An E-Newsletter of Profitable Advice about Writing
To Increase Your Personal and Professional Success
|
|
November 2011
Vol IV
Issue 11
|
 My office is conveniently located on an island in the Atlantic Ocean.
Swim on over, or
visit my website.
|
|
"In today's wired business environment, everyone writes for a living. Whether you compose letters, proposals, memos, e-mails or reports, you need to write clearly, concisely and quickly.
...good writing matters, and it makes a difference in career advancement."
Helen Cunningham and Brenda Greene, authors, The Business Style Handbook: An A-to-Z Guide for Writing on the Job.
|
|
|
|
Greetings Michael!
In this month's issue of The Write Stuff, you'll learn why white papers are such a powerful marketing tool. I'll also announce the winner of last month's punctuation contest, and I'll tell you about an outstanding book that will help you grow your business.
Enjoy reading about writing!  |
|
MARKETING WITH WHITE PAPERS
|
| |
The popularity of white papers exploding! Why? Because they are one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools for boosting revenues, cultivating sales leads, and building customer loyalty. If you're not yet using them as a key component of your marketing program, this issue of The Write Stuff could change your mind.
What are white papers?
White papers occupy a middle ground between magazine articles and brochures. Typically five to ten pages in length, they offer problem-solving information of value to an identified target audience. In so doing, they establish you as the subject matter expert.
Because white papers offer useful information instead of directly soliciting business, they break through the marketplace communication overload more effectively than advertising and many other marketing techniques. They build relationships, which in turn build referrals and revenues.
White papers can take a variety of forms, including
- "Buzz pieces" that describe problems faced by your target audience and offer your recommendations for solving them. This informational format allows you to present your approach and capabilities in a persuasive, soft-sell manner.
- Special reports that highlight industry trends and new developments of interest to your target audience provide a service to your readers and establish your reputation as a thought leader.
- How-to guides, checklists, and toolkits that help your clients and customers implement new procedures, avoid potential problems, and navigate through complex challenges.
- Case studies that allow your readers to profit from the experiences of others. As you describe how you helped organizations solve their problems, you will subtly and convincingly be showcasing your capabilities.
To learn more about white papers and how to write and use them, download Marketing Your Business with White Papers: How to Successfully Use White Papers to Generate Sales Leads, Build Customer Loyalty, and Increase Revenues.
|
| Congratulations to Melanie Jongsma for Winning our Punctuation Contest! |
| |
In our October newsletter, I offered a prize to the person who identified the five very common punctuation errors present in the following paragraph:
Its sometimes difficult to know how to punctuate correctly. A few authors of childrens' books make punctuation errors. Many business leaders, including some CEO's, make mistakes, however, they can improve their English with a little effort. So, you should never say, "I'm too old to learn".
 | Maisy with the winning envelope
|
Five of our readers sent in the correct answers, so we had a drawing to determine the winner. To ensure
absolute fairness, our dog Maisey
drew the winning name.
And the winner is...Melanie Jongsma!
Melan ie helps people organize their thoughts and experiences into compelling personal stories, effective business collateral, or powerful ministry messaging. You can learn about her company and sign up for her blog to receive weekly inspiration and tips at http://lifelinespublishing.net.
In case you're interested, here's the paragraph with the corrected punctuation noted in red:
It's sometimes difficult to know how to punctuate correctly. A few authors of children's books make punctuation errors. Many business leaders, including some CEOs, make mistakes; however, they can improve their English with a little effort. So, you should never say, "I'm too old to learn."
Melanie won a copy of Lynne Truss's #1 bestseller,
Eat s, Shoots & Leaves, The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. Even if you didn't win, I encourage you to buy a copy of Truss's book. It's highly enjoyable and very useful.
|
| Speaking of Good Books... | |  If you're a professional who wants to promote your services and advance your career, I heartily recommend the book How to Position Yourself as the Obvious Expert by Elsom Eldreidge Jr and Mark L. Eldridge. The authors tell "How to Turbocharge Your Consulting or Coaching Business in 90 Days or Less Without Spending a Forture on Advertising." Since I help coaches and consultants write and publish books, I obviously agree with the following paragraph found on page 35: "You see, writing a book is not only the best way, it is the indisputably essential way, to establish your credibility in your field of expertise. Using authorship as a marketing strategy brings you an on-going flow of clients who are deliberately and purposefully seeking you." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
