White Paper World 51: November 7, 2024

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• This just in: Don’t assume readers respect consultants
• Quick tip: How to create 14 touchpoints from a single white paper
• Mini-profile: Meet Zachary Hyde, copywriter
• Just for fun: Keep calm and carry on puzzling
• Get your tipsheet: 325 white papers. 25 years. 10 essential tips

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Read this issue in 8 minutes. Listen in 16 minutes:

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This just in: Don’t assume readers respect consultants

2-minute read.

Think big consulting firms are credible sources?

Think again.

Most writers assume that companies like Accenture, Deloitte, Gartner, and KPMG have built-in credibility with readers.

But do they really?

Not according to a recent survey, where more than 4 out of 5 executives (87%) said they have no use for big consulting firms.

They complain that consultants from firms like Bain, Boston Computing Group, and McKinsey dish out advice that’s “no help at all.”

A smaller competitor, Emergn, surveyed 702 executives in the UK who hired consultants from big firms to work on “digital transformation.”

So this finding worked well to position Emergn as the new, upstart, anti-consulting firm on the scene.

And where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Many executives no doubt agree, based on their own experience.

For example, here’s a memoir from a young MIT grad who found working as a consultant in Dubai to be quite soul-destroying. He describes making PowerPoints with dubious facts and poor math to confirm what his client and his manager wanted to hear.

So in fact, the more your readers know about consultants, the less they may respect them.

Big consulting firms face many temptations

Consultants in big firms face many incentives to lie, cheat, and steal. When they succumb to temptation, they sometimes get caught.

For example, the UK banned Bain from any government contracts for three years for its role in major corruption in South Africa.

Ernst & Young agreed to pay $100 million when the US Securities and Exchange Commission discovered its auditors cheating on ethics exams.

Just a few months ago, Deloitte and KPMG were charged with the same offense.

Perhaps worst of all, McKinsey played a terrible role helping Purdue Pharma boost sales for OxyContin. That developed into the opioid crisis that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.

“We’re only human,” the CEOs say. “Sometimes we make mistakes.”

All the more reason not to put big companies like these up on a pedestal as sterling sources in our white papers.

What writers can do

• Don’t automatically give big consulting firms your respect
• Do deeper research to find interesting sources
• Use academics, authors, and independent consultants as sources
• Develop your own set of sources in your niche

 

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Guest post: How to create 14 touchpoints from a single white paper

by Zachary Hyde, copywriter

2-minute read.

Does your company think doing a white paper means dressing up a sales pitch with a pretty design and throwing it on your website?

You’ll never generate any acceptable ROI that way.

And you’ll be tempted to say, “We tried white papers, but they don’t work for us.”

The problem is, you’re doing it wrong.

The key is to use one piece of content to generate more touchpoints with the same prospects. Without being a pushy, pandering idiot.

 

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Quick refresher: What are touchpoints?

A touchpoint is any interaction between a prospect and a company, its employees, its products or services.

Touchpoints include visiting a website, clicking an ad, or opening an email.

Martech firm HockeyStack analyzed 1.5 million customer journeys and found that it takes an average of 54 touchpoints to generate a marketing-qualified lead (MQL).

And the bigger the deal size, the more touchpoints you need to bring it home.
—Gordon

 

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So here’s how to make those 14 touchpoints

1. Create a white paper devoid of any product mention except for “About the Company” section and the call-to-action at the very end. (1 touchpoint)

2. Generate 3 blog posts from your white paper. (3 touchpoints)

Here’s how, depending on the flavour…

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For a problem/solution white paper, do one blog on the problem, another on why traditional solutions don’t work, and a third to introduce the generic category that solves the problem with no downsides or unintended consequences.

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For a numbered list, pick the three most intriguing points from the list to run as posts. Or run the whole list bald with no details, then pick two points for the other two blogs.

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Don’t even think of doing a product backgrounder.
You’re trying to generate leads at the top of the funnel, remember? It’s too early to start blabbing about your product.

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3. At the end of each blog, point to the landing page for your white paper.

Remember your prospect has an unachieved outcome, an unfulfilled promise, a need. The landing page can give your prospects a chance to face those.

But that page has to compete with thousands of other free documents. Your copy on that page has to show your prospect how they will benefit from your content; by saving time, by gaining hard-to-find research, or by solving their problem.

Remember to shorten your opt-in form and just ask for their name, work email, and zipcode. (1 touchpoint)

4. After a prospect downloads your white paper, show them a thank you page where you don’t waste the real estate.

B2B buyers are often looking for human interaction—but not with a sales team.

So use a color photo of the CEO or founder here to give a personal intro and motivate prospects to continue. (1 touchpoint)

5. Send a series of five emails over the next five business days to nurture that  prospect. Always wait 24 hours to send the first one.

Don’t overload them with further resources; let them focus on the one they downloaded and point out its value around the same pain points.

And resist the temptation to offer a call or a demo. It’s still too early.

At most, prime the prospect to move further with a newsletter or another sequence that doesn’t include talking to your sales people. (5 touchpoints)

6. Set up 3 promoted LinkedIn posts that direct your audience to the blogs you wrote earlier. Use a visual in each post. (3 touchpoints)

That’s 14 touchpoints from a single white paper

You just provided a minimal viable funnel that did everything right:

• Your content helps prospects understand an issue or solve a problem.
• You are being persistent but respecting your prospects’ time.
• You aren’t demanding that they listen to any sales pitch.

Don’t worry. If they’re a good fit for your company, they will remember you even before you follow up with more helpful emails that point to useful, not obnoxious, content.

