41 Fantastic Places to Promote Your B2B White Paper It takes a lot of time and effort to create an engaging white paper. Here’s how to maximize your investment, get your content in front of the widest possible audience,...
41 Fantastic Places to Promote Your B2B White Paper
It takes a lot of time and effort to create an engaging white paper. Here’s how to maximize your investment, get your content in front of the widest possible audience, and attract more leads …
White papers and guides are among the most time-intensive content marketing projects. But investing in these marketing powerhouses can pay off by helping you engage buyers and build a persuasive business case for your solutions.
B2B buyers—especially technology buyers—rely on the in-depth information in white papers to make informed purchasing decisions. In fact, 71% of B2B technology buyers have read a white paper within the past year.
But creating your white paper is only half the battle. Many B2B marketers put lots of time and resources into producing a white paper and then bury it deep within their website where no one will ever find it.
The key to avoiding content black holes is to create a promotion plan while your white paper is still in development. A promotion plan will help you get your white paper in front of a wider audience, attract leads, and raise brand awareness.
Here are 41 ways to promote your white paper to get more downloads and shares. Many of these suggestions work equally well for guides, reports, ebooks, and other long-form content.
Drive Leads from Your Website
1. Create a high-converting landing page.
The first thing you need is a landing page that converts. It should clearly explain the benefits of downloading your white paper and make it easy for leads to opt in. Making it easy means not asking for someone’s life story in exchange for a white paper. The shorter your opt-in form, the more leads you will collect.
2. Post ads on your website.
Advertise your white paper on related web pages. For example, if your white paper is about cloud security, you can promote it in the cloud section of your blog and in related pages on your website.
3. Repurpose your white paper as blog posts.
When you publish a new white paper, write a series of related posts for your blog. Doing this will get your message in front of early-stage leads who may not want to read an entire white paper on the topic.
4. Run ads on your blog.
If you don’t promote additional content in your blog posts, you’re missing an opportunity to engage leads and grow your list. Be sure to run ads for your white paper in related blog posts. If your posts are long, you may want to include an ad near the top and bottom of the post. That way, readers will see the ad even if they don’t read the entire blog post.
5. Update the resources section of your website.
Feature new white papers prominently in the resources section of your website. Including a search feature in your resource section also makes it easier for visitors to look for content relevant to their industry, vertical, or role
Engage Customers Via Email
6. Announce your white paper to your list.
Send targeted segments of your list a stand-alone message when you publish a new white paper. If possible, your list should get access to the white paper before you announce it to the general public. Encourage your current subscribers to share your white paper with others, so they can help you reach a wider audience.
7. Include the white paper in lead nurture campaigns.
Freshen up your lead nurture campaigns with new content. Review your existing campaigns to see where you can promote the white paper. You may also want to create a new lead nurture campaign based around the white paper’s topic.
8. Mention your white paper in your email signature.
Your email signature is an overlooked marketing opportunity. Add a P.S. to your outgoing messages that invites your contacts to download your white paper. You can also ask your marketing and sales teams to promote the white paper in their email signatures.
Help Your Sales Team Convert Leads into Customers
9. Create a ‘cheat sheet’ for sales.
Give your sales reps a one-page summary of your white paper. When reps are on sales calls, it’s much easier for them to scan a one-pager for your key messages than dig through a longer document to find a point that resonates with a prospect. A ‘cheat sheet’ or ‘light paper’ is also easy to print and give to leads at meetings.
10. Ask sales reps to share the white paper with prospects.
Of course, your sales team should also have the full version of the white paper. A new white paper gives your reps a reason to reach out to prospects. They can work highlights from the document into their sales conversations, emails, and voicemails. They can also pass the white paper along to interested prospects.
11. Include your white paper in ABM campaigns.
White papers make great content for account-based marketing campaigns, as they educate prospects about one of their most pressing problems. See if you have opportunities to share your white paper with key accounts.
Expand Your Reach with Advertising and PR
12. Run Google Ads.
Research keywords that would bring your target audience to your white paper. Then, run Google ads on these keywords that point to your white paper’s landing page.
13. Try retargeting.
You can also use retargeting to “follow” prospects as they visit different websites within the Google Ad network. Prospects may ignore your ad the first time, but if they keep seeing your name, they can grow more inclined to check out your website and content.
14. Run ads on third-party sites that your audience visits.
You can also use retargeting to “follow” prospects as they visit different websites within the Google Ad network. Prospects may ignore your ad the first time, but if they keep seeing your name, they can grow more inclined to check out your website and content.
15. Run ads on your preferred social platforms.
The major social networks offer a range of advertising options, from promoted posts to embedded lead-generation forms. You can also set very specific targeting options to get your content in front of the right people.
Tip #18 discusses specific things you can do to advertise on Facebook, while tip #20 mentions some LinkedIn promotional options.
16. Issue a press release, especially if the white paper contains original research.
Your latest research can become big news. Every time you create a white paper, write a press release about it to drive journalists, bloggers, and potential customers to your website.
Most distribution services will submit your press release to major search engines and social networks, which helps to improve your SEO. These services also allow you to target your distribution, so your press release goes to the exact audience you want to reach.
17. Encourage opt-ins via direct mail.
A direct mail piece can stand out among a sea of email. Try sending out a letter or postcard that promotes your white paper.
Turn Your Social Connections into Leads
18. Boost your posts on Facebook.
Use paid or “boosted” posts to get your Facebook content in front of an audience that wouldn’t see it organically. A boosted post allows you to reach people who haven’t liked your company page, helping you get the right eyes on your content. You can target your boosted posts by location and demographics. You can also set goals for your post, such as driving leads with your white paper via forms placed directly on Facebook.
