According to industry studies, more than 90 percent of technology buyers consult a white paper or case study before contacting a vendor regarding a purchase.
Content syndication is one of the most cost-effective ways to leverage your investment in white papers, Webcasts, podcasts, case studies, analyst reports, and other informational content by making those documents instantly accessible to millions of technology buyers searching for information related to your category or the business problem that your product solves.
There are now hundreds of third party Websites and ad networks that will post your content for a fee. And therein lies the risk. Which sites are the best fit for your target demographic? How can you avoid paying for international contacts, or students, or other junk leads that you don’t need? When every ad rep is chasing a slice of your marketing budget by claiming his or her site is the perfect fit, who do you believe? (Remember, even “guaranteed performance” doesn’t mean much if those leads are from outside your target audience.)
Introducing No Risk, No Hassle Content Syndication
Spear offers a turnkey content syndication service - media, creative, program management, campaign tracking, lead management - that eliminates the risk, vendor hassles, and ongoing management from content syndication. Here’s how it works:
- You tell us how many leads you need, how much you’re willing to pay for those leads, and what criteria you need those leads to meet (for example: geography, company size, industry, or even technical criteria such as type of software)
- We consult our vast network of media partners and negotiate a package of content postings and other promotions that gives you precisely the number of leads you want, from the types of companies you want to talk to, at the cost you want to pay
- We’ll manage every facet of the campaign - develop a custom media plan, negotiate with the vendors, write the abstracts or any other required marketing copy, consult with you on the type of content proven to work best for other clients, place the content on your behalf, capture all registrations, and then deliver the leads via e-mail as CSV files, or set up an automatic data feed into your CRM or marketing automation system
- Even though we guarantee results, we don’t just turn the campaign on and walk away. We’ll monitor the program constantly, troubleshooting any vendor issues that arise, and making recommendations to add, drop or swap content as necessary
- Want more? We’ll set up a systematic lead management program that automatically scores, qualifies, and nurtures all inbound leads, only forwarding them to sales when they’re deemed “sales ready” (by whatever criteria you define). For leads that don’t meet the grade, we’ll design custom lead nurturing programs to keep those leads warm until they merit sales follow-up.
I’m already talking to ad reps from some of the companies in your network - why wouldn’t I just work with them directly?
That’s certainly an option. But despite what you might be hearing from those reps, no one site or ad network is going to give you precisely the type of leads you’re looking for, in the volume you need, at the price you can pay. A lot of sites offer “guaranteed performance” of one sort or another, but many will include leads from outside your target profile (for example, international inquiries - assuming you don’t want them) towards that count.
Couldn’t I just go to a big ad network like CNET and get the same type of guaranteed performance?
Sure, but know that the most cost effective syndication programs are those that utilize multiple vendors. When vendors are competing head-to-head with other sites, 1) we’re able to negotiate better rates, and 2) the sites are more likely to aggressively promote your content so you’ll want to spend more with them next quarter. Dealing with multiple vendors can be a hassle, but we take all that off your hands.
If I already have an active syndication program, can you manage that for me also?
Yes, we can. We know how to negotiate the best possible rates (and terms), we can advise you on the type of content you should be posting, we’ll monitor the program on your behalf (and troubleshoot any issues), we can even consolidate the lead flow from every vendor in the program into one, single stream of inquiries.
This all sounds too good to be true. How does Spear make money on the program?
First, we receive an agency discount on most media, and then add an industry-standard commission to that cost. We also charge a fixed management fee - typically between $5,000 and $10,000 depending on the number of vendors involved and the number of leads you need. There are additional charges for optional services like lead consolidation, automatic feed into your CRM system, and lead management (scoring, qualification, nurturing).
But if I need to keep my Cost Per "Good" Lead (CPL) under $100, for example, how can I do that if you’re charging me these fees?
Two things to consider: 1) you can choose to include the fees in your calculations. Depending on the number of leads you’re looking to generate, it might be that we need to achieve a $75 CPL in order to hit your target. That’s OK - we love a challenge. 2) When you deal directly with a vendor, the media isn’t your only cost. There’s also the cost of your time to negotiate the terms, select the content, develop the abstracts, coordinate placement, manage the program, and troubleshoot the inevitable hiccups along the way. How much is your time worth? Maybe our fees are a pretty good investment.
We’re a small company. What kind of budget do I need?
Our minimum media spend is $10,000, not including management and other fees (see above).
How do I know what kind of CPL to ask for? Can you meet any target number I specify?
No, we can’t. Our ability to meet your target cost depends on a number of variables: the quality of your content, the currency of the topic, brand recognition, the profile (and size) of your target audience, the stringency of your lead criteria, and the volume of leads you’re looking for. If we don’t think we can meet your target, we’ll say so. Or in some cases, we’ll do some preliminary research and come back with what we think is a more realistic target.
We have some very specific criteria for companies we want to talk to. Can you help us?
Probably, yes. We’ve deployed programs for clients who have qualifying questions like:
- I am considering/researching/deploying a [insert your category here] initiative
- We currently have [insert software/hardware necessary for compatibility with your solution here] installed
Just know that the more criteria, and the more stringent the criteria, the fewer leads you can expect to generate, and the more costly those leads will be.
Do I get to choose the sites that I want my content to appear on?
