But, when we talk, I find that many of them have only thought as far as the white paper series.They've got the idea to produce a number of white papers over this year and researched options for syndicating them online where their prospects hang out.
A good start for the demand generation goal, but then...nothing definitive.When we discuss topics, they're not sure. Mostly this is due to angst about making a choice between target markets. Many times white papers are too broad in topic because the company wants to get the most use out of them. That generally results in a white paper too superficial to be of truly compelling value to anyone.
So, first choose the target market the white paper is intended to engage. Then, before you do anything else, think about what happens after the white paper.Let's go back to the strategy of creating a series of white papers for demand generation. Every time you release one, you're going to generate opt ins from people interested in that type of information, right?
So, what happens to those people once you get them?My suggestion is to create your white paper in concert with a slate of content to expand that storyline. In other words, when you brainstorm your white paper topic, make a list of the things people interested in that subject will want to know next. Or perhaps expansion topics are deeper dives into some aspect you discuss in the paper but aren't the main subject.
By planning your content development in this way you get all your research done at one time. You've got a plan to develop and distribute ongoing content focused on a topic people have expressed interest in. [They opted in, right?] With an ongoing content plan your leads won't be languishing in your database or receiving unrelated content that diminishes their original interest.
Instead, they'll be coming to rely on your company for valuable insights they need.Think about demand generation and nurturing as an integrated process. One is an extension of the other.
Link to original post