hyperlink might look something like this:

In this case, the text shown as “The results showed that” or “In addition:“would be hyperlinked to another white paper and section that included our primary solution message and the results of the user study that validated our “ease of use” advantage.

4. Simulate and Test – White papers often are modified, updated, moved, deleted, and renamed from their online location. If you include a hyperlink to another white paper, make sure you test your link and each link within each of your other white papers in case someone has changed the name or location of the other white papers.

By including links to your white paper strategy, you will ensure that each reader fully understands your strategic solution advantage message. This increases the likelihood that they will perform a “call-to-action” activity such as submitting their contact information for lead generation or signing up for your newsletter.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at 11:48 pm and is filed under WP Examples, WP Marketing, White Paper Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.