Nobody Reads Your Whitepaper (Sorry, Not Sorry)

By Kristin Oelke, Managing Director, Growth Services, Brightrose Ventures, and author of Trust: Unlocking B2B Growth in Today’s AI World

Remember when 40-page whitepapers and static PDFs were the holy grail of B2B marketing? Yeah… your buyers don’t. In fact, they’re ignoring them. Today’s decision-makers are scrolling LinkedIn, skimming 90-second videos, and consuming bite-sized insights on the go.

According to Gartner’s 2023 Buyer Behavior Study, 75% of B2B buyers now expect a “consumer-like” experience in their research journey. Translation: If your content looks like it’s from 2013, you’ve lost them before they even hit page one.

Here’s the myth: more content equals better results. The reality? More irrelevant content just equals more noise. Outdated case studies, jargon-heavy messaging, and formats nobody consumes anymore aren’t helping you. They’re hurting you.

The companies breaking through today are delivering sharp, modern content—think interactive assets, snackable videos, and sales content that aligns with how real buyers consume information.

At Brightrose Ventures, our integrated fractional team helps small and mid-market companies retire dusty PDFs and replace them with messaging and content that actually gets read, shared, and acted on. With our fully managed fractional model, you get demand gen, sales content, and HubSpot ops—ready to plug in and modernize fast.

Because if your content is outdated, your buyers have already swiped left.

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About Kristin Oelke

Kristin Oelke brings 20 years of experience modernizing and scaling marketing functions across Big Tech, high-growth startups, and global partner ecosystems. She partners with investors, founders, and C-Suite leaders to design and execute strategies that drive measurable revenue impact.

She is also a frequent speaker and the author of TRUST: Unlocking B2B Growth Strategies in Today’s AI World, where she explores how companies build credibility, reduce buyer friction, and scale predictably through transparent execution, public proof points, and trust-driven content.

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FAQs

What are the top reasons SMB and mid-market tech companies work with advisory firms?

Companies partner with advisory firms to tap into battle-tested expertise, access fractional support without long-term overhead, and gain faster connections to trusted resources proven to work with early-stage and scaling businesses. Advisory partners also bring fresh perspective, speed to execution, and the ability to build trust with investors through transparent reporting and measurable outcomes.

How are Brightrose Growth Services different from other tech advisory offerings?

Brightrose Growth Services combine proven operator experience with fast, execution-first support built for today’s AI-driven B2B environment. We help companies break through digital noise with content that educates and resonates, build scalable tech foundations, and deliver the proof points and reporting that earn trust with both buyers and investors.

What makes the Brightrose Growth Services fractional model more effective than hiring in-house?

Rather than relying on a single marketing leader, Brightrose Growth Services provide a senior-led team across demand gen, CRM, lifecycle, content, and analytics. We accelerate growth with integrated execution, a more efficient demand engine, transparent reporting, and trust-building content—all at a predictable monthly cost.

How can startups begin leveraging Brightrose Growth Services on a small budget?

Most begin with a Brightrose Assessment to get a clear, prioritized plan and identify immediate quick wins. From there, startups activate a fractional team that scales with the business—gaining early proof points, trusted content, a scalable tech stack, and investor-ready reporting without overinvesting.