Want to know where most business-to-business marketing pro’s get their leads?

Surprise, surprise: From their own websites…

A recent study found that 80 percent of marketers use their website as the primary source for lead registration for items such as white papers.

The study examined 2700 business-to-business marketers and was sponsored by KnowledgeStorm and MarketingSherpa.

While this does NOT come as a surprise, this reveals a common problem.

I call it the “post and hope” syndrome.

Most marketing folks post the white paper on their corporate site and hope something will happen.

I point out the problems with this approach in a white paper I wrote called, Fishing for Leads With White Papers: Where to Drop Your White Paper Line.

If you want to further examine the study I mentioned above, it is called Putting It All Together — Driving Content Marketing Program Success.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Many of you have asked for test results from my white paper landing page strategy.

The strategy: Simply stated, the strategy involves taking the first few pages of your white paper and formatting it like an article that extends below the bottom of the screen. Once the reader has scrolled down and been hooked by your content, you require registration to access the rest of the paper.

Here is the page that was tested.

The Results:

• Visitors: This page had 5000 visitors in 52 days
• Conversions: 849 people (17%) completed the form at the bottom of the page
• Newsletter registrants: 535 people (63% of those converting) opted into our newsletter
• Other actions: Another 939 people (19%) that did not complete the form, took another favorable action (like clicking on the book available for sale)
• Stickiness: 1215 people (24%) stayed on the page for one or more minutes

This study shows that by providing valuable content, you can achieve a very favorable lead generation strategy.

Your thoughts?

(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)

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In what may be one of the most comprehensive studies of how readers use white papers, TechTarget and CMO Council just released their Technology and Media Consumption Survey, Report 2.

What follows is simply an amazing look into what big companies think about white papers.

A whopping 1100 companies were surveyed (a median size of 1000 employees).

The interesting findings:

White papers are still the most common media used to evaluate new technology.

Number of papers people read: 60 percent of respondents downloaded 5 or more white papers in last 3 months (13 percent read more than 2o!).

Why people read white papers: When asked why they seek out white papers, the top 3 responses were:

• To stay on top of new and emerging markets/technologies (60%)
• To find solutions for solving problems (58%)
• To obtain preliminary information about products and vendors (58%)

Note: Only 18% indicated they use a white paper to make a final decision about a product, indicating that white papers are more powerful in the early stages of a sales cycle.

What people do AFTER they read white papers: Common actions AFTER downloading a paper include:

• Visited vendor’s website
• Searched out content from alternative vendors
• Searched out more editorial content
• Forwarded to colleague

What people hate about white papers: Items that disappoint white paper readers:

• Was expecting technology discussion, not product information
• Not problem-solving-focused
• Misleading title
• Too product oriented
• Too long

Overall, white papers were rated as one of the most effective sources of information to help readers make purchasing decisions. A significant 29% rated white papers very effective and 57% rated them as effective.

My take: I think this study reveals some great insight into what readers think. Clearly white papers are important early in the sales cycle and should focus on solving problems.

What say you?

(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)

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Do you market to technology folks? If you do, pay attention.

A brand new study reveals which info sources tech buyers value most.

According to MarketingSherpa’s new Business Technology Marketing Benchmark Guide 2007-2008, white papers are among the most valued content to readers, as deemed by nearly 500 respondents.

For evaluating vendors, white papers were more valuable than:

• Articles in trade pubs
• Vendor conferences
• Vendor webinars
• Email newsletters
• Blogs

An important finding: Nearly half of all respondents indicated that they read white papers more frequently than they did in 2005, while most of the rest read as frequently they did in 2005.

This shows that white papers have lost none of their strength among tech buyers, despite all of the alternative sources of information now available.

Do you like getting these study abstracts? What are your thoughts?

(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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White papers are very attractive to IT and business professionals. So much so, that the majority of them are willing to go through a registration process to gain access.

Today, KnowledgeStorm released its new report entitled Connecting Through Content, Issue Two, co-sponsored with MarketingSherpa.

I just received my copy and here are highlights:

• Search engines are where buyers begin their research
• Most tech buyers read and click on pay-per click ads (note from me: White paper is a strong call to action in PPC ads)
• Offline marketing, such as direct mail and ads, drives 80% of tech buyers online (note from me: Again, white paper downloads are a strong call to action)
• About 80% of users will register for a white paper, more so than any other materials
• The amount of sample content for a white paper is strongly related to a likely registration (note from me: The study stops at 1 paragraph, I prefer 1 to 2 pages)

I asked Matt Lohman, director of market research for KnowledgeStorm, why he thought so many people were willing to register for white papers. He said:

It is not surprising that both technology buyers and marketers deem white papers as the most worthy content type for registration. While it certainly is not always the case, there usually is some implied standard of quality and credibility with white papers since many are professionally produced.

Read some of my early coverage of this report.

(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

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Pop quiz.

