Major Study Reveals Marketing Power of White Papers
March 27th, 2007, by Michael StelznerWhite papers bring great value to those seeking them, according to a major study of more than 4,000 business-to-business marketing and business professionals.This is especially true in the technology world, where white papers are one of the leading sources of lead generation.
If you have been wondering whether white papers or case studies should be part of your marketing mix, be sure to read further.
In a new study, How Technology Marketers Meet Buyers Appetite for Content, KnowlegeStorm and MarketingSherpa reveal some amazing insight into what both marketing pros and technology buyers think about white papers.
Some key findings include:
White papers are the most frequently read content: At the top of list, 71% of survey participants indicated they read/consume white papers more than case studies, product literature, articles from industry journalists, analyst reports, company websites, webcasts, blogs, online video and postcasts.
White papers are highly viral marketing tools: Nearly 3 in 5 technology professionals (57%) pass white papers along to colleagues and coworkers, more so than any other marketing tool. Case studies were listed 5th, at 47 percent.
We asked Matt Lohman, director of market research for KnowledgeStorm, why he thought the pass around factor of white papers was rated so high. He said:
White papers tend to be widely accepted as credible resources for thought leadership and subject matter expertise. It’s natural that they would be a popular type of content to share, especially during the research phase of the buying cycle, when there is the greatest amount of general information gathering.
Marketing professionals under utilizing white papers: Only 35 percent of marketing professionals sited white papers or analyst reports were offered as an incentive in more than 50 percent of their promotions. Case studies and product literature were cited as the more common marketing materials, with white papers coming in third.
This study clearly supports the value of white papers in the marketing mix. Readers love them and pass them around. Marketing professionals should continue to develop marketing programs around white papers to benefit from the viral nature of these super marketing weapons.
What are your thoughts about this study?
(7 votes, average: 3.71 out of 5)
Loading …
If you're new here, be sure to signup for my newsletter and join 20,000 others. Thanks for visiting!
Receive email updates when new articles are posted.>> Related Articles on This Blog
March 27th, 2007 at 10:13 am
It’s a nice study. The greatest opportunity for marketers and sales staff is the study’s conclusion that information should change as the sale advances - buyers want different information at different stages of the purchase decision. This is especially true in a complex sales environment where you’re crossing varying needs, interests, and areas of responsibility.
What this means is you can’t have just one white paper, position, value, benefit, presentation, case study, application, etc. All these tools should be developed against your known sales cycle and delivered at the right time to advance the sale.
A second area of interest is the report’s finding that buyers (72%) want information on how to solve a problem, while marketers predominately (87%) produce new content to promote their offering. The study calls this an “Information Gap.” This is interesting because it highlights a problem and opportunity for marketers - people aren’t interested in what you do, they’re interested in what you do for them.
Again, nice study. Thanks for linking to it.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Hey Jim;
You bring up some very good observations.
I think wise marketers must really consider adding white papers and case studies to their mix.
It seems the white papers are missing in many cases.
Mike
March 27th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I truly believe white papers are underused. One area I believe they’re underused is as a tool to advance a sales opportunity by overcoming barriers and biases within an account, positioning against a potential competitive weakness, and trapping the competition. Especially in long and complex sales cycles, there’s room and necessity for numerous white papers, addressed to different buyers and interests.
I believe a white paper should be in the sales tool kit as often as the marketing tool kit…in some cases more often.
I love studies like this…the more you read them, the more you can get out of them and the more you can test in your work.
January 12th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
I truly believe white papers are underused. I agree as well. great post.
February 11th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Teach FIRST… Sell later!… Works great for me!