If you have specific sites you want us to include in our research, we’re happy to do so. (Chances are we’re talking to them already.) But otherwise, our ability to negotiate the types of rates we do depends on the flexibility to select the precise vendors who can agree to your terms. In some case, you might never have heard of some of the sites, but remember: they’re guaranteeing you quality leads at a fixed price, so what’s the risk?
Will I know which sites are performing best?
In most cases, yes. We’ll also track and report on overall campaign performance, and how well the different content assets are performing. Just know that we’re always motivated to generate the absolute best performance for your program (so you’ll continue to work with us) - even to the point of shifting media spend between sites once the program is online.
We’re really short on content. Can you help us create the type of assets that would work well in a syndication program?
Absolutely. We can develop white papers, ebooks, surveys, podcasts, case studies, even product collateral. Plus we know precisely the type of content (and topics) that work best for lead generation purposes.
OK, sounds good - what’s the best way to start?
Just contact our business development department at 925-891-9050 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and be prepared to tell us:
- How many leads you’re looking to generate.
- Your target timeframe
- Your lead criteria (ex: geography, company size)
- Your target Cost Per Lead
We’ll take it from there.
I’m a publisher and I’d like our site to be part of your network. Who do I contact?
Contact our media department at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
How to get started
If you’re already a Spear client, simply contact your Spear account executive. Or, for a free, no-obligation consultation, contact our business development department at 925-891-9050 or send an e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
View FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm already talking to ad reps from some of the companies in your network - why wouldn't I just work with them directly?
That's certainly an option. But despite what you might be hearing from those reps, no one site or ad network is going to give you precisely the type of leads you're looking for, in the volume you need, at the price you can pay. A lot of sites offer "guaranteed performance" of one sort or another, but many will include leads from outside your target profile (for example, international inquiries - assuming you don't want them) towards that count.
Couldn't I just go to a big ad network like CNET and get the same type of guaranteed performance?
Sure, but know that the most cost effective syndication programs are those that utilize multiple vendors. When vendors are competing head-to-head with other sites, 1) we're able to negotiate better rates, and 2) the sites are more likely to aggressively promote your content so you'll want to spend more with them next quarter. Unfortunately, dealing with multiple vendors is a hassle, but we take all that off your hands.
If I already have an active syndication program, can you manage that for me also?
Yes, we can. As an agency, we receive discounts from many of our media partners, so the cost of the media will probably be the same either way. Plus we know how to negotiate the best possible rates (and terms), we can advise you on the type of content you should be posting, we'll monitor the program on your behalf (and troubleshoot any issues), and we'll consolidate the lead flow from every vendor in the program into one, single stream of inquiries.
This all sounds too good to be true. How does Spear make money on the program?
First, we receive an agency discount on most media, and then add an industry-standard commission to that cost. We also charge a fixed management fee which varies depending on the number of vendors involved and the number of leads you need. There are additional charges for optional services like campaign tracking, integration with your SFA/CRM system, and lead management (scoring, qualification, nurturing).
But if I need to keep my Cost Per "Good" Lead (CPL) under $100, for example, how can I do that if you're charging me these fees?
Two things to consider: 1) you can choose to include the fees in your calculations. Depending on the number of leads you're looking to generate, it might be that we need to achieve a $75 CPL in order to hit your target. That's OK - we love a challenge. 2) When you deal directly with a vendor, the media isn't your only cost. There's also the cost of your time to negotiate the terms, select the content, develop the abstracts, coordinate placement, manage the program, and troubleshoot the inevitable hiccups along the way. How much is your time worth? Maybe our fees are a pretty good investment.
We're a small company. What kind of budget do I need for White Paper Connection™?
Our minimum media spend is $10,000, not including management and other fees (see above).
How do I know what kind of CPL to ask for? Can you meet any target number I specify?
No, we can't. Our ability to meet your target cost depends on a number of variables: the quality of your content, the currency of the topic, your brand recognition, the profile (and size) of your target audience, the stringency of your lead criteria, and the volume of leads you're looking for. If we don't think we can meet your target, we'll say so. Or in some cases, we'll do some preliminary research and come back with what we think is a more realistic target.
We have some very specific criteria for companies we want to talk to. Can you help us?
Probably, yes. We've deployed programs for clients who have qualifying questions like:
- I am considering/researching/deploying a [insert your category here] initiative
- We currently have [insert software/hardware necessary for compatibility with your solution here] installed
Do I get to choose the sites that I want my content to appear on?
If you have specific sites you want us to include in our research, we're happy to do so. (Chances are we're talking to them already.) But otherwise - no, our ability to negotiate the types of rates we do depends on the flexibility to select the precise vendors who can agree to your terms. In some case, you might never have heard of some of the sites, but remember: they're guaranteeing you quality leads at a fixed price, so what's the risk?
Will I know which sites are performing best?
You'll be able to track overall campaign performance, and how well the different content assets are performing, but not performance by site. Just know that we're motivated to generate the absolute best performance for your program (so you'll continue to work with us) - even to the point of shifting media spend between sites once the program is online. Once you formally authorize the program, you'll know which sites and ad networks will be hosting your content, but withholding individual site performance data is our way of protecting intellectual property - i.e. the knowledge that comes from working on programs for other companies like yours.
OK, sounds good - what's the best way to start?
Just contact our business development department at 650-306-9060 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and be prepared to tell us:
- How many leads you're looking to generate.
- Your target timeframe
- Your lead criteria (ex: geography, company size)
- Your target Cost Per Lead
I'm a publisher and I'd like our site to be part of your network. Who do I contact?
Contact our media department at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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