19. Start a conversation about it on Facebook.
Share your white paper with your Facebook community and start a conversation around its topic. Link to your white paper’s landing page or use paid advertising to add a lead-generation form to Facebook. You can also create some Facebook Live content around your white paper to see if this strategy boosts engagement.
20. Talk about it in your LinkedIn status updates.
LinkedIn is the top B2B social network and a “must” for getting your white paper in front of your target audience. Post a link to your white paper on your company page and mention it in your personal status updates. You can also use LinkedIn’s advertising tools to promote your white paper to your ideal customers and target them by company size, job function, title, and location.
21. Turn part of the white paper into a LinkedIn Publisher article.
Write an article based on your white paper’s content and upload it to LinkedIn’s publishing platform. Sharing articles on LinkedIn is a great way to expand your reach on the top B2B social network. Add a link to your white paper at the end of the article, so readers can download it if they want to learn more.
22. Share “bites” of the white paper on your other social platforms.
Talk about your white paper on your other social platforms, such as niche communities where your audience hangs out. You can run a series of posts that discuss different points from your white paper and encourage your communities to engage with you.
23. Collect leads on SlideShare.
SlideShare is an underrated B2B marketing platform. Most of its 80 million users are from businesses, making this platform an excellent place to engage customers. Convert your white paper into a presentation and post it to SlideShare. Include a CTA in your presentation to collect leads from the platform.
24. Share it with related groups, such as Slack communities.
Are you part of a private Slack group with your customers? If so, see if the community guidelines allow you to share your content. Start a conversation around your white paper’s topic and answer any questions from members of your community.
25. Ask employees to share it.
Ask employees to share the white paper with their social networks, particularly on LinkedIn. They may also want to share the content with sales leads, prospects, and others who may find it valuable.
Repurpose Your White Paper and Boost Engagement
26. Create videos for YouTube.
Engage a new audience and drive downloads via YouTube. Create several videos based on your white paper’s topic and upload them to the platform. Since YouTube is a powerful search engine, make sure that you optimize the videos with keywords to help people find them.
27. Post videos on your blog and website.
After you create the YouTube videos, be sure to post them on your website. You can embed them in related blog posts and pages on your site.
28. Record a podcast.
Record a podcast where you discuss your white paper’s topic and interview an analyst. Tell listeners how they can download the white paper.
29. Share stats from your white paper in an infographic.
Infographics are a great way to get links to your website, especially if they contain new data that drives search traffic. Include a call to action in the bottom of the infographic that asks readers to download your whitepaper. Share your infographic with your partners, on your social networks, and through your email list.
Expand Your Audience with Partnerships
30. Submit a guest post to a popular industry blog or magazine.
Guest posting is a great way to build your credibility and get noticed. Write a guest post for a leading industry blog on your white paper’s topic. Ask if the publication will let you include a link to your white paper at the end of your post.
31. Promote your white paper in third-party email lists.
Find an online publication in your niche with strong readership. Sponsor an ad in their next email for your white paper.
32. Build relationships with industry thought leaders and send them the white paper.
Getting your industry’s thought leaders to blog about your white paper can bring lots of leads your way. But if you send them a press release, they’ll probably ignore it.
Instead, build relationships with thought leaders before you ask them to do something for you. Comment on their blog posts and share their content. Once you have a relationship, they might be willing to read and discuss your white paper. Send them a personal email explaining why their readers will find your white paper valuable.
33. Interview subject matter experts (SMEs) in your white paper.
Interview SMEs from outside your company and include their thoughts and best practices in your white paper. Doing this gives your content added credibility. The SMEs may also want to share the white paper with their networks, which can expand your reach.
34. Repurpose your SME interviews.
You may only have room to include a few quotes from your SMEs in your white paper. Make the most of their interviews by repurposing them as blog posts, videos, and other shareable content.
35. Use a white paper syndication or distribution service.
Attract more leads by publishing your white paper on a syndication service. These services will promote your white paper to their lists, and you typically pay per lead. Just be sure that the syndication service will get your white paper in front of your target audience and that you’re not paying for bad leads.
36. Send your white paper to your partners.
Form partnerships with others who have the same target audience and agree to share each other’s content. Getting the seal of approval from a partner can enhance your credibility and help you reach a wider audience.
37. Share the white paper with industry associations.
Find out if your industry associations share third-party content in their publications. If so, ask if they will add your white paper as a resource.
38. Partner with an industry association to create the white paper.
Partnering with an association can add layers of credibility to your white paper, especially if your company isn’t well-known. B2B buyers might be more willing to read the content if they see a familiar name on it. The association may also share the white paper with their list, which can dramatically increase the size of your audience.
Reach Customers with Events
39. Host a webinar about your white paper’s topic.
Boost your company’s thought leadership and generate leads with a webinar. Here are three ways you can tie your white paper to your next webinar:
Include the white paper with resources that you email attendees after the webinar.Give the white paper out as a bonus immediately after someone registers for the webinar.Make the webinar a next step that leads can take after they read your white paper.40. Present at a conference.
Conference organizers are always looking for the latest research, best practices, and success stories. If your white paper contains this information, apply to present it at a conference. During your talk, you can ask the audience to download the white paper to learn more.
41. Share your white paper at trade shows.
Hand out your white paper to potential customers at trade shows. If you don’t want to give the white paper away, you can email attendees a link to its landing page.
Key Takeaways
Creating a white paper promotional plan can help you reach a wider audience, attract more leads, and convert them into customers. Try using a few of the suggestions above to expand your reach the next time you publish a white paper or other piece of long-form content.
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