Research shows us that the amongst the top 3 content formats most requested by B2B buyers, whitepapers are at the top with 78% request rate. So if you ever thought whitepapers were a thing of the past, you’ve got another thing coming! They’re still as relevant today as they ever were, maybe even more. And they can play a highly effective role in your content marketing as well. Continue reading to find out how.
White Paper’s Immense Potential
More than three-fourths of respondents of research showed the willingness to provide personal information in exchange for a white paper. This shows us how white papers have managed to stay in power for so long. One main reason is the fact that they are made of a rich and extensive material that isn’t meant to sell but is only used to educate. But in order to educate, you need to rethink and revise the white paper according to today’s environment so that the viewpoint being communicated is still relevant and timely.
White Papers as Your Editorial Calendar
It’s hard to keep track of all the many entry points through which you can reach your audience, what formats you’re going to be following, how many blog posts or Facebook videos you’re going to make, etc. White papers can help with all of this. A well-designed white paper can very easily act as your editorial calendar and make things much easier for you. The white paper serves as the basic building block, using which you can then distribute the content to other formats.
Better Connect with Your Audience
With our audience being bombarded with so much information every day from everywhere, it’s important that you provide them with content that is meaningful to them, while also showing them your immense grasp over the subject at hand. This can be done by using white papers, as they aim to educate instead of selling. While most other content marketing formats are used to sell, white papers allow you to disseminate information that is helpful for the audience, all the while showing them how you are so knowledgeable in the matter at hand.
Greater Influencing Power
The main aim of any content marketing format is to influence your audience into becoming customers, into increasing sales and loyalty, etc. In this respect, research has shown that many decision makers rank white papers as the most influential content format aiding them in the decision-making process. A survey carried out by Eccolo Media showed that 83% of respondents admitted that white papers played an influential role in their decision-making process.
To Sum It Up…
White papers are a sure way of communicating your unique value to customers. Now that you know all the ways you can effectively use and hone white papers, it’s time that you consider it as the backbone of a content marketing strategy. Create a whole roadmap built around white papers. This will help improve customer engagement in no time!
