Posts by Gordon Graham
White papers and… George Carlin?
George Carlin was the last person you’d expect to have anything to say about white papers. The trail-blazing American comic was better known for his profane and cutting social criticism. But I’ve discovered a strong link between one of the comic’s lifelong preoccupations and B2B content writing. Who was George Carlin? Any Baby Boomer likely…
Read MoreGating: There is a third option
Most discussions about whether or not to gate content are all or nothing. But did you know there’s a third option? You can think of this as a “middle way” or a hybrid. And it works very well for many companies, including my own. In an earlier post of this series, I discussed the best practices…
Read MoreThis Just In: 20 years of Googling “white papers”
In 2002, I searched Google for “white papers” and got 2.8 million hits. Of course, that didn’t mean there were 2.8 million actual white papers out there. But people had mentioned that phrase online that many times. A decade later in 2012, the same search got 39.5 million hits: 14 times as many. “Wow!” I said,…
Read MoreThis Just In: NetLine 2022 State of B2B Content Consumption
Just out in April 2022, the sixth annual report from NetLine is a whopping 65 pages. As you may know, NetLine is a B2B IT content syndication service owned by Informa PLC. Based in London, Informa is a sprawling company that runs publications, sponsors events, and does research. The same company now owns the Content…
Read MoreWhite Paper World 3: April 2022
Fresh content: Updated White Paper FAQ This just in: NetLine’s 2022 State of B2B Content Consumption This just in 2: 20 years of Googling “white papers” Tools of the trade: An app to test white paper ideas Great fails in readability: Covid test product insert What I’m watching: Travelers on Netflix Fresh content: Updated White…
Read More7 ways to organize your white paper research
I often say that a white paper writer should “think like a lawyer.” That means building a mountain of research to back up your case. But then, a lawyer has to be able to access it efficiently. They need to keep all the evidence at their fingertips, so they can pluck out exactly the right piece at…
Read MoreThe shocking cost of the workforce skill gap
Here is a little calculator I built using Calculoid (https://app.calculoid.com/#/calculator/93897) This is just a proof of concept, nothing final. The design can be tinkered with, including the font and the color scheme. We still need to find good default values for each field. Average American salary = ~$50,000 Source: https://policyadvice.net/insurance/insights/average-american-income/ Turnover rate = 20% is…
Read MoreWhite papers and… the polar vortex?!
If you live in the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest or Canada, in 2018-19 you probably experienced a tough winter. Snow fell like crazy and the temperatures plummeted. Cars didn’t start, flights and trains were cancelled, meetings were postponed. Even mail wasn’t delivered in some places. Niagara Falls froze over, as shown above. That’s rare. And…
Read MoreWhite Paper World 2: March 2022
Fresh: So you have to write a white paper… Quick tip: Name your white papers right This just in: For 10 years running, 6 out of 10 marketers used white papers Tools of the trade: A new product to help you write white papers The White Paper Review: New episodes on YouTube What I’m…
Read MoreThis Just In: 6 out of 10 B2B marketers use white papers
No one has surveyed B2B marketers on their content efforts for as long as the Content Marketing Institute. In case you missed the 12th annual B2B report for 2022, here are some highlights: 56% of all B2B marketers surveyed use e-books/white papers Even more (67%) of the most successful firms use those formats 62% of…
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