The service looks a lot like Gmail for voicemail, although you don’t have to be a Gmail user to use it. It lets you retrieve transcripts of your voicemail, archive and search all your sent and received SMS messages, and you can make calls directly from Google Voice’s interface. The calls are free in the US, and cost a small fee internationally.
Watch this video from Google:
So here’s the really cool part for us writers…
You can call Google Voice and leave yourself messages. Google will automatically transcribe the messages into text and email them to you!
So, next time you’re in the car or you just don’t feel like typing, you can simply call Google Voice and you’ll get your words emailed back to you. How cool is that!!
Now that the economy is in the dumps, a LOT of businesses are turning to educational marketing techniques (like white papers) as a primary marketing vehicle. In fact, one of my Fortune 50 clients just told me, “We’ve decided to cut back on trade shows and focus more of our efforts on white papers because they work so well.”
So, that brings me to a question sent in by a reader.
Terry writes:
I have a buddy that I am helping and he is of the thought that the white paper should be sold as a way of giving real content at a real value.
I told him that yes, while you may sell 40 copies at $37 - $ 67 per copy you are limiting the number of potential customers and leads due to the fact that some are going to balk. I am going through your book and the blog for insight, but would love for you to address the issue.
He reveals a brilliant way he got the word out about his new book. Check out the video.
And for the record, I have seen his book… From a distance. David showed me his only “hot off the press copy.” But David, I am still waiting for my copy… Hmm.
Let’s say you found some really excellent content that spurred you to create a white paper. Only one problem, that content is the property of another—possibly competing—company. What should you do??
White papers are essential marketing tools for businesses during a down economy. Why? Because lead generation programs become essential during times like this. In addition, prospects are more resistant to sales hype.
A recent study examined the importance of different types of collateral among buyers.
“White papers remain the most effective piece of marketing collateral, with 86% of respondents finding them moderately to highly influential in the purchasing decision,” found a new Eccolo Media study reviewed in B2B Magazine. When asked to rank order the importance of white papers, case studies, podcasts, videos and brochures, survey participants overwhelmingly ranked white papers as the most important collateral they use when making buying decisions.
In the same edition of B2B Magazine, white papers were mentioned as critical marketing pieces in two additional articles. Here are the highlights:
After months of study, scientists finally prove that when thrown from an airplane, failed banking CEOs accelerate at the precisely the same rate of speed.
Honorable mention:
Stephanie Tilton, “This year’s salary cap is being modeled by former Bank of America exec John Thain, Goldman Sachs’ Lloyd Blankfein, and Citigroup director Robert Rubin.”
The word’s out, I’m seeking an apprentice. And I’m only looking among the participants in the upcoming White Paper Success Summit 2009 that starts next week.
Here’s the cool part. This is a PAID apprenticeship. If you’re chosen to become my apprentice, I’ll not only pay you $3000 to teach you my techniques, I’ll also promote you to my tens of thousands of followers, giving you a phenomenal platform to grow your freelance business. This is an opportunity to create a real white paper (with me) for one of my real clients. Read the rest of this article »
Michael Stelzner is the author of Writing White Papers and has written more than 130 white papers for recognized companies, including Dow Jones, Microsoft, FedEx, Motorola, Monster, HP and SAP.
