Marketing With White Papers

One of our services at TIMR is custom programming. Recently I was asked to write a simple auto responder that would send a link to download a White Paper on a clients product. Fairly, straight forward until I asked the obvious question, "How will you be storing the email addresses?". To my surprise the answer was "We aren't storing that information."

Since we were only sub-contracting the programming I didn't pursue this any further.

White Papers and other download-able material are great ideas for a number of reasons. Since they involve a "Call to Action" they can be used test the effectiveness of a page. Set up a split run, ( Show visitors different versions of the page.) to test things such as copy, link placement, colours, etc. This information can be used to improve the pages conversion rate. (How many visitors actually download the item.)

Sending a link to the download-able material adds a whole new level of value.

It gives you that all important contact information. The visitor has moved from a 'cold' to 'warm' contact. This is someone who is interested in your product. Information gathering begins when they request a link to download the information. At this point you should be capturing not only their email address, but also their location.

Capturing their location can either be done in software for general location. Or, by asking for a zip code or postal code for more detailed information.

Your contact form should include a check box that lets the user 'opt-in' to receive more information. Don't be overly aggressive. Some sites will block the download if the visitor doesn't 'opt-in'. That tends to drive away potential clients.

Finally, the link that you send to the visitor should include a tracking code. This will let you see if the person actually completes the transaction.

White Papers and download-able brochures are great ways of retaining contact with potential customers. Using them properly can greatly improve your sites value.