White paper samples
Some “experts” say there are eight, 10, even 40 different types of white papers?! That’s a lot to remember, and a lot to choose from when you want to publish a white paper. And I don’t think anyone needs that much complexity. Three main flavors, plus two mashups, cover 90% of all the white papers…
Read MoreBook review: Yahoo! Style Guide
No matter what you think of Yahoo! it’s been around a long time. Founded in 1995, the site remains one of the most popular destinations on the web. For many years, Yahoo! was one of the most popular sites on the web, with many services and a ton of content. The company’s writers and editors obviously have…
Read MoreBook review: The White Paper Marketing Handbook
White papers drive billions of dollars worth of technology sales every year. Yet few people can say for sure what a white paper really is. That’s why any new book devoted to building more understanding about white papers is welcome. In The White Paper Marketing Handbook, renowned copywriter Bob Bly covers a lot of territory. In fact,…
Read MoreBook review: No Time Marketing
Have you ever tried making a marketing plan, without much success? Maybe you’ve checked out some of the planning tools around? These range from simple templates in Word to massive spreadsheets and questionnaires. But who has time? Now there’s a great little guide that makes planning your marketing quick and painless… even if you’ve never done…
Read MoreBook review: Crafting White Paper 2.0
We all have more to read than we can get to. So how can we expect time-starved B2B execs to read our latest 10-page white paper? We can’t. “Executives know that white papers provide them with valuable information,” writes Jonathan Kantor in his refreshing book Crafting White Paper 2.0. “Unfortunately, the traditional all-text white paper… requires too…
Read MoreWhy are case studies so powerful?
Case studies, customer stories, application articles, success stories… Whatever you call them, an extended testimonial is probably the most powerful marketing piece any software firm can produce. But what makes case studies so powerful? “Dollar-for-dollar, case studies are the best marketing investment a company can make,” says seasoned case study writer Steve Slaunwhite. “I recommend…
Read MoreHow many case studies are "enough"?
Marketing people often wonder how many case studies their company should publish. How many case studies are really “enough?” The correct answer, of course, is “that depends”. In any case, don’t expect one or two stories to do the job; for best results, plan to create fresh stories continuously. Google will love that and so…
Read MoreHow to write a case study for beta software
A client once asked for a customer story on some software just going into beta. I was a little stumped… since that product could take 12 months to generate a ROI. But as one crusty old newspaper editor used to say to any reporter chasing a story: “The paper can’t print excuses!” I didn’t want to…
Read MoreHow to get the best bang from your case study buck
Everyone loves case studies. But how do you create a really great case study? Then how do you squeeze every drop of value out of it? We put these questions to two seasoned case study writers: Steve Slaunwhite and Casey Hibbard. They generously shared 15 pragmatic tips on how to plan, write and publish case studies for maximum…
Read MoreHow to get customers to agree to a case study
How do you find the right customers for a case study, and then secure their approvals? How do you write compelling stories? And repurpose them for maximum ROI? If you’re wondering about any of these questions, an excellent book by seasoned writer Casey Hibbard will set you straight. Hibbard spells out a step-by-step plan for turning…
Read More