What marketing tool are readers most willing to register for: demos, webinars, case studies, white papers or analyst reports?

The answer may not surprise you if you follow my columns: white papers.

A new study by KnowledgeStorm and MarketingSherpa reports that both marketing professionals and users overwhelmingly rank white papers as the content they are most willing to register for.

Said another way, this means that folks are willing to trade their personal contact information for a white paper. If you want to generate leads, white papers are your magic weapon.

Nearly 2400 readers ranked their willingness to register for items as follows:

• White paper (79%)
• Case study (62%)
• Analyst report (56%)
• Product literature(45%)
• Demo (38%)

Another important finding was that 72 percent of people that read white papers indicated a detailed summary of the paper will strongly encourage completing a registration form, while only one in four marketing professionals agreed.

This discrepancy between what readers want and what marketing pros deliver is one I have seen for some time. The solution: Be sure you offer many paragraphs of content as a lure to get readers to register.

MarketingSherpa said;

Users are very selective about the content they will register for, so it shouldn’t be surprising that providing enough detail to make an informed decision is important. But it appears that vendors don’t pay as much attention to this factor as they should. Take a look at the summary information you’re providing for your content and ask yourself if it will satisfy users’ need to know what they’re getting.

What are your thoughts about this study?

(5 votes, average: 3.8 out of 5)

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Are you wondering whether a white paper is the right marketing tool for your business?

Chances are you might not understand the full power of a single white paper.

What follows are 5 reasons you should seriously consider adding white papers to your mix of marketing tools (all from recent studies):

1. Top source for lead generation: The vast majority (74%) of professional services companies ranked white papers as an excellent source of lead generation (source).
2. Most consumed form of marketing: White papers are read more than case studies, product literature, articles from industry journalists, analyst reports, company websites, webcasts, blogs, online video and postcasts (source).
3. Highly viral marketing tool: Nearly 3 in 5 technology professionals (57%) pass white papers along to colleagues and coworkers (source).
4. Number one way businesses evaluate solutions: For evaluating technology, white papers are used more than email newsletters, product literature, articles, software downloads, webcasts and case studies (source).
5. Popular for people looking to solve problems: The majority of people use white papers to find solutions for solving problems (source).

It’s hard to argue with these findings.

How have white papers helped your business or your client?

(3 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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White papers continue to reign as the supreme source of information for technology professionals, however many businesses are sorely missing the mark.

These are some of the key take home messages of a new study by CMO Council and TechTarget, entitled Technology Buying and Media Consumption Benchmarking Survey.

Nearly 71 percent of respondents indicated white papers were used in the last three months to evaluate new technology, followed by email newsletters (59%), product literature (51%), articles (50%), software downloads (50%), webcasts (39%) and case studies (29%).

However, many serious concerns were raised by this study.

For example, common criticisms of white papers include:

• Was expecting technology discussion, not product information (48%)
• Not problem solving focused (39%)
• Too product oriented (36.9%)

Given the sheer number of white papers that technology pros read, the above problems need to be resolved. For example, nearly 60 percent of study participants read 5 or more white papers in the last 3 months and 28 percent read 10 or more.

The top three reasons people read white papers (according to the study) are:

• To stay on top of new and emerging markets/technology/ (64%)
• To obtain preliminary information about products and vendors (60%)
• To find solutions for solving problems (54%)

This study should be a wake-up call to businesses producing white papers. STOP focusing on your product and start focusing on your readers.

This is the second of two major studies that come out in the last few weeks.

What are your thoughts on this study? Why do you think case studies were so poorly ranked?

(3 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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The findings of the industry’s only major study of white papers are revealed in the new White Paper Writer Industry Report, sponsored by WhitePaperSource.

Nearly 600 white paper writers were surveyed to gain insight into how white papers are written, structured, distributed and billed.

White papers are the most commonly read marketing tools and are passed to others more than any other resource, according to another study just released by MarketingSherpa and KnowledgeStorm.

Given the surge in demand for white papers, writers and marketing professionals need to understand the latest white paper standards and trends.

The White Paper Writer Industry Report details every aspect of the white paper creation process and examines how white papers are changing.

“This study provides a ‘behind the scenes’ perspective on how white paper writers think about what goes into creating a credible and noteworthy piece of content,” stated Heather Foster, director of marketing for white paper syndication company KnowledgeStorm.

Additionally, the report provides critical insight into the best practices for creating white papers. For writers new to white papers, the report also includes important tips gleaned from hundreds of writers.

Nearly 60 pages of insight are provided on challenges faced by white paper writers, how freelancers charge for their services and the time it takes to produce a white paper.

Some key findings of the report include:

• White papers must be educational
• Freelance writers can produce white papers twice as fast as other writers
• Technical white papers are becoming less common
• More experienced writers rely heavily on interviews
• Writer’s block and time management challenges loom large for writers

The report can be seen here: http://www.whitepapersource.com/report/

(3 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)

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White 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?

(8 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)

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