Six Biggest Reasons Why Buyers Want Information, Not a Pitch by Jim Bloedau

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Six Biggest Reasons Why Buyers

Prefer Informative Papers

Buyers have clearly stated their preference for educational content that aggregates and economically presents facts and analysis to help them make better decisions during the buy cycle. The greater the informative value to the customer, the stronger the differentiation, mind share and relationship gained by the information provider is the new rule. In response, “content is the new marketing” is the mantra of wise marketers who are investing in efficient educational documents.

The only white paper of its kind, this briefing aggregates the latest data on trends and best practices to build buy cycle relationships with information products.

Use the links on this page for speedier navigation.

Facts Are Stubborn Things

18% CAGR in online interactive media through 2013

Chart: Top Two Marketing Pressures

Chart: Biggest Media Time Wasters

Fact 1. Demand for Custom Content Intensifies

29% of global market executives plan budget increases this year.

56% of marketers plan to increase content marketing spending either slightly or significantly.

Chart: Most Downloaded Media Types

Fact 2. Search Then White Papers!

82% of IT buyers always use search engines to research a problem.

Newsletters, magazine, associations are the least effective sources for buyers.

Chart: Most Effective Sources of Data

Fact 3. Buyers Are Looking For Information, Not A

Pitch!

Up to 90% of executives find white papers moderately or extremely helpful.

White papers are the strongest influencers.

Chart: Top Three Reasons Vendor Content Is Dismissed By Buyers.

Fact 4. Buyers Prefer Text

Buyers are 3X more likely to review information early in the buy cycle.

Third party analyst remains the most influential dialogue.

Table: Buy Cycle Phase/Content Type Alignment

Fact 5. Double Sales with Relevant White Papers Vendor-neutral and independent reviews are most favored.

Sales almost cut in half by content lacking relevancy.

Fact 6. Viral Nature of Quality Content

Chart: A white paper is the leading reason for readers to register for “gated” material. 37% to 67% of readers frequently or very frequently forward white papers.

FR REE USE OF THIS WHITE PAPE

http://www.slideshare.net/jimbloedau/6-new-facts-why-buyers-prefer-white-papers-in-2009-intro-only

http://www.iag.co/p/our-services_22.html

Six New Facts About Buyers Preferences for White Papers


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Facts Are Stubborn Things

Have you noticed lately how discussions about what buyers want during their purchasing cycles has become more about educational information then events and advertising?

Across all verticals, programs that lead with whitepapers that deliver high educational value are gaining strong traction during these austere times. This traction is dependent on the content being highly relevant, accurate, complete and time-efficient. The intent is to capture a buyer’s attention early in the buy cycle to start building lasting credibility and trust - a stark departure from past advertising assumptions founded on the premise that reach and cost serves as a proxy for efficacious relationship building. As a result, a rather dramatic shift of marketing dollars toward white papers and reports is one of the growth items in 2009 marketing budgets.1

Increasingly, money spent on traditional advertising, such as collaterals, brochures and events is being heavily cannibalized by an 18% CAGR in online interactive media expected to last through 2013. This trend in spending is focused on highly informative content driven by a couple of major dynamics effecting buyer preferences.2 Back To TOC

First, the discussion around the publisher-controlled model being disrupted by the emerging user-controlled model has taught us that Web 2.0 technology requires collaboration and participation in order to enable success--it also adds tasks to our already crowded list of tasks. Blogs, podcasts, video and social networks are the newer entry points encountered when we begin to search for information on needed products or services. We conclude as we move further down this path that relevance, structure, accuracy and completeness are frequently lacking in a rising sea of fragmented facts and opinion. Because so little of this “cyber-clutter” is organized, experienced professionals – as the data in this

report shows - find it is best to be temperate toward Web 2.0 for many of these access points are considered the biggest time wasters when searching for answers during the buy cycle.3 4

Buyers want sellers to

give them ammunition

that can help sell

upstream to

management!





3

Secondly, it is estimated that a person living in a city can see up to 5,000 ad messages a day.5 Add this to the flood of fragmented and unstructured content coming from the Web and most people are agreeing that this excess has taught us to discriminate toward the highly relevant, share it with colleagues within our communities and tune the rest out at an alarming pace. Again, buyers of information technology have clearly stated that they also have to do more with less and favor educational content that aggregates facts and analysis because of the efficiency and, if they are lucky, implied objectivity that vendor neutral documents offer. Back To TOC

Back-to-basics – quality and economy for the buyer.

