It's Marketing 101. The easiest way to get your prospects to opt-in to your e-mail list, take your survey or respond to your direct mail is by creating a valuable information product they can't resist and giving it away for free. But while the concept is a basic one, marketers often find themselves at a loss when the time comes to create a concept for their information offer.
Not to fear. Here are five simple formulas for creating special reports your prospects will want to get their hands on.
Top 10 Mistakes
Pain avoidance is a powerful motivator, and that's why this report formula works so well. On the report's first page, list the "Top 10 Mistakes" your prospects make. For example, a direct mail firm's report would be the titled The Top 10 Direct Mail Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. On the following 10 pages, describe each mistake in more detail and tell your prospects how to avoid it.
101 Secrets to Success
It may be easy for your prospects to ignore just one secret for success, but ignoring a whopping 101 secrets is a lot harder. This report is easier to create then it sounds. Simply ask your writer to contact 101 different people: these can be both people within your company and outside subject matter experts (authors, bloggers, professors and the like). Have each contact contribute their "secret for success" in a few short sentences. These 'secrets' are then edited for clarity and presented in the form of quotes.
Complete Checklist
Organizing is tough, and isn't it nice when someone does it for you? That's the power of the "Complete Checklist" report. First, think of what your prospects are trying to accomplish. Then, create a checklist describing each step needed to achieve this goal, breaking it down into smaller lists as necessary. For example, a lawn care company's report would be titled The Complete Lawn Care Checklist for a Beautiful Lawn, and could include separate checklists for things like selecting a lawn care provider, choosing a mower and maintaining a weed-free lawn.
"Principles Of" Report
This type of report works best when you have a complicated subject or product, or have recently experienced a new development in your industry. It fulfills your prospect's desire to be up-to-date on industry trends.
For example, a caveman consulting firm helps their cave-dwelling prospects make axes more efficiently. One day, along comes the assembly line. The consulting firm could create the report The 10 Principles of Assembly-Line Ax-Making. It would list the key principles of this new technology and explain the value of each principle to the prospect.
Questions Answered
One of the easiest ways to understand what your prospects want to know is by looking at the questions they're asking. For a "Questions Answered" report, simply compile a list of the questions you've received on a topic and answer them. To save time and effort, ask your writer interview the thought leader at your organization. Then, send the interview to a transcription service and have the writer edit the transcript for clarity. For example, a golf school could create a report called Your Most Urgent Golf Swing Questions: Answered.
With the help of a freelance copywriter, you can easily and inexpensively create any of these reports. Then, simply offer the report to your prospects for free in your next e-mail or direct mail message, and wait for the responses to come rolling in.
Megan Tsai is a professional copywriter and journalist. She writes custom content -- including special reports, white papers and case studies -- for companies and advertising agencies across the country.
Visit http://www.RedWagonWriting.com to learn more and sign up for the Red Wagon Writing monthly e-mail newsletter full of writing and marketing tips.
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