How white papers are used

- Advertising and white papers…are obviously different in format and style.…One is long, the other, short.…One is sedate, the other, flashy.…One appeals to the eye, but the other, to the mind.…But there's also an important difference…in how they're used.…White papers are what is called inbound marketing,…while ads are outbound marketing.…Outbound marketing, as the name implies,…is stuff you send out into the world, like ads.…The targeting is somewhat spray and pray.…

You spray the message broadly…and pray that it hits the mark.…Outbound marketing is usually used for familiar items…of broad appeal, like consumer products.…Buyers don't need to be educated about the item,…so the marketing can be short and impactful,…appealing to the heart rather than the mind.…In inbound marketing,…you don't send a message out, as with an ad.…Instead, you make useful information available…to entice people to come to you.…Your white paper is that useful information.…

Inbound marketing reaches fewer people,…but the people it reaches are motivated.…