There is no question that making smart initial investments in quality educational documents and then using a combination of traditional and Web 2.0 tools to let the buyer know about them is delivering leads, restarting stalled buying cycles; cultivating high-value customers and prospects, and quickly shifting market or mind share.6 This realignment toward quality is being driven by time-starved prospects and buyers demanding greater economies in how they collect and use content—it pivots around buyers favorably answering “yes” to:

Can I count on this content as being objective, complete and relevant?

Does it lift the buying committee’s overall knowledge and meet our unique buy-cycle needs?

Is it good enough for me to pass on to my colleagues?

Finally, it is incredibly easy for any of us to collect information. However, to filter, extract and structure information within a specific context and offer a meaningful perspective demands broad industry and niche expertise, which is considerably more difficult. Those who do this are a valuable knowledge asset up and down the channel. This value is an expression of a company’s commitment to be of meaningful service to the buyer first and by default a chief

A February 2009 IBM

study of US and other

industrial countries

advertisers saw

segments as: 65% of the

overall population are 24

years and older; own or

use three or fewer multi-

media devices on a

regular basis; are least

likely to participate in

innovative types of

media consumption; and

is considered the “cash

cow. source

ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/common/ssi/pm/xb/n/gbe03189usen/GBE03189USEN.PDF





4

influencer of the community – the most important product and the one least vulnerable to substitution. Back To TOC





5

Fact 1 - Demand for Custom Content Intensifies

It’s clear that developing educational content is gaining a larger share of the marketing budget and traditional document types, like white papers, remain the leading format for delivering content to the buyer.

A McKinsey study of one thousand companies and the tactics they used to grow stronger during economic downturns during 1982 to 1999 found that successful companies increased their marketing budgets as competitors retreated.7 A March 2009 Chief Marketing Officer Council survey of 650 global executives found for 2009:8

29% - plan budget increases this year

50% - will cut budgets

21% - will keep budgets flat. Back To TOC

A more recent series of reports from the Online Publishing Association shows that sites offering original content of high quality swept 41 out of 43 advertising metrics.9 This work underlines the advanced effectiveness of quality content and has marketing decision maker’s 2009 plans showing:

56% plan to increase content marketing spending either slightly or significantly. 10

62% cite customer acquisition as their primary goal.11 Back To TOC

Growth will primarily come from interactive marketing services including market research & information solutions, customer contact, loyalty and CRM, and interactive advertising [e.g. “gated” downloads] and lead generation optimization. 12

74% of professional services companies ranked white papers as an excellent source of lead generation.13

Healthcare and online business information companies are seen as market sectors offering resilient revenue streams and fertile ground for launching quality content strategies. Back To TOC





6

Fact 2 - Search Then White Papers

Internet search followed by publisher websites and published research are the starting points and most effective sources for any IT research across all verticals. IT buyers use search engines to locate the information they need, but rely on a niche’s micro-publishers to build a collection of resources on specific topics, including editorial content, analyst research, white papers, and trial downloads. Buyers felt that events, associations, magazines, newsletters and vendor’s websites are the least effective sources.

Vendors must think more in terms of being the easiest source to be found by buyers and taking advantage of the power of educational content that builds trust, networks, communities and generates higher quality leads. Supporting research found that:

82% of IT buyers always or frequently use search engines to research a problem. 14

62% always or frequently use search to seek out white papers, case studies and success stories. 15

Engineers ranked whitepapers second to search engines as the most important source they turn to. 16

Information is reviewed online 2.5 times as much as it is downloaded and printed.17

Back To TOC

Newsletters, magazine, associations and events were deemed the least effective sources of information by buyers-- the greatest was spent by marketers in 2008 was events. 18

As reported in March 2009, search continues as the main driver of Internet advertising revenue growth, showing a 19.8% increase in 2008 and accounting for 45% of total growth, according to IAB/PriceWaterhouseCoopers.19

Back To TOC





7

Fact 3 - Buyers Are Looking For Information, Not A Pitch!

Documents are relied upon by executives to keep up to date and remain the primary influence during the buy cycle. However, buyers are becoming more discriminatory and prefer education to traditional marketing collaterals.

Executives are consuming whitepapers almost as much as vendor brochures - the difference is that whitepapers are the most effective marketing tool.

