The White Paper Marketing Handbook: How to Generate More Leads and Sales with White Papers, Special Reports, Booklets, and CDs (1st ed.)

Citation

Hazlett, K. (2007), "The White Paper Marketing Handbook: How to Generate More Leads and Sales with White Papers, Special Reports, Booklets, and CDs (1st ed.)", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 121-122. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760710737148

For those of us (your reviewer included) who break out in a cold sweat at the thought of producing a “white paper” and then actually using it to promote a product or service, The White Paper Marketing Handbook offers comfort – and straightforward advice and suggestions – on how to achieve success.

A “white paper,” according to author Robert Bly, “is a promotional piece in the guise of an informational article or report … The white paper serves the same sales purpose as a brochure … to sell or help sell a product or service … but reads like an article or other important piece of authoritative, objective information” (p. xiii).

According to Bly, “The White Paper Marketing Handbook … is really about taking an educational approach to marketing by giving away free information to potential customers” (p. 106). White papers fit this definition, says the author, because they are “informational documents that are designed to look like special reports, opinion papers, or other important information” (p. 106).

Bly makes the case for proactive use of materials such as white papers rather than complete reliance on traditional advertising: “… in the Information Age, today's potential customers often respond best to marketing they perceive to be informational rather than promotional” (p. 2).

Drawing a further distinction, the author introduces the concept of “edu‐marketing” as a means of cutting through the clutter of everyday advertising and marketing messaging, noting that “Traditional marketing focuses on selling the consumer. Edu‐marketing focuses on educating the consumer about his problem and the solution to his problem, with your product being part of the solution” (p. 4).

White papers, according to Bly, are not used by the reader “… for theory or for intellectual stimulation.” Rather, they meet a specific need or desire for information. “The number one thing your readers want is practical information” (p. 33).

In the course of his text, the author provides a thorough explanation of a properly constructed white paper, including guidelines on design and formatting, making the point that you don't necessarily have to do all this work yourself, that “… companies often outsource some of the responsibilities to skilled contractors. With the exception of marketing and technical content providers, outside personnel can effectively [do the work]” (p. 64).

He further cautions against over‐complicating the end product. “Simplicity is a virtue, not just in graphic design, but in almost every endeavor known to humankind. Keep your design simple … The most powerful graphic design technique for making your white paper credible and acceptable to the reader, and generating his interest in reading it, is to make it look like valuable information instead of marketing material … Satisfaction goes up when your white paper is easy to read and its design projects an optimistic, professional image. Quality design differentiates your white papers from the competition and builds equity in your brand” (pp. 94‐100).

In addition to a thorough discussion of design and production, Bly offers tips on other avenues for maximizing contact with potential customers, including advice on web site design, teleconferences or teleseminars, trade show participation, and direct mail/direct marketing. In particular, he emphasizes the development of accurately targeted mailing lists that enable you to reach exactly those potential customers you want to reach. “Even the most brilliant [promotional] package will flop if it is mailed to the wrong list … One good source of names might be a list of names of people who have responded to ads about the product within the last six months” (p. 159).

Bly also addresses the often misunderstood area of online marketing, making the point that simply creating a Website filled with tons of information about your product or service is neither effective nor efficient. “To begin, build a Website that positions you as an expert or guru in your field … This Website should include a home page, an ‘About the Company’ page, your bio, and a page with brief descriptions of your products and services … You should also have an ‘Articles Page’ where you post articles you have written on your area of specialty…The more ‘content’ (useful information) on your site, the better” (pp. 172‐3).

The final chapter, “Measuring and improving your results,” is perhaps one of the most thoroughly explained in terms of assessing business results. The author reviews and explains how to evaluate sales analysis factors ranging from “inquiries” to “sales force buy‐in,” making the point that simply bombarding the marketplace with informational materials about your product or service is no longer sufficient. The chapter closes with a series of case studies demonstrating how a variety of companies, large and small, have successfully incorporated edu‐marketing into their business plans.

Achieving measurable results, says the author, is becoming a mandatory step in the business operations process. “According to an October, 2004 study by Patrick Marketing Group, 81 percent of marketers surveyed said accountability had increased in their marketing organizations over the last 24 months – and 59 percent of those surveyed said marketing programs must show a return on investment” (p. 188).

The bottom line in White Paper Marketing, says Bly, is simply that “the most important factor to measure is return on investment … we want to know that every dollar spent on marketing has returned to us two, three, even four dollars or more in sales…The only kind of marketing that consistently demonstrates a significant, positive ROI is direct marketing … edu‐marketing is simply direct marketing built around the offer of free, valuable information” (p. 189).

The author closes with two information‐laden appendices containing a comprehensive list of “Resources” available for information on and production of white papers and “Model Documents”, including a sample news release, sales letter, and query letter.

The White Paper Marketing Handbook, especially for the newly‐established business owner or the marketing manager looking for techniques to help improve his or her success rate, is a helpful one‐stop guide to the effective development and use of materials including white papers, to effectively promote a product or service.