A white paper call to action is a critical piece of your content marketing efforts. If you’re planning to write a white paper, there’s an important question you need to answer before you’ve written a single word: what do you want people to do after they’ve read it? Some people may think the answer to that question is obvious. “We want them to buy our product” or “we want them to talk with our sales team” or “we want them to start using our recommended maintenance procedure.”
White paper call to action guides readers
The answer may be obvious to you, but it probably won’t be to your reader. That’s why good white papers include what’s known as a “call to action.” In simple terms, a call to action tells the reader the next step they should take. If you leave out a call to action, they may not do what you hope they’ll do.
Examples of a white paper call to action:
– Please call our sales team for a free, no-obligation demonstration.
– Visit our website for a free copy of our specifications guide.
– Please share this paper with the head of your company’s IT department.
– Contact us to discuss your company’s specific needs.
– Order our amazing new product at our website.
If you want people to take a particular course of action, tell them. And if you don’t want to do that, at least give them enough information so they can draw their own conclusions.
