The Fallacy of the B2C White Paper
I recently completed the participation in a panel discussion during the White Paper Success Summit 2009, answering questions for several up and coming white paper writers entitled, “Surviving as a White Paper Writer”.
One of the questions dealt with the issue of B2C white papers, essentially white papers that are written by businesses for expressed purpose of a consumer audience. The general consensus on the part of myself and my counterparts, Mike Stelzner and Gordon Graham, was that as a long-term and sustainable marketing medium there wasn’t a large demand for white papers of this nature.
Now several of the participants have started a new blog entitled “White Paper Insider” in which they have addressed the issue head-on with a sound disagreement. As one of their bloggers,
I was struck by the number of times that panelists said White Papers would not be a good fit for the B2C market. And I have to disagree with that, at least in terms of one area—Alternative Health.
Today’s consumers go to much greater lengths to educate themselves about their health issues than they did even ten years ago. No longer happy with having doctors throw pills at their symptoms, they’re reading everything they can get their hands on about getting to the root of their problems—so I think not using white papers as part of the overall marketing plan to these folks is a mistake.
Here’s a reiteration of my position on the issue. While there may be an interest in B2C focused white papers, it is on a “per-need” or sporadic basis, driven by news-related issues where the general public is hungry for more detailed information that is not being provided by today’s headline-driven media.
While the issue of alternative health may be attractive for very limited subset of consumers, B2C white papers as a widely accepted marketing medium for the general public is not expected to reach the same audience as it currently does within the B2B market space.
A big part of this has to do with one fundamental difference – the time and desire of consumers to read complex information. This is a practice that most business perform on a daily basis and most consumers do not.
For example, in one 2007 study conducted for website , InfoPlease.com, the average amount of time adults spent reading during most weekdays amounted to an abysmal 9-12 minutes. The results for the weekends weren’t much better. Here’s their findings:
| Hours/minutes spent reading | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | Weekends and holidays | |
| Total, 15 years and over | :20 | :26 |
| 15 to 24 years | :07 | :10 |
| 25 to 34 years | :09 | :11 |
| 35 to 44 years | :12 | :16 |
| 45 to 54 years | :17 | :24 |
| 55 to 64 years | :30 | :39 |
| 65 years and over | :50 | 1:07 |
With results such as these, it’s difficult to convince a B2C marketer that producing a white paper in support of their consumer marketing efforts presents a lucrative opportunity to educate and convince a wide swath of potential consumers.
Does this mean that white papers will never work? Of course not.
Certainly there was a great opportunity for someone to write a white paper on the very prominent issue of the relationship between cell phones and brain cancer. That is an issue on the minds of many consumers where there is a clear demand for more research-related information. But major issues like these don’t come up on a regular basis to sustain the viability of white papers in the consumer space as they currently enjoy in the business space.
My question to those who feel there is such a market, “Where are all these B2C White Papers?” If there is such a large and lucrative demand for B2C white papers, certainly many more savvy consumer marketers would have figured this out by now.
Their absence speaks volumes.
Sign up for my free newsletter, "Short Attention Marketing Tips" and receive monthly advice on tips, tricks, and techniques that will grab reader attention in your white papers.
March 2nd, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Hi Jonathan:
Thank you for this very well-thought-out reply to my post on White Paper Insider. You bring up some valid points here, but I’m still not convinced that there isn’t more room in some segments of B2C, and I’ve posted more thoughts along those lines at my home page blog:
http://www.aparcher.com/healthy-response-blog.php
The White Paper Summit has many of us excited by the prospect of adding white papers to the marketing mix of some of our B2C clients, and I hope we can have more dialogue about these possibilities as we move forward.
Thanks again for your candid remarks, and for sharing your expertise.
All the best,
Apryl
March 3rd, 2009 at 7:39 am
Hi Jonathan,
Thank you for the link and for engaging this discussion on B2C white papers. Apryl know her stuff in the health field.
It will be interesting to see if the traditional white paper markets evolve. I wonder:
- how the current economy will effect the need for white papers
- how the current changes in online content marketing will effect white papers
- how customer centric marketing will effect the demand for white papers
Although the B2B markets will remain the leading white paper market, I would not be surprised to see specific niches for white papers pop up across the B2C industries, where customers are tired of sales pitches and need solid information before they buy.
Cindy
March 3rd, 2009 at 7:56 am
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for chiming in on the issue. We need more engaging issues in this area.
I’m a little bit more pessimistic about the consumer space when it comes to the issue of reading complex information. Certainly there may be a niche here or there, especially among more educated consumers. But if the hope is that consumer white papers will someday reach the popularity of “American Idol”, we’re all smoking something funny.
Coupled with this concept is the issue of consumers and instant gratification. Using my example of cell phones and brain cancer, by the time the white paper was written, edited, and approved for market release, the issue would have disappeared from the news spotlight and with it, the bulk of demand for the white paper.
Something to think about, indeed.
Thanks again Cindy!
Jonathan
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:12 am
I think my three rules for white papers hold firm:
If a company is selling anything relatively NEW, relatively COMPLEX, and relatively EXPENSIVE, it calls for a white paper. If not, it doesn’t.
How about a new car with some alternative energy system? Yes, it’s new, complex and expensive. So a car company would likely create a brochure you could pick up in the showroom with nice color photos in it. And someone would be paid handsomely for writing it. But is that a white paper? Hmm…..
I think it all depends how strictly you define “white paper.” When I let my definition slide to encompass “special reports” I would agree these have been used for years in B2C. When I keep to a more strict definition, no.
The fact is that consumers do not expect to read a lot of background to make up our minds about a purchase. Consumer’s Reports publishes product evaluations, not white papers.
Yes, there is room for special reports in the health and medical field, probably more than in any other. But be careful what you write. There are laws in that field. And a white paper with misinformation here really COULD kill someone.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:14 am
Good point Gordon,
I forgot the litigious nature of our society (at least here in the U.S.).
A consumer-focused white paper that presented incorrect facts could be financially disastrous for both the writer and the publisher.
Thanks,
Jonathan
March 3rd, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Absolutely, folks:
It goes without saying that any white paper I write for the Alternative Health industry has to meet the same strict standards required by the FDA and FTC for any promotional material in that industry (i.e. scientifically valid, with documented research to back up any statements).
So litigation is a non-issue. EVERYTHING I write for this industry is vetted by company attorneys before going out to the public. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
That’s why I think white papers are a good fit–because the educational nature of the white paper format emphasizes fact and research–not product hype.
It’s up to me to make sure I do my due diligence, and that the companies I write for have a legitimate product, backed up by legitimate science.
If they meet that criteria, and I agree to write other promotional material for them, it makes good business sense to offer a white paper as well (as long as my research indicates it would be a good fit).
My original point was that I see openings for white paper use among B2C for Alternative Health. Those consumers (especially Boomers) read more and require more information before making a choice, and (generally) Gordon’s rules apply: relatively NEW, relatively COMPLEX, and relatively EXPENSIVE.
Nobody who writes for B2C expects “American Idol” popularity for white papers in this industry right away, but the market is evolving as we speak, and I see opportunity here.
Thanks,
Apryl