How better quality whitepapers can improve lead generation

By Will Humphries
Best practices

This article and expertise was originally published on Business2Community

Whitepapers are a valuable content marketing tool used to provide in-depth information to a prospect, typically during the consideration stage of the buyer journey. A recent DemandGen report indicated that 82% of B2B buyers rely on whitepapers to guide their purchasing decisions. And with 42% of respondents planning on using content syndication in 2017, shouldn’t you be too?

To achieve success and drive sales leads to your landing pages for a solution overview, though, you need quality content. The following is a look at several important strategies and tips to help you generate more sales leads from your whitepapers.

Discuss a high-impact topic

Though a whitepaper is used to establish authority and expertise, its primary function isn’t to determine your company’s brilliance. Instead, provide thorough, accurate and desired information on a topic that’s relevant to your targeted reader. 

To succeed in this endeavour, you need a clear definition of the type of prospect likely to download your whitepaper after reading a particular blog post or another piece of primary content.

Spend Time on Design

Don’t make your whitepaper a sales pitch. Instead, offer readers information they value, thus earning trust and motivating them to consider your company as a source for a solution.

Invest time upfront designing and outlining your content to create an effective whitepaper.

Think about the story you want to tell and the takeaway points for the reader. Consider visuals, such as process graphics, to help illustrate key points.

Focus on Value and Provide Evidence

Though not a sales pitch, your whitepaper is an opportunity to emphasize value to the targeted reader. The value correlates with the education provided, and the clarity the information brings to the problem the buyer is experiencing. If your company specializes in proprietary technology, processes or solutions, the whitepaper allows you to articulate points of differentiation in problem-solving that intrigue the reader.

Whitepapers that drive sales leads also include proof or evidence for strong claims. When you present information that would raise doubts or questions of validity, provide support. Process outlines, graphics, visual demonstrations and statistics are common types of evidence you could use in a whitepaper.

Promote it and execute a strong CTA

In addition to closing particular blog posts with a call-to-action to download your whitepaper, support this document on your social channels and in your company newsletter. People who engage with you through these channels will have completed some initial investigation. 

Though a whitepaper is a conversation with a reader about a problem he or she faces, include a CTA in your conclusion that points toward your solution. A well-executed whitepaper encourages the reader to contemplate the next step in problem resolution, which is evaluating solutions.

Wrap Up

Whitepapers are a great opportunity to demonstrate company expertise on a relevant topic, but not in a sales-pitchy way. Instead, offer valuable information and then use that value to convert sales leads in your CTA.


This article was written by Will Humphries from Business2Community and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Twitter or its affiliates.

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