ClickInsights: Where to place white papers to reach prospects and customers

Posted by Ambal Balakrishnan August 6th 09

ClickInsights is an Expert Interview Series brought to you by Connect the Docs (ClickDocuments blog). In ClickInsights Expert Interview Series we feature top notch industry experts and thought leaders and get their insights, opinions and predicitions. We also ask for their suggestions on what reports, whitepapers etc to read to keep abreast with latest trends in their industry.

You can't just write a white paper, upload the finished document to a web site and hope to gain traction. Where and how should the white papers be distributed to reach prospects and customers? What are the promotional tools available to you?

We have invited White Paper Experts to shed light on the following question: Where should white papers be distributed? Read on to get their insights.  

 

Stephanie Tilton

Blog Savvy B2B Marketing Twitter StephanieTilton

 “Go where your prospects are”

Stephanie Tilton's Bio

Stephanie Tilton is an expert case study and white paper writer who helps B2B companies advance the sales cycle by engaging prospects and customers. Harnessing her unique blend of technical knowledge, marketing savvy, and writing skills, Stephanie has crafted nearly 100 case studies and white papers for leading brands such as Akamai Technologies, EMC, Macromedia, Novell, SAP, and Symantec. Her website is Ten Ton Marketing.

Stephanie Tilton's Tip

To reach the largest universe of prospects and customers, you need to get your white paper noticed and read. While customers may stumble across a paper posted to your corporate website, many prospects won't. That's because prospects early in the buying cycle won't even be aware of your company. Instead they'll be conducting searches in Google and other search engines, finding out what their peers are discussing on social media and industry-specific sites, and attending webinars and conferences to explore their issues. Here are steps you can take to increase the likelihood that customers and prospects find your white paper.  

• Promote the paper in your e-newsletter
• Blog about it
• Tweet about it
• Include a link to it in email signature files
• Offer it as webinar follow-up
• Email the offer to your in-house list and prospects
• Post it on Scribd.com
• Post a link to it as a news item within relevant LinkedIn groups
• Send out a keyword-optimized press release announcing the paper’s availability and include a link so prospects can download it directly
• Purchase ads on search engines that your prospects use – studies have shown that click-throughs increase when an organic search result and related paid search ad appear together
• Repurpose the paper into a podcast
• Hand it out at both physical and virtual tradeshows
• Purchase ads on relevant industry sites or in industry e-newsletters
• Pitch the paper – or parts of it – to a trade publication.
• Syndicate the paper across sites and networks such BNET, Connect Direct, eMedia, Find White Papers, IDG Connect, IT Business Edge, IT Tool Box, NetLine, TechRepublic, TechTarget, TechWeb, and Web Buyer’s Guide. According to MarketingSherpa, 78% of companies rate white paper syndication as the most effective media purchase, even outperforming online ads, paid search, emails and offers in third-party newsletters. Once you contract with one or more of these companies, your white paper will be hosted on their site(s) and often promoted in an email newsletter sent to the site/network’s members. If you want to pursue syndication but feel overwhelmed by all the options, work with an agency such as Connect Direct that can determine the best options for you.

Stephanie Tilton Recommends

• 5 Steps to a White Paper that Pulls in the Perfect Prospect
  
• Savvy B2B Marketing blog posts about white papers
  
• Gordon Graham's White Paper FAQs

Michael Stelzner

Blog WritingWhitePapers Twitter Mike_Stelzner

“Find 'not so obvious places' to promote your white papers”

Michael Stelzner's Bio

Michael Stelzner is one of the leading authorities on the topic of writing and marketing white papers. Michael is also the author of the bestselling book, Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged.

Michael Stelzner's Tip

Here are some "not so obvious places" to promote your white papers.

• Your Email Signature: Why not include a title, short description and link to your white papers in your email signature.  This will ensure that your white paper is prominently displayed in all of your email communications.  Be sure to include it in auto-responder emails, such as newsletter registration confirmations.
• On Twitter: Create a custom background on Twitter with a thumbnail of the cover of your white paper.  Include a very prominent visual URL.  Remember that Twitter backgrounds are graphics, so you won't be able to hotlink the white paper.  However, when folks want to learn more about you, they'll see your white paper.
• On Facebook: Try including a link to you white paper in your personal profile in Facebook OR on your Facebook fan page.  In addition, you can use the Notes feature in Facebook to paste in HTML formatted content, such as your white paper landing pages.
• On Your Blog: If your company has a blog, the sidebar is an excellent place to promote your white paper.  Simply include a small thumbnail image and a link or basic form to gain access to the paper.