Note: This article is based on an email sent by Zachary, which I liked so much I asked him to expand it for this newsletter.

I appreciate how he sees a white paper as just one element in a campaign of many touchpoints. The more you think like that, the more effective your white papers will be.—Gordon

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From Ranger to B2B cybersecurity writer: Meet Zachary Hyde

3-minute read.

Zachary Hyde is a copywriter who brings a unique blend of military precision and marketing savvy to the world of B2B cybersecurity.

Originally from Oklahoma, Zach joined the U.S. Army in 2006 right out of school and quickly found himself in the elite Rangers.

“I did eight deployments between Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria,” Zach says. During his tours, Zach was involved in many high-stakes operations, including seizing airfields in war zones.

“We’d jump in, secure the field, and my job was configuring this mobile package for communications,” he explains.

Zach and his team would set up hasty field operations centers, often grappling with challenges like power distribution in a hostile environment.

But a different type of warfare would shape his future: the battle against cyber threats.

Accidental cybersecurity expert

In 2008, Zach found himself at ground zero of Operation Buckshot Yankee, the largest-ever data breach of the U.S. military.

The breach started when a single USB drive with malicious code was plugged into a laptop connected to Central Command, the military branch that handles the Middle East.

And Zach was part of the team pulled together to fight it.

“It was all hands on deck,” he recalls. “I loved the speed of it. I loved how stressful it was.”

This baptism by fire ignited his passion for cybersecurity.

At just 24, Zach was given a weighty mission: Protecting the IT supporting 2,000 Rangers in 100 offices with top-secret military data under constant attacks from spies, hackers, and enemies.

Vendors who can’t communicate

During Zach’s time in the military, he often encountered vendors who couldn’t communicate very well.

“They never had the right content to help me or my team make decisions,” Zach laments.

Vendors often tried to educate him on threats he already knew about instead of helping him make a case to his superiors.

“I needed them to validate my concerns and help me take it to my boss, who had 10 other priorities as far as the budget went,” Zach explains.

DIY white papers

Frustrated by the lack of useful materials, Zach began writing his own white papers.

“I would do the research, identify the solutions, lay it all out, and take it to my boss in a manila folder,” he says. “I couldn’t find those resources anywhere else.”

This DIY approach to white papers planted the seeds for his future career.

After retiring from the Army in Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), Zach made his way to nearby Raleigh, NC.

“I figured it was a good place to settle down,” he says. “It’s big in the tech scene.”

A new mission

So he studied copywriting with some industry veterans.

And when Covid hit, Zach saw an opportunity to monetize his skills. He started freelancing, helping vendors communicate better with buyers like him in his former role.

Today, Zach crafts compelling copy for B2B tech and cybersecurity clients.

But he doesn’t do the typically bland, boring, and predictable fare that most companies put out. Far from it.

What’s his favorite approach?

“Storytelling,” he says. “Everybody relates to a story.”

In fact, he thinks marketers should stop reading so many books on marketing and start reading more fiction.

“Grab some Tolkien or C. S. Lewis or your favorite writer and see how they make you feel. Those are the feelings you want to elicit in your copy.”

Following his own advice

His own emails feature Zach’s punchy style and unexpected analogies. And instead of pitching, Zach strives to provide value and entertainment.

“Rarely do I ever write an email that talks about my copywriting services,” he explains.

Instead, Zach’s emails often feature personal stories from his military experiences and everyday life. He always ties them back to a relevant marketing lesson.

From Ranger to cybersecurity expert to copywriter, Zachary Hyde continues to adapt.

His unique background and irreverent approach are a breath of fresh air in the world of B2B cybersecurity.

P.S. To see Zach’s emails for yourself, sign up here. I read them every day, and I get a huge kick out of them.

 

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Just for fun: Keep calm and carry on puzzling

1-minute read.

Are you a dissectologist?

I am. I love doing jigsaw puzzles. And I always check for good ones in our local thrift shop.

Yesterday I found one with just the kind of scene I like: a European street with some very old buildings. It’s from a Chinese company called Hao Xiang.

The pieces are tiny and there’s 1,500 of them.

But what makes me chuckle is the box copy, which seems like a basic set of instructions for anyone who’s never done a puzzle:

1. Jigsaw puzzles need you to calm down to observe patiently, think carefully and do not be anxious when you face the problem
2. Choose the jigsaw pieces with clear lines and obvious shapes, which will make it more easier

Elsewhere, the package advises “calm down and start from the edge position and the outside to the inside assembly until finish.”

Clearly, this copy was translated by someone with limited knowledge of English, not by a good AI.

But I can probably manage despite these instructions. ‘Cause I’m an experienced dissectologist.

 

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325 white papers. 25 years. 10 essential tips.

Almost 1,000 subscribers already got the special tipsheet I announced last issue. 

This covers the top 10 tips on white papers I learned during my career, including:

• The biggest blunder you can make in a white paper, and how to avoid it
• 3 simple questions you must ask to understand your target audience
• 3 sure-fire ways to make your text easier to read

Every tip links to two or three hand-picked articles from my website for even more in-depth advice.

If you didn’t get yours, click here to get it today.

 

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If you like this newsletter…

Here are three ways to support it.

 

2. Buy my book White Papers For Dummies. It’s been called “priceless… terrific… outstanding… fantastic…  excellent in every way.”

And for less than $20, it’s a steal.

3. Pass it on: Forward this newsletter to any of your writer buddies who would appreciate these useful tips and guidance.

              

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And good luck with all your writing projects!

Gordon Graham
That White Paper Guy