White Paper Marketing

Thinking about using white papers as part of your content marketing strategy?

Well, you’re not alone.

Quick Facts

  • According to the Content Marketing Institute’s 2016 Marketing report, 71 percent of B2B marketers continue to use white papers as part of their content marketing efforts
  • In a survey by Eccolo Media, two out of three B2B technology buyers find white papers extremely influential in making buying decisions and a must-have asset in the technology marketer’s toolkit
  • A report conducted by Sirius Decisions, showed that during the early stages of the decision making process, 64% of B2B buyers rate white papers higher than any other type of marketing collateral
  • According to MarketingSherpa, white papers are one of the most important tools out there for the B2B marketer

Why Make The White Paper Investment?

Because gone are the days of interruption marketing. Today, 80 to 90 percent of B2B buyers want to do their own product research on their own time. An effective white paper helps prospective buyers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. What a white paper doesn’t do is pitch a sale. It should give the reader something of value, and consist of practical, useful, and educational content.

In the insurance and financial industry, white papers are being read online, downloaded, white-papersprinted, distributed, circulated and shared through social media. Sales teams are using them out in the field and at industry trade events. Seeing the incredible way white papers get past the gatekeepers, marketers are experiencing firsthand the reduction in outbound marketing costs and an immediate ROI.

Looking at all the ways they can be used, marketers are seeing for themselves the lead generation value of using white papers. Posted online, white papers are an incredible work horse—promoting content about products, services, and generating leads 24/7.

The white paper’s underlying strength rests on this premise: If you give readers something of value, they will give you their loyalty, and ultimately their business.

Now that’s powerful content marketing!