A 2005 study of 1,400 technology buyers conducted by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council and tech marketer KnowledgeStorm ranked vendor white papers as the most frequently considered form of content (58%) in making a purchase decision.
In 2007, a KnowledgeStorm/MarketingSherpa survey showed that 80% of users are willing to register online for white papers, making them the easiest form of lead generation.
Why white papers
Well-written white papers are like the Trojan horses of the marketing world. Clear, concise and packed full of information, they can weave their way to the most hard to reach decision makers in record time. As they circulate for use in educating employees, supplementing sales guides, or coordinating initiatives between departments, they demonstrate your company’s knowledge leadership in a real and lasting way.
A strong white paper campaign brings key prospects directly to the sales force, which means that less time is spent on unqualified leads. Potential clients are able to determine whether the product or service meets their needs prior to speaking with a representative, making it easier to close the sale when they are contacted.
Finally, publishing white papers shares valuable research and generates good will. It exposes your expertise to a wider audience than it might have otherwise. If the information is timely, convincing and accessible, they are more likely to come to you when they are ready to buy.
Interested in getting the right information to the right people? [intlink id=”124″ type=”page”]Call Write2Market [/intlink]about writing a white paper for your company today.
Dig deeper into better writing and content development:
- [intlink id=”99″ type=”page”]White paper writing[/intlink]
- [intlink id=”1192″ type=”page”]Ten Secrets of Effective White Paper Writing[/intlink]