We just finished collaborating on yet another (white paper) lead magnet project. So, I thought I’d post a short reminder that emphasizes just how useful these incentives can be for promoting your business. (I’ll also offer you a couple more ideas on how the content can be repurposed.)
Incentives like white papers or special reports can really serve your company well. “If you’re not currently using whitepapers to get the word out about your products or services, you’re missing out on these opportunities.” —Inc. Magazine
Of course, white papers don’t actually need to be white. The term has its origin from 1990s direct mail marketing — when a plain presentation would complement a fact-driven, logical business argument and ascribe credibility to the publisher.
Packaging the right kind of information in a lead magnet can attract valuable prospects. Specialized, hard-to-find, or otherwise unique content can help you reach people who are more likely to work with you or buy from you.
“White papers are excellent lead-generation tools. There are many types of white papers, such as technical and government white papers.However, the white paper designed to generate a lead is unique.” —Pragmatic Marketing
The targeted content in white papers can lend your company added credibility, authority, and help position you a thought leader. “To revise the model for today’s environment, consider the white paper as the backbone of your content and a road map to engage and communicate about the unique value you bring.” —Content Marketing Institute
Looking for other lead magnet ideas? Information graphics (or infographics) have also become quite effective incentives because they often feature persuasive statistics in a compact, visual format.
Don’t Overlook These Ideas
Investing time and resources into content development should be executed with careful thought about the topic and the audience you want to attract. But, committing time toward it can lead to all kinds of other benefits.
For instance, content from a white paper can be spun up into a presentation and used to host a webinar. That’s just what my collaborators have done with our latest combined effort — and it’s been paying off quite well for them this week.
An emerging technology platform leader volunteered to re-post our teaser article and tweet about it. This resulted in dozens of webinar signups in just a few days. Far more than anticipated.
There’s no reason you can’t do this. Brainstorm a few topics that help your customers solve difficult challenges, and you should be on your way!
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