Hey, MarCom!

On our radar: The video white paper

First of all: We've long believed that a well-executed white paper is the most influential type of collateral you can produce -- and last year's survey report confirmed that.

Second of all: In the last few months, we've started to turn out video testimonials at an ever-increasing rate.

So...it should come as little surprise that we're exploring the next logical step in the ongoing evolution of our collateral offerings: the video white paper.

Just as a video testimonial is an audiovisual representation of a traditional written case study, the video white paper takes the basic elements of a well-written white paper -- thought leadership, third-party validation, and a compelling business case -- and translates those into high-impact visuals.

So how do you get started? Here's one way: if one of your customers is hesitant to participate in a case study, you might want to suggest that they participate instead in an objective discussion of technology trends.

That discussion, captured on film, can serve as the basis for your video white paper. And because it isn't framed as a promotional piece -- since it is, by definition, objective -- you might have a better chance of convincing skittish customers to participate. 

We're excited about the possibilities afforded by the video white paper concept...and considering that video only continues to grow in presence and influence on the Web, we have a feeling that it won't be long before video white papers become key elements in any collateral toolbox.

Lead generation vs. lead nurture: What's the difference?

In the past few months, more and more of our clients have asked us to create collateral for lead-nurture campaigns. Now, plenty of people are familiar with using email for lead-nurturing efforts, and we've certainly created traditional email campaigns in the past. But our more recent lead-nurture projects have been based around the creation of a wider range of collateral--and we see that as a significant shift in how organizations nurture leads.

For example, we might craft a campaign around a specific product or service by writing a business brief, an article, a Q&A, and a fact sheet. Maybe we'll even create a podcast based on one of our SME interviews. Then our client will offer each of those collateral pieces as part of an ongoing nurture stream, introducing each piece over the course of several weeks in order to draw prospects through the stages of awareness, consideration, and purchase. 

We see this as an excellent way of aligning marketing with sales. Too often, marketing groups see lead generation as a one-step process; they believe that their role ends as soon as a prospect enters the sales cycle. But it's our belief that marketing can play a more active role in keeping that sales cycle from running out of gas. By creating collateral designed to maintain and even increase interest in your product or service throughout the sales cycle, you're better positioned to raise conversion rates--a result that will make both your sales and marketing groups very, very happy.