IT executives average reading 30 white papers each year.20

Up to 90% of executives find white papers moderately or extremely helpful in influencing their final buying decisions. 21

76% rated case studies as moderate to extremely influential.22

Back To TOC

Although brochures and data sheets are the most highly consumed by IT buyers, with 70% of respondents reading one in the last six months, they are the least influential.

Whitepapers are the strongest influencers and are the second most consumed information product for 68% of respondents.23 Other data points to white papers being the most effective marketing materials:

59% - white papers were the top source used to evaluate new technology over the prior three months.24

52% - buyers read five or more white papers over the prior quarter year, the highest consumption rate of any type of media. 25

80% - affirmed that whitepapers are somewhat to very effective during the decision making process, making it the most effective marketing tool. 26

Case Study:

When a California

company switched to

white papers that are

more educational from

hard-sell marketing

whitepapers, highly

qualified leads almost

doubled [27% from

15%] and the volume

tripled. source

http://www.whitepapersource.com/case-studies/case-study-educational-white-papers-get-results/





8

48% - use white papers to gain awareness; 36% use them when considering a solution – more than all other forms of marketing during the awareness and consideration phases.

Back To TOC





9

Fact 4 - Buyers Prefer Text

Although some vendor collateral may be highly consumed, text-based informative documents remain the most useful during the buy-cycle. They are most effective when introduced early and targeted to meet the information needs of each phase of the buy cycle and the learning styles of the buying committee members.

Despite personal preferences and alluring formats that may tempt the individual to alter course, there is a definite preference for text.

Buyers are three times more likely to review informational materials for the first time in the presale/educational phase than all other phases of the sales cycle.27

Advertisements, RSS feeds, vendor collateral, wikis, blogs and forums are all considered early entry points, but also the biggest time wasters. 28

Back To TOC

During the buy cycle, text-based document usage rises from 52% in the educational and business cases phases, dips during the mid-cycle product evaluation phase and rises to 64% during the final decision phase. 29

Audio and video formats remained present as a communication choice throughout the buy-cycle but lagged text - podcasts followed text; video is still looking for better traction.30

A third party analyst remains the most influential conversational source followed by a customer of the vendor; vendor employees remain the least influential.31

Back To TOC

The preference for text-based information, in the form of whitepapers, not only dominates a growing list of media types accessed by buyers, but also continues to grow throughout the buy cycle [See Table I below].





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In the General Education phase, whitepapers, articles and advertisements were most valued while case studies, reports and articles held sway during the Business Case phase.

As buyers considered implementation scenarios, case studies remained important and joined by tutorials/demonstrations.

As a decision nears, tutorials, demonstrations, independent reviews and case studies were most important in both the Shortlist Creation and Final Decision phases.

Back To TOC

Table I:

Buy Cycle Content

Alignment Matrix

[Advertisements, RSS

feeds, vendor

collateral, wikis, blogs

and forums are

excluded because

they are deemed

biggest time wasters

by buyers.] source, source,

source

39% - Deep Product Information33% - Evaluation Versions29% - Tutorials/ Demos27% - Independent Review & Analysis25% - Presentations

Final Decision

45% - Deep Product Information39% - Independent Review & Analysis38% - Evaluation Versions31% - Tutorials/ Demos30% - Presentations30% - Technical Whitepapers

Shortlist Creation

48% - Technical Whitepapers45% - Technical Knowledge Bases44% - Evaluation Versions42% - Case Studies

Deployment Scenarios

58% - Case Studies42% - Articles39% - Market/Trends Whitepapers34% - Technical Whitepapers33% - Market Trends Overviews

Business Case Development

58% - Articles 52% - Market Trends & Overviews48% - Market/Trends Whitepapers40% - Tech Whitepapers

General Education

Buyers Preferred SourcesBuy Cycle Phase

39% - Deep Product Information33% - Evaluation Versions29% - Tutorials/ Demos27% - Independent Review & Analysis25% - Presentations

Final Decision

45% - Deep Product Information39% - Independent Review & Analysis38% - Evaluation Versions31% - Tutorials/ Demos30% - Presentations30% - Technical Whitepapers

Shortlist Creation

48% - Technical Whitepapers45% - Technical Knowledge Bases44% - Evaluation Versions42% - Case Studies

Deployment Scenarios

58% - Case Studies42% - Articles39% - Market/Trends Whitepapers34% - Technical Whitepapers33% - Market Trends Overviews

