When marketing meets education

This month, I have the opportunity to hone my white paper writing skills with some of the best white paper writers in the country. These are the guys who wrote the books (literally) on crafting solid white papers and informational marketing pieces. Learning from their wealth of experience is priceless.

It's been a great experience so far and has only cemented something that I have long believed and seen in action: educational marketing-- providing your audience with solutions instead of just sales pitches-- can go a long way towards building business success. In a down economy where trust is already low, informational marketing is even more effective because it's focused on building leads and building credibility.

In fact, a recent Eccolo Media study reported in B2B Magazine found white papers to be the most effective piece of marketing collateral based on reponse. (Author Michael Stelzner tracks more statistics on white paper usage at his blog. Check it out.)

Does offering free white papers-- or consumer guides, ebooks, tip sheets, informational brochures, reports-- make sense for your business? Consider the following:

They appeal to logic, not emotion. In an environment where audiences are increasingly turned off by the hard sell, these educational pieces are taking a different approach. By providing practical guidance instead of marketing lingo, they are answering the call when your market looks for help in making a decision or doing their own jobs better.

They offer food for discussion. If you're selling services or large-ticket items, research and discussion is a critical part of your audience's decision-making process. Understanding the challenges faced by your market, framing their problems effectively, offering third-party facts and evidence, and recommending what to look for in a solution puts you right in the center of their discussion.

They can appeal to a variety of readers. A comprehensive white paper can address the view from 20,000 feet that appeals to busy executives, as well as the more in-depth recommendations that decision-makers in the trenches can use.

They position your company as experts. When buyers are looking to improve performance, do their job better or make a decision, they head to Google. They do research. When you're continually able to offer practical and useful insights, your market recognizes you as a credible resource.

They can trigger reciprocity. If you know what your audience needs to do their jobs better, and you can offer that to them with no obligation, it triggers our human desire for reciprocity. You've done something to help them, and that creates a natural affinity.

They're persuasive. When you do the homework to understand the challenges faced by your market, then you can outline the problem and its repercussions in a way that resonates with them. Finally, you frame the solution, based on what you know to be your company's strengths. That's far more effective than navigating the objections to your features and benefits sales pitch.

Should you work educational elements into your marketing plan? It's worth thinking about.