ClickInsights is an Expert Interview Series brought to you by Connect the Docs (ClickDocuments blog). In ClickInsights Expert Interview Series we feature top notch industry experts and thought leaders and get their insights, opinions and predicitions. We also ask for their suggestions on what reports, whitepapers etc to read to keep abreast with latest trends in their industry.

How do you market your white papers? Can syndication partners take your white paper to your prospects?

Stephanie Tilton has published a timely 14-page report on White Paper Syndication Options for Technology Marketers.

White Paper Syndication Options for Technology Marketers report has great information on the following:

• List of Syndication Partners
• Costs to syndicate your white papers
• What returns you can expect for dollars spent on syndication

List of Syndication Partners in Stephanie Tilton's report:

•  eMedia
•  Find White Papers
•  IT Business Edge
•  NetLine
•  Technology Evaluation Centers
•  TechTarget
•  TechWeb
•  Toolbox for IT
•  Web Buyer's Guide/Ziff Davis Enterprise
•  Connect Direct

We have invited White Paper Experts to shed light on the following question: "What are your tips on how to choose a white paper syndication partner?". Read on to get their insights.   

Stephanie Tilton

Blog Savvy B2B Marketing Twitter StephanieTilton

 “White paper syndication is one way to quickly expand your reach and generate leads”

Stephanie Tilton's Bio

Stephanie Tilton is an expert case study and white paper writer who helps B2B companies advance the sales cycle by engaging prospects and customers. Harnessing her unique blend of technical knowledge, marketing savvy, and writing skills, Stephanie has crafted nearly 100 case studies and white papers for leading brands such as Akamai Technologies, EMC, Macromedia, Novell, SAP, and Symantec. Her website is Ten Ton Marketing.

Stephanie Tilton's Tip

Once you've spent the time and money to produce a white paper, you want to get it in front of as many prospects and customers as possible. White paper syndication is one way to quickly expand your reach and generate leads. In fact, according to MarketingSherpa, 78% of companies rate white paper syndication as the most effective media purchase, even outperforming online ads, paid search, emails and offers in third-party newsletters.

But when it comes to syndicating your white papers, it's not so simple to sort out the options. You can syndicate via: 

• Newsletters (or bulletins) through companies such as eMedia
• Single sites through companies including IT Business Edge, Toolbox for IT, and Web Buyer's Guide (part of Ziff Davis Enterprise)
• A network of sites through companies including Find White Papers, NetLine, Technology Evaluation Centers, TechTarget, and TechWeb

To choose the right partner (or partners), ask the following:

• Do you reach my target audience?
• How many white papers per month does your target audience download?
• What is the cost-per-lead and is there a lead guarantee?
• How will you promote my white paper, to how many subscribers, and over what period of time?
• Do you help me optimize the paper's title, content, and description to maximize downloads?
• What type of information do you collect on the registration form, and can I customize it to collect information that fits my lead definition?
• How frequently – and in what format – do you deliver leads?
• Why should I choose to work with your company versus another syndication partner? 

If you feel overwhelmed by all the options, you could work with an agency such as Connect Direct who can help you choose the right programs. Once you tell CDI how many leads you want and what criteria you want those leads to meet, it will negotiate a package of content postings and other promotions for you via its network of media partners.

Read 14-page report on White Paper Syndication Options for Technology Marketers.

Stephanie Tilton Recommends

• White Paper Syndication Options for Technology Marketers
• 5 Steps to a White Paper that Pulls in the Perfect Prospect
  
• Savvy B2B Marketing blog posts about white papers
  
• Gordon Graham's White Paper FAQs

Michael Stelzner

Blog WritingWhitePapers Twitter Mike_Stelzner

Michael Stelzner's Bio

Michael Stelzner is one of the leading authorities on the topic of writing and marketing white papers. Michael is also the author of the bestselling book, Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged.

Michael Stelzner's Tip

Howard Sewell has a great article on this question. Read more at Ten Tough Questions to Ask Your White Paper Syndication Vendor

10 critical questions you should ask every white paper syndication vendor before you post on their site or network

• What’s the demographic profile of the person downloading white papers from your site/network?
• Is the contract price based on cost per lead, or fixed price per month/quarter? What assurances do I have on lead volume? What happens if we don’t meet that minimum?
• If there are lead promises, what constitutes a “lead?” For example, will I have to pay for consultants or students who download my paper?
• What percentage of total downloads or traffic is international? Will I have to pay for international leads if I don’t want them?
• Can you provide references?
• What’s the typical lead volume for a white paper in my category?
• How do you drive traffic to your site/network? Is my content syndicated to other sites — if so, how and where?
• Do subscribers or registered users get alerted to new content? If so, how? How many registered users are there? What’s the typical response to this alert?
• What’s the user experience on the site? How can I feel confident that someone searching for information on my product category (or the business problem that my technology solves) will find my white paper?
• If I renew my contract, how will the pricing be different from this initial term?

Michael Stelzner Recommends

• WritingWhitePapers Blog
• WhitePaperSource Newsletter
• WhitePaperSource Forum  

Jonathan Kantor

Blog WhitePaperPundit Twitter Jonathan_Kantor

"Consider free white paper distribution sites”

Jonathan Kantor's Bio

Jonathan Kantor is the principal and founder of The Appum Group, "The White Paper Company", and has been producing commercial white papers for the past 11 years. He is also the author of the White Paper Pundit blog. Jonathan's experience with white papers is also coupled with over 25 years of enterprise business experience with leading industry innovators such as Apple Computer, Microsoft, Digital Equipment Corporation, and J.D. Edwards Enterprise Software (now a division of Oracle Corporation). This experience included a variety of sales, marketing, business development, and management positions.

Jonathan Kantor's Tip

In this economy, it pays to consider the free white paper distribution sites instead of fee-based syndicators.

If you’re an enterprise white paper marketer, you can consider the usual outlets for white paper syndication such as Bitpipe, TechTarget, ITPapers, KnowledgeStorm, etc. In most cases, these syndicators will charge you a fee based either on number of downloads, clicks, or subject relevance. These fees are quite steep and show mixed results for the marketers that use them.

Rather than paying an arm and a leg with an uncertain return on your investment, consider the free white paper distribution sites such as:

• WhitePapers.org
• Scribd.com
• Docstock.com
• Issuu.com
• Slideshare.net
• Gazhoo.com
• Yudu.com

In most situations, these free sites allow users to preview your white paper, read it online, download it, or generate hyperlink URLs allowing you can reference them via Social Media sites such as Twitter.

So why not try these free sites first before jumping into the uncertain and expensive waters of fee-based syndication?

Jonathan Kantor Recommends

• Free document distribution sites: Scribd.com, DocStoc.com, Slideshare.net, Gazhoo.com, Yudu.com, and WhitePapers.org. 
• Blog sharing sites such as BizSugar.com, Sphinn.com, and Reddit.com.
• WhitePaperPundit: The Friday FREE White Paper List, a listing of free white papers from weekly Twitter Tweets that don’t require registration, posted each Friday.
• Twitter search criteria set to keywords: “White Paper”, and “White Papers”.
• Google Alerts set to “White Paper”, and “White Papers”.

Related Articles

• ClickInsights: What is the biggest mistake to avoid when writing a white paper?
• ClickInsights: Where to place white papers to reach prospects and customers
• ClickInsights: Tips on how to incorporate call to action in your white paper
• ClickInsights: Tips on how to use social media marketing for promoting white papers
• ClickInsights: Tips on how to write a better White Paper
• 2 Great Books for Whitepaper Writers and Marketers
  

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