Segmenting white papers for different audiences is a sensible strategy for companies that sell to multiple market segments of different types of businesses. For example, suppose your company offers a service to assess lubricant quality and performance that uses a device built around an innovative technology. You configure that device for companies that operate fleets of buses, over-the-road trucking companies, and large construction contractors. While the device works the same for all three groups, each operates the device in very different environments and is most interested in different benefits, based upon the specific nature of their usage.
Segmenting white papers begins with the first white paper
The best approach for segmenting white papers for different target audiences is to begin by drafting a white paper aimed at one of those audiences. In this case, we’ll choose bus operators. This market includes two primary subgroups, namely municipal transit services and school districts. Their buses are different, but both are expected to perform reliably every day, in every type of weather, for many years of service.
So your white paper for this market segment might focus on how ensuring the lubricants in the buses were continuing to operate at peak performance and recommending regular testing. It might also explore differences in how the two groups of buses operate, specifically that school buses are in use only for two brief periods each day, while municipal buses run from early morning until late at night.
The next target for segmenting white papers
Over-the-road trucking companies are the next target audience. Their fleets also operate throughout the year, but their primary concern is making sure the truck engines can deliver the horsepower needed to move heavy loads in all sorts of traffic and all kinds of weather. So you adapt your white paper for this audience by focusing on the role lubricant cleanliness plays in smooth operation of engines so they can consistently provide the greatest output. Another topic that may be of interest is that cleaner lubricants mean longer cycles between maintenance intervals.
The final target for segmenting white papers
Now you tackle the paper for the construction contractors. Like the trucking companies, they want assurance that their equipment’s engines will run reliably, but there’s an even bigger concern. They frequently transport their excavators, bulldozers, and loaders to remote locations where service isn’t readily available. If any of those pieces of equipment breaks down, not only do they have to go through the hassle of picking it up and transporting it to a service provider, but they also suffer downtime and delays that can reduce their chances of getting the work done on time.
For this version of the white paper, you focus on how sending equipment into the field with clean lubricants increases their reliability and reduces the potential for expensive downtime. Here again, the paper can also explore how lubricant cleanliness contributes to longer cycles between maintenance needs.
Segmenting white papers is unlimited
What if your product or service has ten different markets? It’s simple! You use the same basic approach, starting with an initial white paper and then modifying to reflect the specific concerns of each audience. An advantage of this approach — particularly when you choose to turn to a professional white paper writer for help — is that it stretches more value from your investment in the white paper. For not much more than the cost of developing a single white paper, you’re able to offer highly targeted information to multiple market segments. That’s far more cost-effective than starting from scratch in each market, yet it gives you a way to tailor information to each audience’s needs.