Reengineering the White Paper

This section of our website focuses on the issue of white paper marketing, a key piece of the thought leadership marketing mix.

You'll see a variety of content here, and ways you can join the conversation:

A three-part Bloom Group series of in-depth articles on white papers (see below)
Short videos by Tim Parker and Bob Buday that explain this section, and our three-part article series
Bloom Group blog posts specifically on white paper marketing – i.e., shorter pieces on the topic. Please feel free to post comments on these.
A “newsstand” of articles about white paper marketing published in the business press, as well as by external bloggers.
A brief poll and longer survey that you can take to air your views.

AN INTRODUCTION TO THIS MICROSITE BY TIM PARKER

In-Depth Points of View

Reengineering the White Paper (Part 1): Developing Compelling Content

This is the first of a three-part series on the staple of every thought leadership marketing campaign: the white paper. Most white papers are ignored or forgotten soon after they are published. But a few connect with executives and open doors. Those that make an impression are not distinguished by their presentation or marketing; they have a compelling point of view. In this article we explain how to develop content that will make an impact.

Shifting Marketing to "Entice and Engage"

This is the second of a three-part series on white papers, a marketing tool that is essential to thought leadership marketing programs. In this part, we explain how to generate substantially more leads than typical white paper campaigns deliver. In particular, we show the advantages of shifting from directly distributing white papers through "biased" channels, to indirect and "unbiased" channels.

Bloom Group Blog Posts on White Papers

Bob Buday Tim Parker

Bob Buday and Tim Parker regularly blog on B2B thought leadership marketing issues; their latest two posts relating to white papers are linked below.

Why Thought Leadership Is Harder Than You Think

There are of course, lots of blog posts that tell us thought leadership is easy, or easier than we think, and I owe it to a recent one of these on...

Making Content Social

Eccolo media has just published their excellent third consecutive annual report on B2B technology collateral – the results of a survey into...

You can read many more posts on white paper development and marketing, both from this site and from others, here.

The Newsstand: Media Articles on White Paper Marketing

White papers have become popular as marketing tools – so popular that even the business and mainstream press and many popular bloggers are writing about them. We comb the Web frequently for such articles, and we summarize and link to them below. (Some require registration.)

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Savvy B2B Marketing (Stephanie Tilton blog post)
“9 Reasons Why White Papers Still Matter,” June 23, 2010

Stephanie Tilton is the latest blogger to pick up on the firestorm we helped Paul Dunay create (author of the “Buzz Marketing for Technology” blog) on whether the white paper is dead. Stephanie rolled out several statistics in defending the value of white papers. Several people commented on her blog to complain about the poor quality of many white papers, as well as forcing readers to register for white paper downloads.

WebInkNow (David Meerman Scott's blog)

"Nerdy White Papers vs. Hip and Stylish eBooks" by David Meerman Scott, June 2010

The ever-popular blogger on marketing topics (and author of such books as "World Wide Rave and "The New Rules of Marketing & PR") says most white papers are dull, look bad on a computer screen and are never read because they require registration, which most readers reject. Instead of white papers, Meerman Scott prefers "eBooks" -- a cross between a white paper and PowerPoint presentation. A number of people push back in their comments, including our own Tim Parker.

Buzz Marketing for Technology

"Is the White Paper Dead for B2B Marketing?" by Paul Dunay, May 26, 2010

We'll take some credit for setting off this firestorm of debate on Paul Dunay's blog, a popular one among IT marketers. Following our posting of the third article in our series on white paper marketing, we wrote to Paul, asserting that we questioned the viability of traditional white papers as an effective medium for selling ideas.

The New York Times

“We Have Met the Enemy and He is PowerPoint,” by Elisabeth Bumiller, April 26, 2010

We include this article because it makes a persuasive case for white papers over PowerPoint slides. The article quotes several military commanders who rue PowerPoint as a tool because it leaves too many important points open to interpretation. The author writes: “Commanders say that the slides impart less information than a five-page paper can hold, and that they relieve the briefer of the need to polish writing to convey and analytic, persuasive point."

We heartily agree. Long live the white paper.

BNET

"Is the White Paper Dead?" by Stefan Deeran, Oct. 14, 2009

This short article on the CBS-owned website (which features white papers among several types of content) poses an important question. The author, a new media consultant who blogs for BNET, advises his clients against white papers in favor of "often handier" media like online video.

The New York Times

“Showing Off Your Solutions in a White Paper,” by Paul B. Brown, May 11, 2009

A contributor to the Times explains why white papers are good marketing tools for small businesses.

Poll: Is white paper production rising or falling?

Take the White Paper Survey

Take our short survey on the current state of the white paper in B2B marketing. You have the option to receive a periodic update of the results.

Link to the survey here.

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