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Writing a special report, or “white paper,” as it’s commonly called, is a fantastic strategy for creating leads for your business.

A simple ten to twenty page document that people can request from your website will create a strong desire for people wanting to do business with you. Writing a special report isn’t complicated. In fact, even if you don’t like writing, you can easily and quickly write a report by following these seven tips.

1. State the “Big Problem.”

You’ll get your reader’s attention if you jump right into what their “point of pain” or problem is they’re experiencing. Demonstrate through writing that you:

• Understand the core problem they’re facing
• Care they are having this problem
• Understand how frustrating having this problem is for them

2. What is the cost of this problem?

People respond faster to alleviating problems and pain, than they do to the potential for gain. So, it is imperative in your special report you specifically communicate what this problem is costing them. Perhaps it is they are losing out on money they could be using to fund a desired lifestyle, to live debt-free, pay for their children’s’ college education, etc. Quantify this cost, if you can!

3. Talk about the general solution.

First, start out by giving a “big picture” solution to solving the problem, such as hiring a coach to accelerate achievement of desired results, or implementing a solid, results-oriented marketing strategy.

Second, talk about how people have tried other solutions, have failed, and why. Examples of reasons why could be “programs are too complicated to understand or are incomplete” or “includes too much technical jargon.” Providing the solution in this format sets you up as THE solution to the problem!

4. State your specific solution.

Lay out your method or system to the reader. This section should be a minimum 50% of your entire special report, and is where you briefly communicate your process for solving the problem. Perhaps you have a seven-step marketing system, or a five-step method for attracting the perfect mate.

It is important in this section to tell your reader what you do—but, not how to do it! The “how” is what you want them to pay you for (solving the problem). However, give the reader some tips and strategies they can use to start solving their problem. This helps build a relationship, and their “like and trust” factor with you.

5. Prove your solution works.

Share the results of your solution by sharing case studies of actual clients you’ve worked with previously. A great formula to use to tell a case study is the P.A.R method – Problem, Action, and Result, and works like this:

• State the Problem a client had before they worked with you
• Show the Action your client took, and how the problem was solved.
• Tell the Results the client experienced; quantify results, if you can.

6. State your credibility.

What are your credentials? What is your success story? How did you discover the system or methodology you use? You can include this information in a one-page biography to establish your authority and expertise on the subject.

7. Tell the reader what to do next.

By now, your reader should be aching to work with you, and excited to take the next step. Point the reader in the right direction, and clearly, specifically spell out a call to action. Give them an irresistible offer they can’t refuse, and a time limit for them to take advantage of the offer.

One final tip…make you special report conversational. As you are writing, think about a specific person you would be writing this to, like a friend or person you know. The purpose of your special report is to build a relationship between you, and your lead. This builds their “know, trust, and like” factor with you. Moving them closer to doing business with you!

© 2009, Bonita Richter

Submitting a PRESS RELEASE to the media is the most powerful form of marketing and advertising on earth. Recently, I pitched two of my clients’ stories–Kathy and Patti–to a local newspaper. Their stories were featured, and within one week, their sales collectively spiked over $10,000!

One feature or mention in a popular, respected business publication can help your phones start ringing off the hook. The reason? Something called “social proof.”

Basically, social proof means that if someone else says something must be good or noteworthy, than we think that must be so. This is why getting publicity through press releases is so powerful.

How do you write a quality press release that will grab the attention of the media and your particular audience?” Here are five tips to help you succeed:

1. Pick a “Newsworthy” Angle.

Press releases are not advertisements. Remember, a journalist, editor or reporter is reading your press release, not buying your product/service. It’s your job to give them an interesting story they will be happy to share with their audience. Feed the press information THEY regard as news, and they’ll happily spread your message, at no cost to you, as long as you can come up with a timely angle for your message. Here are some ways to be timely:

* What’s new about your business?

• Have you just opened?
• Introduced a new product or new version of one?
• Launched a new service?
• Hired a new president, vice president?
• Announced impressive sales figures for the quarter?

Even if your answer to this question doesn’t seem momentous, you can use it as a basis for a press release to local media or media that serve your profession. However, you’ll really be cooking if you have something both new and distinctive…

* What is different or distinctive about your business?
Sometimes it takes imagination to articulate a media worthy answer to this question. Think about, “What can you say about your business that competitors can’t?” You may also want to create a sideline service or product that comes across as distinctive.

* Do you have an event you can create or publicize?
Since an event happens at a specific time and place, it gives the media more reason to cover you than if you try to publicize an ongoing service or product. A Grand Opening event or a free lecture at a nearby public library are both examples of potential feature stories.

* Can you piggyback on current news?
For Kathy, my catering client, she successfully obtained a contract from Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, for baked pies. The Grand Opening of her store coincided with opening day of the White Sox, which made for a very interesting story!

* Can you suggest a surprising twist on an opinion?
Controversy gets you attention. As long as you can argue effectively for your position, it will pique the interest of the media. Think of an idea, flip it into a controversial position, and pitch your story.

2. Write your press release in an inverted pyramid style.

Journalists often use the “inverted pyramid style” when writing a news story. This simply means they put the most important facts at the beginning of the story, and the least important facts towards the end. Typically you want to get the “Who, What, Where, When, Why and How” of the story written in the first half or third of the press release. After that, you can expand upon what you have said.

3. Keep your release short and to the point.

It should contain no more than about 500 words, and be no more than two pages long (one page is even better).

4. Keep your title to ten words or less.

The headline and the first few sentences of the first paragraph are the most important part of the press release. If you don’t catch the reader’s interest here, you’ll lose your audience.

5. Include your contact information.

Provide full contact name, company name, full address, phone number, email address, and Web site URL. The contact name should be someone who is knowledgeable and available to answer any questions by media members.

Targeted press releases to the media have helped thousands of companies succeed. They are the most powerful form of marketing and advertising on earth. Remember: One article is all it takes to get people talking!

Copyright © 2008-2009 Bonita Richter

Defining a brand is one of those business topics that small business entrepreneurs needlessly struggle with. The truth is, by going through a systematic process, it can be quite easy to define a powerful brand for yourself, and your business. Yet, most entrepreneurs totally bypass the first step in the branding process: Positioning.

Your brand position is the essence of what makes you unique and memorable to your target market. Defining your brand position is the first thing you must do before you spend a lot of time and money creating a logo and website.

Your brand position is basically ‘what your are an expert at doing,’ and ‘what you want to be known for’ by your target market. If you don’t define a strong brand position, your target market won’t be able to identify you as “the person” to solve their problems, which is really what they care about most.

To start to define what you want to be known for, answer this simple question: “If someone is looking for your type of expertise, what do they type into Google to find you?” Whatever they type in…that’s what you want to be known for!

You can start to build your brand positioning around those words or phrase. Keep in mind that they should be obvious words, because that‘s the way people do search activities on search engines. You can also use this strategy to find someone you know of, but you can’t remember their name.

Once you know the word or phrase, leverage it in your marketing message. For example, words I use are branding, marketing, and business growth; Kendall Summerhawk uses Money, Marketing, and Soul™ (which she brilliantly trademarked), and Ali Brown is known as the “Ezine Queen.”

Doing this activity will help you begin to clarify your brand’s position, what makes you unique, and move you closer to communicating your expertise to your target market.

To learn more about how to create a unique, memorable, and powerful brand be sure to check out my “7-Step System.”