Customer Reviews

The White Paper Marketing Handbook

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Bob Bly is a wonderful person and a very good copywriter. But I don't like this book. It seems to go all over the place and yet no place. It really doesn't educate you on writing a white paper. Doesn't get into format or much else.

You can find much more by doing a search.

I know I'll get a lot of "not helpful" clicks. But that's okay. I gotta' tell it the way I see it. And, of course, it's only my opinion.

For those who are interested in understanding the potential value of white papers to business development and customer relationships, this book and Michael Stelzner's Writing White Papers are the most valuable resources on the subject that I have as yet encountered. I strongly recommend both. Opinions vary as to the origin of the genre. Both Bly and Stelzner seem to agree that white papers can be traced back at least to early in the 20th century when what was then referred to as a "white book" consisted of informatiuon published by a national government. Perhaps the most famous is the "British White Paper of 1922" (also known as the "Churchill White Paper") in which the political conflict in Palestine is discussed. Interest in the commercial potentialities of white papers has increased rapidly and substantially in recent years and my own opinion is that exploration and fulfillment of those potentialities has only begun.

In this volume, Robert Bly explains with rigor and eloquence "how to generate more leads and sales with white papers, special reports, booklets, and CDs." As he notes, some of the most common white paper types include technology briefings, buyer's guides, planning and implementation guides, application guides, ROI guides, case studies, business implication discussions, strategy discussions, industry trend overviews, and issues analyses.

Here's a key point which both Bly and Stelzner stress repeatedly: A white paper must never be -- or be perceived to be -- an "infomercial" in print form. Yes, Bly observes in the Introduction that the white paper "serves the same sales purpose as a brochure...to sell or help sell a product or service...but reads and looks liker an article or other important piece of authoratative, objective information...But make no mistake, both the brochure and the white paper have the same ultimate objective: to sell or help sell your company's product or service."Nonetheless, the emphasis throughout his book is on selecting, producing, and distributing content which will be of interest and value to those who receive it. It may well "sell or help sell" but it never "sells"; rather, it makes a favorable impression on the recipient...even better, it can create a sense of gratitude to the provider.

When explaining "Your White Paper Marketing Plan" in Chapter 3, Bly suggests a ten-step process:

1. Determine Your Target Market
2. Problem Identification
3. Solution Identification
4. Content
5. Media
6. Tactics
7. Schedule
8. Budget
9. Objectives
10. Measurement

Keep in mind that Bly has written what he describes as a "marketing handbook." His focus is always on the ten-step process of creating or increasing demand for (whatever) by effective use of the white paper. His book, therefore, is an operations manual which provides cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective explanations and suggestions as to HOW to do that.

My own rather extensive experience with white papers (loosely defined) is that they are most effective, indeed essential to the cultivation rather than the solicitation process. But to repeat, the content must have inherent value and be directly responsive to whatever problem, question, or interest the recipient has identified...or is at least likely to have. That is why it is so important to determine the appropriate target market. When hand-presented and especially when mailed, the given item must attract immediate interest and then sustain it with information which is perceived to be (by the recipient) not only relevant but valuable.

Here's an acid test for use of white papers as a hand-out at a tradeshow booth: How many are kept by recipients and taken with them rather than tossed into a wastebasket, probably in a hotel room?

Of special interest to me were the ten case studies in Chapter 10, "Measuring and Improving Your Results." Each demonstrates several of the core principles which Bly had explained earlier in his book. Practical applications in real-world situations are always instructive. Readers will also appreciate the provision of "Resources" in Appendix A and "Model Documents" in Appendix B.

Initially, I said that I highly recommend both this book and Michael Stelzner's Writing White Papers. That's true. I also strongly suggest that both be purchased and then carefully read. True, Bly and Stelzner cover much of the same ground but there are significant differences between their two books and that is highly beneficial because, as Bly's ten-step process correctly indicates, there are important issues to consider. Absorbing and digesting the material in both books will assist substantially the process by which important decisions are made.

Robert Bly encourages those who read this book to check out a wealth of resources available at http://www.bly.com/newsite/home.html.

Bob Bly - copywriting master extraordinaire - has done it again in The White Paper Marketing Handbook.