Business Case Development

58% - Articles 52% - Market Trends & Overviews48% - Market/Trends Whitepapers40% - Tech Whitepapers

General Education

Buyers Preferred SourcesBuy Cycle Phase

http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2008/12/22/new-study/

http://www.techtarget.com/downloads/studies/TechTargetMediaConsumptionQ108.pdf

http://www.idgknowledgehub.com/research/





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Fact 5 - Double Sales with Relevant White Papers

How a document’s completeness, accuracy and perceived objectivity match the buyer’s professional profile and needs determines how relevant the information is. Surprisingly, the threshold for information to be deemed relevant is relatively low—buyers are happy if there is a match just 56% of the time. Sellers that exceed this threshold almost double their chances of closing the sale. Those sellers who target their content to match the reader’s professional profile create the most value.

A late 2008 study of 400 buyer of IT by IDG found that objectivity reigns supreme: Vendor-neutral and independent reviews are most favored. 32

Whitepapers slanted toward a vendor raised major concerns about objectivity and were discounted or disserted, no matter what the content type and format was. 33

Back To TOC

The value of content is also determined by how tightly it fits the buyer’s professional profile. The top three matches generating moderate to significant value for the buyer are: 34

82% - industry specific

67% - professional function

59% - company size

A vendor’s chances of closing the sale were diminished by 45% because of marketing and sales material’s lack of relevancy. 35

If 56% of the marketing material met their needs, the buyers would be satisfied; buyers only found relevant material 42% of the time. 36

75% of subscribers choose to opt out of email programs because of perceived irrelevance.37

Back To TOC

A vendor’s chances of

closing the sale are

increased almost 50%

because marketing and

sales material has at

least 56% relevancy -

typically, buyers only

fine relevant material

42% of the time. source







12

Fact 6 - Viral Nature of Quality Content

About 13% of a community will create, contribute to or promote information about solutions to buyers seeking guidance. Any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on quality content to others either directly or indirectly offers the prospect of exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence.

Gartner suggests that a cadre of people within a community of influence create original content or advocate information, product or services:

3% - will be creators, providing original content.38

3 to 10% - will essentially be followers who actively add to the content, but don't initiate it.39

Their value is as recommenders of products and services to prospects seeking purchasing advice.40

10 to 20% - will opportunistically add to the buy-cycle conversation.41

80% - will remain spectators who absorb the rewards of online community input.42

Their latent value is that they can report the value coming from the rest of the community.43

IDC views sales enablement, customer retention, high quality leads and demand generation as the top drivers of sales and marketing investment for the next couple of years. 44 By supplying quality content to a community, credibility is established; potential buyers are drawn out and pre-qualified; prospects are kept engaged in the buy-cycle; and your brand on top of the buyer’s mind. Whitepapers are the leading reason for active buyers to register for “gated” material.45

A globally study of advertiser in industrial nations by IBM found:

“Like everyone else, I

throw out a large

portion of everything I

receive…, unless it

actually is relevant and

appears to be

knowledgeable. When I

get boilerplate

information, it goes in

the trash versus

something that's more

relevant….” Anne Mulcahy

Chairman-CEO Xerox Corp.

source

“...the days of

randomly producing

marketing materials

without regard to what

technology buyers

want are coming to an

end…”

Bob Johnson, VP Engagement Optimization

IDG Communications

http://www.slideshare.net/lml999/idc-2009-sales-barometer-top-ten-predictions-presentation?type=powerpoint

http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090209/FREE/302059991/1108/FREE





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In industrialized nations, 65% of those typically under 24 year of age are open to trading information for a reward, as were 51% of those who were older. 46

72% stated that a detailed summary of the paper will strongly encourage completing a registration form - only 25% of marketing professionals agreed. 47

Back To TOC

After buyers register and download “gated” white papers, 37% to 67% frequently or very frequently pass on to friends or colleagues. 48 49 50

At the time of downloading: 51

32% - immediately scan and save to read later

22% - immediately scan for passing along to others

18% - immediately scan for their needs only, then moves on

15% - save documents for later reading

13% - save to scan later for interesting points

57% of technology professionals pass white papers along to colleagues and coworkers. 52

Upon reading a vendor’s whitepaper, engineers will: 53

70% - visit the vendor’s website

46% - shop the competition Back To TOC





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Customer Are Always In Charge!

