By Brent Applegate
Atlanta-based KnowledgeStorm (see www.knowledgestorm.com) is a major player in the white paper search and syndication market. This article will help white paper marketers better understand how KnowledgeStorm can be used to generate leads and will reveal the pros and cons of partnering with KnowledgeStorm.
A KnowledgeStorm review must begin by stating the obvious. KnowledgeStorm is big: big in terms of readership at over 1.5 million per month, big in terms of syndication partnerships with over 150 sites serving up KnowledgeStorm content, and big in terms of content with over 13,000 white papers in its directory.
The broad scope of KnowledgeStorm can be both a positive and a negative for white paper marketers. Access to such a huge marketplace is definitely a plus. However, because of its immense scale, KnowledgeStorm has become a technology encyclopedia for many readers. The challenge for KnowledgeStorm customers, like James Mikell of Quarterhouse Software, is to distinguish between “researchers” and actual “buyers.” Still, says Mikell, “Our experience partnering with KnowledgeStorm has provided invaluable market feedback and has brought in potential clients.”
To keep advertisers from becoming overwhelmed, KnowledgeStorm offers extensive account management services including registration pages, lead management services through a lead assessment program, and search-engine keyword management through a service called Click to Lead. According to Vice President of Marketing Laurie Hood, KnowledgeStorm will roll out a new service this summer that will provide advertisers with more extensive market reports based on data gleaned through the extensive KnowledgeStorm network.
White papers on KnowledgeStorm are promoted through its standard search and syndication channels, as well as through general and targeted newsletters. Featured sponsorships place your white paper more prominently in the KnowledgeStorm directory with your company logo.
Since WhitePaperSource initially featured KnowledgeStorm in 2004, their pricing structure has changed. According to Hood, the previous $6,700 yearly flat-fee basic listing has been replaced by a more individualized approach. Pricing is determined based on an estimated number of leads desired within a calendar year multiplied by the cost per lead for the appropriate category for your white paper. More popular categories are more expensive. Hood explains, “Lead cost is going to range from the $30-$70 per lead, and our average customer spends $10,000-$15,000 a year.”
KnowledgeStorm has recently announced a number of new syndication partnerships, including alliances with CXO Media, Computerworld.com and CMP Media. Hood explains, “The Bitpipe and TechTarget merger took Bitpipe from being a broad syndicator of content to being relatively TechTarget-specific. It opened up an opportunity for KnowledgeStorm to build relationships with some of its former partners, such as CMP Media, who saw TechTarget as a competitor.”
KnowledgeStorm may be the right white paper marketing partner for your organization if you want your content to get very broad exposure through search and syndication marketing. However, you must be willing to cull through the “research” crowd to find potential leads and buyers.
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