Michael Stelzner Recommends

• WritingWhitePapers Blog
• WhitePaperSource Newsletter
• WhitePaperSource Forum

Jonathan Kantor

Blog WhitePaperPundit Twitter Jonathan_Kantor

“Use your white paper as a new online ‘business card’”

Jonathan Kantor's Bio

Jonathan Kantor is the principal and founder of The Appum Group, "The White Paper Company", and has been producing commercial white papers for the past 11 years. He is also the author of the White Paper Pundit blog. Jonathan's experience with white papers is also coupled with over 25 years of enterprise business experience with leading industry innovators such as Apple Computer, Microsoft, Digital Equipment Corporation, and J.D. Edwards Enterprise Software (now a division of Oracle Corporation). This experience included a variety of sales, marketing, business development, and management positions.

Jonathan Kantor's Tip

To maximize the effectiveness of your white paper as a lead generation tool, think of it as your new business card. Using this approach, place hyperlinks to your white paper across a variety of both internal and external online locations:

Internal Locations:

An internal location is defined as an online resource that is controlled by your own organization, or partners that are within your sphere of influence. Suggestions for leveraging internal online resources include:

• Corporate Web Site – Home page, White Paper Library page, and Corporate Blog. Be sure to add a small picture of the front cover and add a label such as “NEW White Paper”.
• Email Hyperlink – Add the title and link for your white paper to the bottom of your email signature block. This can add thousands of potential readers.
• Support Resources – Developer information, support resources, and channel partner websites.

External Locations:

• An external location is defined as a online resource that is not controlled by your organization but is part of your ongoing customer communications program. Suggestions for leveraging external online locations include:
• Social Media Sites – Add links to your white paper via monthly Tweets, Facebook updates, and additions to your LinkedIn profile. Change the message so it doesn’t appear repetitious.
• White Paper Aggregators such as Scribd, BitPipe, TechTarget, ITPapers, Information Week, and ZDNet. Please note: Some of these sites do not require a fee while others have a cost related to then number of clicks, impressions, and/or downloads.
• Related Blogs – Reference your white paper via a thought provoking response to a existing blog post, or contributing article.
• Industry News Source – Offer to write an article for an industry-specific news source related to your white paper topic, and reference your white paper in that article.

Jonathan Kantor Recommends

• WritingWhitePapers Blog
• WhitePaperSource online forum
• Scribd for reference and distribution of white papers
• Google Alerts set to keywords such as "white paper" or "white papers" for news, articles, stories, or examples of white papers

Jim Lodico

Blog WhitePaperSolution Twitter Jlcommunication

“It's not enough to "place" a white paper”

Jim Lodico's Bio

Jim Lodico is a white paper specialist who combines more then 20 years experience in writing and editing with a background in journalism and education.

Jim Lodico's Tip

It's not enough to "place" a white paper, a white paper needs to be actively promoted. This promotion can take any of a number of forms including social media, public relations, webinars and industry presentations. It helps if the white paper addresses industry trends, new procedures or other educational information as opposed to product information.
 
Look for places both on and offline where the target audience gathers. White papers can make excellent discussion topics on social media sites such as LinkedIn or other industry forums. Offer key points as discussion topics for the group as opposed to just telling the group about the white paper. Industry bloggers and media representatives can also provide an excellent way to promote a white paper. When "pitching" the paper, focus on the newsworthy points in the paper such as key findings or points which impact the industry as a whole.
 
Use the information in the white paper as the basis for a webinar or YouTube video. A compelling presentation is an excellent way to lead readers to your white paper.
 
Promote your white paper as you would any other marketing initiative. Find your target audience and guide them to your paper. 

Jim Lodico Recommends

• Michael Stelzner's blog White Paper Source 
• Michael Stelzner's book Writing White Papers; How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged
• Jonathon Kantor's blog The White Paper Pundit

 

Related Articles

• ClickInsights: Tips on how to incorporate call to action in your white paper
• ClickInsights: Tips on how to use social media marketing for promoting white papers
• ClickInsights: Tips on how to write a better White Paper
• 2 Great Books for Whitepaper Writers and Marketers
  

 

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