We have all intensified our thinking about what content is best for reaching our customers and prospects during these times. It would be a mistake to think that this intensification is merely the product of cut marketing budgets. I hope that by now you’ve concluded that it is the fact that a lot of control over content has been taken back by customer via technology and the access to information that it enables. Because of this, and how it spells out what customers want, today’s marketing requires lots of quality content that educates rather than sells.

Time tells us to be effective and our heightened level of discrimination about what is relevant content has redefined quality. This combination has ground our lens to see that compelling quality content comes from objectivity, completeness and efficient presentation of the information rather than embellishment. Documents with these qualities have an appeal that crosses channels and jumps from one vertical to another or niche-to-niche--they work their way across the desks of many in a way no one could ever hope to see. Back To TOC

“What people do now

will impact how quickly

they recover and grow

out of this

recession…the most

important thing is to

focus on the things

that will make the

company money, such

as…white papers.” Naylor Gray

Director of Global Marketing Frost & Sullivan

source

http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090119/FREE/301199992#seenit





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Appendix: Redefining White Papers Back To TOC

Since the early 1990s, the term whitepaper has blurred from its governmental origins in the 1920s. The terms is now used to describe documents that exceed the traditional definition of three to eleven pages and often includes businesses marketing sales tools within the overall definition; an array of formats and monikers is the result [see Table II below].

In its broadest usage, the term “whitepaper” covers two general types of information products:

Marketing whitepapers use informative and persuasive writing designed to take a reader down a very specific path with a clear motive in mind—typically to sell a vendor’s product. These have

Whitepaper

A highly respected and

authoritative document

that provides

education, assessment

and advice as a

prelude to offering

solutions to problems

through a host of

common document

formats and types.

Table II

Marketing or

Educational White

Papers





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driven the explosive growth of whitepapers overall use over the last decade…high usage has also sensitized buyers to marketing whitepapers shortcomings. The chief complaint is that these shorter papers sell rather than educate by always highlighting information favorable to the sponsoring vendor. They also generally fall short on providing a full view and thus prolong the time and work needed to get a comprehensive grounding on a desired subject.

Educational whitepapers are consistently the more respected source because they strive to remain free of vendor bias, answer more questions with a broader view and lead with the intent to educate rather than sell. This includes traditional transactional works that can be bought from various research houses and experts along with free content from academia. These informative products are ideally designed for the buyer due to their objectivity and absence of persuasive talk about a vendor’s product. You can recognize these by:

concrete evidence, facts and figures

comments from recognized experts

stories about actual customer Back To TOC

“Manipulative media

and hype is out of

place. If you give

buyers either--and they

are very good at

spotting it--you can

likely kiss your good

name goodbye…

especially when

readers are looking for

precise technical

background, real-world

business cases and

benefits.”





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About The Author and Information Advantage Group

Jim Bloedau has authored over 45 market segment assessments, briefs and plans that have earned him the recognition as a quality provider of information and insight on the information technology and services used in the provider verticals of healthcare.

Since 1991, Information Advantage Group has been strictly focused on developing our new formula that levers our deep experience in healthcare’s clinical, academic, management and information technology arenas to bring you succinct and comprehensive whitepapers and reports about specific markets in healthcare. We have two great services to help you do this:

IAG's Strategic Healthcare Advisory and Development services leverage our deep buy-side and sell-side healthcare experience to help high-tech companies successfully expand their healthcare presence. We can locate and initially explore the potential, create entry and growth programs to target the right verticals of healthcare, and then help you roll it out.

IAG's Strategic Content Development produces information products that buyers will want to share with buying committee members. These may take the form of summary research covering evidence-based facts or a series of informative content to capture and sustain the market’s attention and establish you as a respected resource.

