White Papers: Educational Documents or Advertisement?
Posted by April 30th 09
A few days ago, I introduced the topic of white papers and how their definition fluctuates. Jim Lodico left an interesting comment on that topic. Here's an extract:
I think of white papers as highly persuasive documents that persuade by educating. You are showing the reader a proposed solution to a problem. When done well, the paper truly helps the reader. They are persuasive because they allow the reader to visualize a proposed solution and in doing so, usually lead the reader to the company which provides said solution.
Jim brings up an interesting point: Where is the line drawn between educational white papers and advertisement?
White papers are notorious for generating sales leads. For instance, they can propose business solutions, present new ideas and concepts or serve as a condensed sale's pitch (think Change This' manifestos). By educating both decision makers and the public, most white papers manage to "soft sale" their pitch. That being said, some documents are clearly more oriented towards a "hard sell", hence being more akin to traditional advertisement.
According to this article, "prospects today look to white papers for insights and education - not a sales pitch. When companies ignore this expectation, they risk losing credibility and valuable sales opportunities. They’re killing the goose only to find that there are no golden eggs inside." We have all experienced at some point hard selling from a clothing store or a telemarketing call. Does this sort of marketing work? A lot of experts seem to think otherwise.
We are curious to hear about your experiences with white papers:
- Do white papers with an educational purpose generate more leads than "hard sell" documents?
- Is the lead-to-sale ratio better on educational pieces than on advertisement pieces?
- Do "hard sell" documents presented as white papers end up hurting the white paper industry?
Comments are open! Let us know what your stance on this matter is!
posted in Thought Leadership
July 2010
