Do you know what one of the great things about white papers is? Apart from the fact that they are extremely comprehensive pieces of content that can provide useful information to your readers and establish yourself as an expert in your niche, they are also extremely versatile. In other words, you can take one white paper and repurpose it into different types of content that can help you achieve your marketing goals.
So, instead of letting the interest in your white paper fade away, why not repurpose it to prolong its life and keep your audience engaged?
Here’s how you can do it.
- Blog about It
Take a look at your white paper and single out its main chapters. Each of those sections can be an excellent source for some stand-alone blog articles. However, when creating the articles, try to present some new information and details that you haven’t discussed in the paper to give your blog content a fresh approach.
Depending on how complex the topic at hand is, you can make a series of articles that center around what you’ve presented in your white paper. For example, if your white paper services are about email marketing, you can create a series of articles that talk about the benefits of email marketing, what to do when prospects don’t open your newsletter, and so on. Make sure you don’t forget to link the initial text in each piece, in case some readers want to read more about the topic.
- Create a Different Version of It
White papers are a great marketing tool, but they’re not necessarily an easy read. They’re long, complex, and packed with information and if prospects don’t have a particular interest in them, then they may prefer reading an article instead.
But, if you want to educate your audience, you should consider condensing the paper into an informative article. Leave the technical lingo aside and use engaging, and unambiguous language that most people can follow and understand. Make it considerably shorter than the original paper, as most people don’t have the time or patience to read a ten-page-long article.
- Create Visuals
Some of your prospects may not have the time to sit and read through a lengthy article, so you need to get a bit creative if you want to engage them. Infographics or slideshows that convey the message of your paper can be an excellent way to educate your audience and maintain their interest.
Infographics, in particular, can also boost social engagement, since they’re a lot easier to share. While your primary goal is to make an informative piece of content, also consider that fact that it still needs to look good, so brainstorm some creative ways to convey that information beforehand. Integrate catchy graphics and easy to read fonts, and add some short and descriptive text.
- Post about It
Here’s an idea from the “how to kill two birds with one stone” category – a white paper can also help you advance your social media communication strategy. For example, you can use the ideas developed within the white paper as topics for individual tweets, Facebook posts, and so on.
Give your followers bits of information developed in the white paper, especially if they teach them how to tackle a certain problem. Link your white paper in every post to encourage your audience to find out more about the topic.
Conclusion
Don’t think of your white paper as a stand-alone piece of information. As you’ve seen, you can repurpose it into a variety of content that you can use to reach your marketing goals. Not taking advantage of that would be like a missed opportunity.
White papers are some of the more complex forms of content creations, and if you have to write one, use it as a tool to shape future strategies to make the most out of it.