Back To TOC

http://www.iagllc.biz/about.html

http://www.iagllc.biz/about.html

http://www.iag.co/p/our-group_6369.html





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Free Use of This Paper Release Back To TOC

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Back To TOC

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References Back To TOC

1 (2009, January 13). Custom And Social Media Look To Be Strong This Year. BtoBonline.com Retrieved 1-09 from: http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090113/MEDIABUSINESS/901129951/1117/FREE&template=printart 2 Loechner, J. (2009, March 17), Accelerated Shift to Digital Media Platforms Predicted. Media Post. Retrieved 3-09 from: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=102154 3 Chui, M. (2009, February). Six ways to make Web 2.0 work. McKinsey & Co. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Business_Technology/Application_Management/Six_ways_to_make_Web_20_work_2294 4 (2008, December 18). Technology Vendors May Be Losing Close To 50% Of Their Potential Sales Due To Inadequate Online Information. IDG. Retrieved 1-09 from: http://www.idgknowledgehub.com/research/ 5 Chui, M. (2009, February). Six ways to make Web 2.0 work. McKinsey & Co. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Business_Technology/Application_Management/Six_ways_to_make_Web_20_work_2294 6 Loechner, J. (2009, January 15). Back To Basics For Marketers. Media Post. Retrieved 11-09 from: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=98129 7 Horan, P. (2008, December 22). Flying Towards Quality When the Economy Is Grounded. Mediapost.com, Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=97186 8 Maddox, K. (2009, March 17). CMO Council finds one-third of marketers plan budget increases. BtoB. Retrieved 3-09 from: http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090317/FREE/903179963/1087/FREE 9 (2009, January 8). New Research Shows Advertising Effectiveness Is Up On Original Content Sites Despite Economic Downturn. Online Publishers Association. Retrieve 2-09 from: http://www.online-publishers.org/newsletter.php?newsId=472&newsType=pr 10 (2009, January 13). Custom and social media look to be strong this year. BtoBonline.com Retrieved 1-09 from: http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090113/MEDIABUSINESS/901129951/1117/FREE&template=printart 11 Hosford, C. (2009, February 9). B-to-B Outlook 2009: Integrate campaigns to boost performance. B2B Magazine. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090209/FREE/302099981/1108/FREE 12 (2009, January 13). Custom and social media look to be strong this year. BtoBonline.com Retrieved 1-09 from: http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090113/MEDIABUSINESS/901129951/1117/FREE&template=printart 13 Stelzner, M. (2007, March 6). New Study, White Papers Deliver for Professional Services Firms. Michael Stelzner Blog. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/06/raintoday-study/ 14 (2008). Media consumption benchmark report. TechTarget. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.techtarget.com/downloads/studies/TechTargetMediaConsumptionQ108.pdf 15 (2008). Media consumption benchmark report. TechTarget. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.techtarget.com/downloads/studies/TechTargetMediaConsumptionQ108.pdf 16 Stelzner, M. (2009, February 10). New Study Reveals White Paper Role With Techies. Michael Seltzer Blog. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2009/02/10/techies-findings/ 17 (2008, November). Eccolo Media 2008 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report. Ecco Media. Retrieve 2-08 from: http://www.eccolomedia.com/form.php 18 (2008). Media consumption benchmark report. TechTarget. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.techtarget.com/downloads/studies/TechTargetMediaConsumptionQ108.pdf 19 Loechner, J. (2009, March). Internet Ad Revenues Cheat Sheet. Mediapost.com. Retrieved 4-6-08 from: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=103501 20 http://www.tradepub.com/free/w_nl02/pf/w_nl02.pdf 21 http://www.tradepub.com/free/w_nl02/pf/w_nl02.pdf 22 (2008, November). Eccolo Media 2008 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report. Ecco Media. Retrieve 2-08 from: http://www.eccolomedia.com/form.php 23 (2008, November). Eccolo Media 2008 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report. Ecco Media. Retrieve 2-08 from: http://www.eccolomedia.com/form.php 24 (2008). Media consumption benchmark report. TechTarget. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.techtarget.com/downloads/studies/TechTargetMediaConsumptionQ108.pdf 25 (2008). Media consumption benchmark report. TechTarget. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.techtarget.com/downloads/studies/TechTargetMediaConsumptionQ108.pdf 26 (2008). Media consumption benchmark report. TechTarget. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.techtarget.com/downloads/studies/TechTargetMediaConsumptionQ108.pdf 27 (2008, November). Eccolo Media 2008 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report. Ecco Media. Retrieve 2-08 from: http://www.eccolomedia.com/form.php