A few years back people were saying White Papers were dead, but in my market (B2G), they never went totally away, and over the past year or two have made a strong comeback.

People can learn a ton from this book. With the cost of leads continaully rising, the ability to use White Papers to generate qualified leads should add to all B2B bottom lines.

A book long overdue from one of the few capable of producing a use-able book on the topic.

Not that I have an opinion.

Bob Bly is a great copywriter. He's also a great writer about copywriting. There are lots of great copywriters who've written books on how to ply their trade. Bob Bly is the best explainer among them.

That's why I picked up a copy of The White Paper Marketing Handbook. I was already a fan of Bob's work. And, I was thinking about offering a White Paper or Special Report to help market my book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership.

I had high expectations. The White Paper Marketing Handbook met those in full. It also gave me a lot more.

I expected and got a good working definition of a "white paper" and a description of how white paper marketing works. I also got a list of different forms that "white papers" can take.

I expected and got tips on how to plan a white paper. I also picked up a wonderful tool, that Bob calls the "Content Matrix" that will help me with other aspects of my marketing.

There are also numerous checklists in this book that may not be apparent from the Table of Contents. Page 43, for example, offers up the BDF formula for analyzing your prospects. On page 69 is a detailed list of questions to ask to analyze your product.

There's also a wealth of other information and advice. You'll learn how to craft compelling titles for your white paper and how to make your presentation graphically effective. And there's material on how to generate leads and how to tie your white paper into your marketing plan.

I'm already making my second pass through the book to make sure everything I learn gets translated into my own white paper marketing.

You'll get value out of this book if you, like me, are an experienced business person who does most of your own marketing work. You'll get value if you work for a company that's thinking about using white papers to market your product or service. This book has so much good basic material on marketing and copy writing that you'll get value from that, too.

After seeing the disparate comments on this book, I will venture my views. I generally like Bob Bly's books and I have quite a few of them on my shelves. But this is not his best. It's basically a rehash of a lot of material he has published elsewhere, with the term "white paper" in the title, I suppose, to attract sales. If you're looking for an introduction to all sorts of marketing ideas and a rundown on various formats for marketing documents... and you don't already have a lot of Bly's books, this may be useful to you. If you're looking specifically for a guide to how to create an effective white paper, or you already have some other books from Bly, this is not likely to help much at all. There are better books on white papers from Stelzner and Kantor, and on marketing with content from Ardath Albee and others.

I got my copy of The White Paper Marketing Handbook from Amazon. If I recall, it was referenced on a site I had found while researching the subject.

My interest in Robert Bly's book is simply as someone at a company that is making a concerted effort to venture into the realm of "edu-marketing" by providing our clients and prospects with white papers. As someone new to the notion of this marketing method, I began to do research on the web.

As someone starting from zero, I was very pleased with Bly's book. It's not that I consider the idea of writing a white paper difficult, but Bly very capably lays out the process, from formulating a topic, all the way through engaging readers and potential leads. To me, that's the invaluable part. As is referenced in the book, anyone can write anything, but few are capable of delivering something of real value. In that regard, Bly's book is certainly worth the time and effort.

Additionally, aside from the step by step process of a white paper, the book is full of resources. From web sites to books, to companies, there is no dearth of channels to pursue. And whether you are planning to write one on your own... as I am... to hiring someone to do it for you, you are not left with that nagging question of "What do I do know?"

I would say, that yes, as one of the critical review mentioned, Bly does seem to encourage the use of copy writers, or specialists in white papers to actually do the work for companies. But honestly, I am not going to fault him for this in the least. To a certain extent, the book is one big white paper, but considering the information and resources that he does provide, the soft sell is not an issue for me.

Equally important to me is not only Bly's methods for producing a great white paper, but also what makes a bad white paper. In each section he outlines the major problems with bad white papers, from the writing to the formating of the paper itself. Quite honestly, many of the items Bly listed as "Not-to-do's" I originally considered to be good ideas. But upon review, his methods for what makes a great paper, far outweighed what I thought would be good.

