This column builds on the previous one (siliconindia, May 2001), so you might want to refresh your memory before you read it.
So now you have developed a series of white papers — at least three — that address the problems faced by your potential customers. Be sure that the titles are pithy and interesting. Nobody will send away for “Some Important Management Concepts.” However, “What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School” became a bestseller. Remember that the title serves the same purpose as the headline of an advertisement. It determines whether someone will see it as pertinent and therefore worth getting. You don’t have to hire a professional copywriter to create the titles, but it is not a bad idea. Read texts like John Caples’ “Tested Advertising Methods” for great ideas. Be sure that your company’s name, address and phone numbers are on the back cover of the papers, and be sure to copyright them.

Now what do you do with the papers? Simple. You distribute them. Scatter them to the winds, but in ways that insure they reach likely prospects. Also, collect the names and contact details of those who request them.

1. Send a press release to all the trade newspapers and magazines that cover your industry. The release will say you have informative white papers that address common problems and these are available to readers, who may call, write or e-mail for the reports. (Give them all three options.) How easy you make it to acquire the reports is a business decision. Requiring prospects to send along a self-addressed stamped envelope — or charging a nominal fee, say $2, to cover shipping and handling — will decrease response. However, it ensures that the respondents will be much more qualified. Quite often this is the correct route to go.