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28 (2008, December 18). Technology Vendors May Be Losing Close To 50% Of Their Potential Sales Due To Inadequate Online Information. IDG. Retrieved 1-09 from: http://www.idgknowledgehub.com/research/ 29 (2008, December 18). Technology Vendors May Be Losing Close To 50% Of Their Potential Sales Due To Inadequate Online Information. IDG. Retrieved 1-09 from: http://www.idgknowledgehub.com/research/ 30 (2008, November). Eccolo Media 2008 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report. Ecco Media. Retrieve 2-08 from: http://www.eccolomedia.com/form.php 31 (2008, November). Eccolo Media 2008 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report. Ecco Media. Retrieve 2-08 from: http://www.eccolomedia.com/form.php 32 (2008, December 18). Technology Vendors May Be Losing Close To 50% Of Their Potential Sales Due To Inadequate Online Information. IDG. Retrieved 1-09 from: http://www.idgknowledgehub.com/research/ 33 (2008, December 18). Technology Vendors May Be Losing Close To 50% Of Their Potential Sales Due To Inadequate Online Information. IDG. Retrieved 1-09 from: http://www.idgknowledgehub.com/research/ 34 Stelzner, M. (2009, February 10). New Study Reveals White Paper Role With Techies. Michael Seltzer Blog. Retrieved 2-11-09 from: http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2009/02/10/techies-findings/ 35 (2008, December 18). Technology Vendors May Be Losing Close To 50% Of Their Potential Sales Due To Inadequate Online Information. IDG. Retrieved 1-09 from: http://www.idgknowledgehub.com/research/ 36 (2008, December 18). Technology Vendors May Be Losing Close To 50% Of Their Potential Sales Due To Inadequate Online Information. IDG. Retrieved 1-09 from: http://www.idgknowledgehub.com/research/ 37 Loechner, J. (2009, March 13). Opt-In Email Next Best After Family and Friends. NewIdeaExchange. Retrieved 3-09 from: http://researchcenter.nuideaexchange.com/researchcenter/2009/03/optin-email-next-best-after-fa.html 38 (2008, July 14). Gartner Says Enterprises Must Create Separate Marketing Strategies for Generation Virtual. Gartner Inc. Retrieved 2/09 from: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=721008 39 (2008, July 14). Gartner Says Enterprises Must Create Separate Marketing Strategies for Generation Virtual. Gartner Inc. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=721008 40 (2008, July 14). Gartner Says Enterprises Must Create Separate Marketing Strategies for Generation Virtual. Gartner Inc. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=721008 41 (2008, July 14). Gartner Says Enterprises Must Create Separate Marketing Strategies for Generation Virtual. Gartner Inc. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=721008 42 (2008, July 14). Gartner Says Enterprises Must Create Separate Marketing Strategies for Generation Virtual. Gartner Inc. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=721008 43 (2008, July 14). Gartner Says Enterprises Must Create Separate Marketing Strategies for Generation Virtual. Gartner Inc. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=721008 44 Levitt, L. (2009). IDC 2009 Sales Barometer & Top Ten Predictions. IDC. Retrieved 3-09 from: http://www.slideshare.net/lml999/idc-2009-sales-barometer-top-ten-predictions-presentation?type=powerpoint 45 (2007, May 21). Connecting through content, issue two. Knowledgestorm.com. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.knowledgestorm.com/search/viewabstract/77699 46 Berman, S, Battino, B, Feldman, K. (2009, February). Beyond Advertising. IBM Global Services. Retrieved 4-09 from: ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/common/ssi/pm/xb/n/gbe03189usen/GBE03189USEN.PDF 47 Stelzner, M. (2007, May 10). Marketers: White Papers Should Require User Registration, Study Shows. Writing White Papers. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/05/10/white-paper-registration/ 48 (2008). Media consumption benchmark report. TechTarget. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.techtarget.com/downloads/studies/TechTargetMediaConsumptionQ108.pdf 49 (2008, November). Eccolo Media 2008 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report. Ecco Media. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.eccolomedia.com/form.php 50 Stelzner, M. (2009, February 10). New Study Reveals White Paper Role With Techies. Michael Seltzer Blog. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2009/02/10/techies-findings/ 51 (2007, August 7). Connecting through content… Knowledgestorm. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.knowledgestorm.com/shared/write/collateral/ANL/48979_08350_13195_KS_Connecting_Through_Content08_07.pdf?ksi=886736&ksc=1301034053 52 Stelzner, M. (2007, March 6). New Study, White Papers Deliver for Professional Services Firms. Michael Stelzner Blog. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/06/raintoday-study/ 53 Stelzner, M. (2009, February 10). New Study Reveals White Paper Role With Techies. Michael Seltzer Blog. Retrieved 2-09 from: http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2009/02/10/techies-findings/