If you are in the same spot as I, charged with creating a white paper that can add real value to a company's sales and marketing efforts, Bly's The White Paper Marketing Handbook is definately a great place to start. I would think that if the production of white papers, etc., is your business, I would think that there are schools of thought that may differ from Bly's perspective.

Considering that I am in the first camp, I highly recommend the book.

This book will be useful for people in many roles. For marketers and subject experts, it will help you decide if a white paper is really the best piece for achieving your promotional goals. If you haven't produced a white paper before, this book will help you understand all the activities and resources necessary for development, publishing, and promotion. And if you are a writer, the book presents specific techniques for crafting a white paper and specific mistakes to avoid.

Although I associate white papers with the technology companies that are my clients, I found it interesting to see the examples of how these pieces are used in other industries.

Overall, a good reference book to keep on your shelf.

This book makes you think of great questions to ask your client before you write anything - like these:

What vocabulary does your audience use - are they techies looking for specs, execs looking for ROI, or buyers looking for the best price and terms?

What do you want your audience to do after they finish reading? (Don't laugh - some clients forget the contact info at the end for interested readers - the main point of doing a white paper.)

What should the focus be - what problem does your product solve?
(This one's not always in the client's mind either - you may need to nudge a little to get to what their customers think is the most valuable part of their solution.)

The book's detailed road maps lead writers and marketers to white papers and related pieces that interest and snag prospects. It gave helpful reminders for recent articles I've done for high-tech clients.

Highly recommended.

Numerous research studies have shown time and again that white papers are very powerful marketing tools to show thought leadership and generate leads while also providing critical information to both technical and business decision makers. White papers are meant as a "soft sell". They typically discuss solutions for the problems facing a customer rather than just doing a "hard sell" for a product or service. White papers also offer insight and serves as how-to guides for a particular target audience.

Common white paper types include solution overviews, technology briefings, buyer's guides, planning and implementation guides, application guides, ROI guides, case studies, business implication discussions, strategy discussions, industry trend overviews, issues analyses etc

Bob's book deals exclusively with white papers and provide answers to these questions
* How do you get started on writing and marketing a white paper?
* What are the various components of a white paper?
* How do you ensure the white papers land in the hand of the right decision makers?

Robert Bly says:
"The best white papers have two things. The first is that they are conversational, natural language-driven. It's really two people talking to each other in an informal tone. The second is to not focus on why your readers should use a certain product, but how it can benefit them. I like to give tips that the readers can use even if they don't use my product. The main thing is they should be able to get value out of reading your white paper even if they don't ultimately buy your product. Too often, people think writing white papers means 'sell this product'."

In "The White Paper Marketing Handbook", Robert Bly, discusses about how to create effective white papers and to build successful marketing campaigns to create interest, generate leads, build relationships, and ultimately drive sales. He shares a ten-step process of creating and increasing demand with effective use of white papers. The case studies in his book bring to light many practical applications of white papers in real-world situations.

5 key take aways from Robert Bly's book

* Focus on reader: White paper should focus on the reader's issue or problem and offer information that will lead him or her towards a solution. A white paper should not be a sales brochure or company data sheet.
* 3 U's formula: "3 U's" formula for crafting titles is also applicable for creating for a white paper as well. Be ultra-specific, unique and useful to your ideal readers.
* Integrated Marketing: A white paper should effectively fit into successful Integrated Marketing Communications efforts. It should have consistency with the messaging in other marketing collaterals.
* Edu-marketing strategy: Educate and inform potential customers. This will in turn lead to business success.
* Don't sell: White paper should be a "soft sell" and is intended to make a favorable impression with the reader about the product or service.

Given all the buzz about content marketing, I highly recommend reading "The White Paper Marketing Handbook" .This book is not just for whitepaper writers and marketers. The lessons learnt can be applied to writing and marketing any other form of content as well.

Buy the book, read it and keep it handy for reference.

Amid all the overly simplistic books on getting new clients, White Paper Marketing stands out for its practical advice. If you market to a sophisticated audience, and the "shout-at-you" school of promotion leaves you cold, you will find this to be a very valuable resource.

Bob Bly discusses, in his very pleasant and easy-to-read style, the various options marketers can use to generate initial curiosity about their products or services. This is an excellent resource that belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who wants to build brand new client relationships.