If you are familiar with writing white papers, you know that it is more art than science. And white papers aren’t something that just happen overnight. You’ve likely spent hours performing research, conducting interviews and crafting your argument. Some people spend hours on the headline alone, because they know the headline will be their white paper’s very first test.
But you did it…
You just wrote your best business benefits white paper…
- Strong headline? You betcha.
- Clearly identified the reader? Check.
- Established credibility with history and trends? Done.
- Introduced and defined a generic solution? Complete.
- Clearly articulated the benefits to the reader? Absolutely.
- Created a “what to look for” shopping list? Yes!
- Tied your company’s product or service to the generic solution? Of course.
- Offered a strong and compelling call to action? Without doubt!
So how can you promote this white paper quickly to generate an influx of leads for your sales team?
White paper syndication is one of the easiest ways to broadly distribute your white paper. White paper syndication should be considered if you want one or more of the following:
- Broad reach – white paper syndication can quickly reach thousands or hundreds of thousands of readers in just a short period of time
- Usage analytics – white paper syndication networks often provide useful data about HOW readers interact with your white paper, helping your sales team prioritize contact with those who are the most engaged
- Audited contact information – white paper syndication networks are often required either by law or competition to audit their readership, ensuring that contact and demographic information you receive is accurate
- Lead guarantees – white paper syndication can be throttled up or down to guarantee you receive a certain amount of leads with whatever demographic cuts you require
Interview: How White Paper Syndication Works
To get the real skinny on white paper syndication, I interviewed John Siefert, senior vice president of TechWeb, one of the largest content and white paper syndication networks in the world. Home to over 3 million unique visitors per month, TechWeb is the content distribution powerhouse behind leading technology publications likeInformationWeek, Dark Reading and Network Computing, as well as events likeBlack Hat, Interop and the Web 2.0 Summit.
My interview with John focuses on the benefits of white paper syndication for lead generation and how marketers can build robust marketing programs around a just single white paper or with a group of well-written white papers wrapped in a “resource center.”
TechWeb has embraced the use of white papers and has invested heavily in teaching technology marketers how to improve their craft. Create Your Next Customer has valuable information on using white papers at different stages of the sales cycle as well as other marketing tools and ideas.
