Christine Taylor's Core Copywriting

Is the Article Market Shrinking?

This is definitely not a scientific study, but I suspect that the media outlets that accept contributed articles are shrinking. The print ones, anyway. I consult to a well known computer magazine whose print issues have fallen from 12 a year to 6, and may go lower. We've gone online, but still. Other competitors have either fallen by the wayside or are doing their impression of the Incredible Shrinking Magazine.

It's advertisers of course, or the lack thereof. You can't just increase editorial when your ads are shrinking because you still have to afford to send the darned thing out. And that means a smaller magazine.

I'd be very interested in getting comments from media relations, PR and marketing folks. In high tech B2B, is it harder to place contributed content? Easier? About the same?

Leveraging High-Tech Bylined Articles

One of the beauties of writing bylined articles is that you can leverage them. Here are some possibilities:

1. Reprints
2. White papers
3. Booklets
4. Speech outline and handouts

Reprints
Reprints are good things: they significantly increase your exposure to the market. Make sure you use the reprints anywhere you can including press kits, presentation handouts and conference take-aways. Post them on your site too. (Be sure to work out reprint rights with the publishing magazine beforehand.)

White Papers
Don't use the as-is published article as a white paper, articles are structured differently from white papers and you'll run into copyright issues. Instead use the article text to form the technology section of a white paper. Edit it to highlight customer benefits since you don't have to be vendor-neutral for your own white paper, and add white paper sections around it including executive summaries, problem statements, in-depth product/technology information, etc. (Click here for more information about writing white papers.)

Booklets
One of the best press kits I ever saw included a sharp and informative booklet on the vendor's technology. The booklet explained the general technology's development and background, presented the vendor's product, and listed clear customer advantages. It impressed both journalists and customers in a way a press release or even a white paper wouldn't have done. Booklets are labor-intensive, so use your trade journal article as the basis for writing your own.

Speech Outline and Handouts
Use existing articles as the basis for client speeches, presentations and handouts. Since trade journal articles are usually vendor-neutral, they'll work for conference talks too. When the presentation is about a product you can still use the article outline for the background technology and analysis then add product details, customer case studies, and Q&As.

Read more about the beauty of writing bylined articles for fun and profit. Well O.K., maybe just profit.

White Papers vs. Bylined Articles: What's the Difference?

I just came from an interesting discussion on White Paper Source Forum about the difference between white papers and articles. There are some white papers that may veer towards an article format, and some articles -- particularly those culled from existing white papers -- that may more closely follow a classic white paper structure. But in general, here are some solid differences as I see them:

1. Articles are bylined while white papers generally are not. They're not necessarily written by the "author," in fact they are often ghosted. (Contact me if you need an  experienced journalist to ghost your bylined article for you.)

2. The structure is usually quite different. Articles may start with a minor hook, but quickly state their major point. The rest of the article goes on to expand what is essentially a thesis paragraph. (An article is a classic example of "tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em, tell 'em, tell 'em what you told 'em.") An article will occasionally be about a particular vendor in a product round-up, or where a vendor has introduced a truly innovative and/or market-leading product. But even then the article should be straightforward and not appear to try convincing the reader to make any purchases based on the article. A classic and well-structured white paper will emphasize reader's challenges, lead them through an explanation of a technology in terms of solving the challenges, and end with a specific explanation of the vendor and a call to action.

3. The article is primarily meant to inform, the white paper to persuade. Vendors can use their articles as sales tools -- even a vendor-neutral white paper can convince a reader of the usefulness of a technology -- but its approach must be straight and informational. Note that the vast majority of contributed articles must be vendor-neutral. (Then why, you might ask, would I bother to go to the time and expense of writing one? Because it's great PR for your company. Your URL and likely a tagline will be included, and you will also slant the article to an explanation of the technology that your company is, in fact, based on.)

4. Articles can successfully use an ironic sense of humor and clever turns of phrase, which white papers should shy away from. Strong author voices are welcome in this media, although they are by no means necessary to writing an article. The primary consideration must always be clarity and usefulness to the intended reader.

There are other differences and no doubt similarities I haven't mentioned, but these are some of the glaring differences as I see them.

Why Bylined Articles Work

One of my best bylined article customers is a large data storage company. I recently spoke with my contact at the company and asked him why the client has such an active and long-running bylined article program. Here is part of his answer:

It is essential that we not only extend our thought leadership in the market, but also strive to inform and educate our various constituents including customers, partners and other pundits and interest groups.  Bylined articles offer us a forum for offering our knowledge and perspective.

Contributing bylined articles to the magazines your customers read is a prime way to gain market recognition and qualified leads. Start writing and contributing those articles as an important lead-generation activity.

Copywriting Does NOT Equal Direct Mail

Something I learned when searching the web for copywriting articles: the vast majority of articles out there are directed to B2C direct mail copywriting. Here's a quick sampling: "10 Eyepopping Ad Copy Secrets!" "3 Steps to Better Sales Copywriting!" and my personal favorite, "How to Get Your Prospects to Do Exactly What You Want by Tormenting their Brains." O.K.....

Don't get me wrong, B2B copywriting has ads and sales copywriting too, and it's all supposed to end ultimately in a sale. But B2B marketing collateral copywriting takes a different road towards the sale. That road is information. Real information, useful information. And a terrific way to draw reader attention and trust to you and your company.

• White paper: How to apply the vendor's technology to the reader's problems, and why that will make a positive difference to them. Benefit to you: Viral marketing, long shelf life in many cases.
• Bylined article: Inform the reader about a technology in a vendor-neutral atmosphere. Benefit to you: Legitimizes your technology and builds your reputation among highly targeted segments.
• Case study: Influence by presenting your technology in practical settings. Benefit to you: Proves that you know what you're doing in real-life implementations, builds reader confidence, terrific sales tool.

Technology marketers need all three types because they influence in different ways.

Get positive media attention with bylined articles

Bylined articles should be an important part of your marketing mix because they build positive recognition, position you as a thought leader, and yield highly qualified leads. Bylined articles:

• Build industry recognition for your technology.
• Position your executives and engineers as experts to your target audiences.
• Yield highly qualified leads that result in sales.

Click here to read more about how all these good things can be had by submitting a vendor-neutral bylined article on your technology to a trade journal serving your targeted audience.

Welcome

I'm welcoming myself as well as future readers. I finally decided to take the plunge into business blogging, with an occasional foray into personal space.

I'm a copywriter specializing in marketing collateral for the high-tech industry. Within that niche (it's a big niche) I concentrate on what I call the Core Collateral: white papers, bylined articles and case studies. High-tech vendors need all three to market effectively to prospects. These three aren't the only passengers on the boat, but they're unique from ads, brochures, etc. because they lead with valuable information. (Or they should.)

If you're interested in getting a copy of a report I wrote on the difference and their value, you can go to www.ctaylor-co.com. Love to see you there!

Christine