How to make an effective call to action
by Gordon Graham, That White Paper Guy
Any white paper without an effective call to action is wasting a huge opportunity.
A call to action answers the question, "What do we want our ideal prospect to do after they finish reading our white paper?"
That could be to call an 800 number... etc.
An ideal call to action is short, clear, and precise. It keeps your reader engaged with your company, and encourages them to take the next step in the sales cycle.
|
|
Don't ask for the order
Many salespeople tend to think that a call to action means asking for the order. After all, they've been taught, "Always be closing!"
There's nothing wrong with selling, at the right time and in the right place. In fact, it's essential.
But a white paper is not an ad, and not a brochure, and not the right time or place to be selling.
Instead of selling, a white paper works best if it explains, teaches, and helps.
A problem/solution white paper is used fairly early in the sales cycle, where the goal is to generate leads by pulling "suspects" into the top of your sales funnel as "prospects." There are still many steps to go before they sign on the dotted line.
A product backgrounder is used fairly late in the sales cycle, to spell out the detailed technical and business benefits of your offering. Once again, the goal is to inform and persuade with concrete details, not to pitch.
Don't be vague
Think of it like giving someone directions. Do you say, "Go down here aways and after that you'll need to make a turn?" or would you say, "Keep going on Main Street for three blocks, and then turn right at the stoplight."
You want to be as precise as possible, because in your white paper you're giving directions to an interested prospect, not just a stranger who happens by.
As a rule, the more specific the call to action, the better... and the easier it is to measure the results.
Don't send them to your home page
An invitation written something like, "For more information, visit AcmeSoftware.com" is NOT an effective call to action.
This is mere boilerplate that should be tucked in at the end of your "About the Company" blurb.
And do you really want your ideal prospect, who has just eagerly devoured your white paper and is now burning to take the next step, to go to your home page and start aimlessly looking around for more details on the specific point of your white paper?
Build your white paper fit into your sales cycle
Sit down with the sales executive or product manager and explain your plans for your white paper, and get a conversation going.
Where will this paper fit in your sales cycle? What makes sense for the next step? When is a white paper reader considered a qualified lead ready to turn over to the sales team?
This may take some hard thinking and negotiating. But without it, your call to action can never be as powerful.
Match your purpose and your audience
This is where your planning comes into play.
Your call to action should ideally match the purpose and intended audience for your white paper.
Let's say your purpose is to generate leads, and your target audience is COOs in mid-range enterprises with problems making good hires.
You probably can't expect a busy executive to download a demo version of your HR software to test-drive for 30 days.
But you could ask them to come to your website and take a 2-minte survey that shows how their company's hiring process compares to the industry norms.
Get the resources you need to create a next step
But wait a minute, that 2-minute survey doesn't exist. So you need to get the resources to create it.
In other words,
Try to keep them engaged and interacting with your company
To repost this article on your Web site, e-mail a request to Gordon@ThatWhitePaperGuy.com.
