Contents
Chapter 1: A Primer On White Papers
What Is A White Paper?
Why White Papers Matter
How White Papers Are Used
How Have White Papers Evolved?
White Paper Standards
Chapter 2: The First Step: The Needs Assessment
Ten-Step Process To Writing White Papers
An Introduction To The Needs Assessment
Selecting The Topic
Identifying The Ideal Reader
Determining The Objective
Chapter 3: White Paper Outlines
Reader-Focused White Papers
Adding Substance To The Outline
Outline Templates
Getting Approvals
Chapter 4: Interviewing
Why Interviewing?
The Art Of Interviewing
Setting Up Interviews
Starting And Recording The Interview
Keeping Expert Interviews Focused
Chapter 5: Researching
Using Google For Research
Other Data Sources
Chapter 6: Writing The First Page
Lessons From Ikea
The First Page Formula
What To Avoid On The First Page
Preparation For Writing
Abstracts
Chapter 7: The Compelling Title
Titles Make Or Break White Papers
Important Title Crafting Tips
Testing Titles
Subtitles
What To Avoid
Chapter 8: Writing The Core
Market Drivers
Problem Development
Historical Overview
The Solution Generic
Benefits
The "What To Look For" List
Using Examples
The Specific Solution
Conclude With A Call To Action
Chapter 9: Writing Tips And Strategies
Translating Features Into Benefits
Writing When You Are Not The Expert
Using Quotes To Strengthen Your Paper
Writing Traps: What To Avoid
Overcoming Writers Block
Using An Editor
Chapter 10: Formatting The White Paper
Chapter 11: Marketing With White Papers
White Paper Lead Generation Challenges
White Paper Syndication
Qualifying A White Paper Syndication Vendor
Leads Via Website Registration
Driving Readership With Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Other Marketing Ideas
Appendix I: White Paper Quick Start Guide
Appendix Ii: White Paper Samples
Appendix Iii: White Paper Resources
Excerpt
White papers help people make decisions. They sit at the forefront of an educational marketing revolution. Powerful enough to lure readers and able to persuade with unyielding strength, the well-written white paper is a super weapon in the marketing professional’s arsenal. Wearing many hats, the white paper can talk business or converse technically, and it can inform or influence. Best of all—it is highly sought after.
The white paper’s underlying strength rests on this premise: If you give readers something of value, they will give you their loyalty, and ultimately their business.
White papers present monumental opportunities for writers, marketing professionals and businesses. Crafting the white paper can be a rewarding and often profitable experience. A single well-written white paper can propel a business to the thought leadership position and lead to enormous business opportunities. When you author a successful white paper, its positive results are credited to your efforts.
The use of white papers is exploding. In 2001, a Google™ search on the phrase white papers returned a mere 1 million responses.1 By 2006, that number was a whopping 329 million! Along with the upward trend, the term white paper has become a fuzzy label, wrongly applied to many documents. The goal of this chapter is to clearly define white paper, explain why white papers are important and examine how they are used.
What Is a White Paper?
Defining a white paper is one of those challenges people have been wrestling with for some time. If you look up the term in a dictionary, you will find an outdated response describing a government report. Let’s shed a little light on the term white paper by considering what some respected experts have to say.
Gordon Graham, an experienced white paper writer, describes white papers as persuasive essays and observes that their style rests “somewhere between a lively magazine article and a dry-as-dust academic paper.” He adds that white papers are fact-driven and contain useful information, expert opinions and ironclad logic.
White papers are tools used to create a positive image of a company in the eyes of its readership, explains Dr. Russell Willerton, a professor from Boise State University who specializes in white papers.
According to veteran white paper writer Jonathan Kantor, white papers reveal product or service features and translate them into business advantages.
Extending these thoughts, here are a few concise definitions:
High-level white paper definition: A white paper is a persuasive document that usually describes problems and how to solve them. The white paper is a crossbreed of a magazine article and a brochure. It takes the objective and educational approach of an article and weaves in persuasive corporate messages typically found in brochures.
Detailed white paper definition: A white paper is a technical or business benefits document that introduces a challenge faced by its readers and makes a strong case why a particular approach to solving the problem is preferred. A white paper usually proposes a solution to a problem, but can also introduce a new concept or describe how to perform technical tasks. Most white papers range from 6 to 12 pages in length; however, some can exceed 50 pages. White papers are comprised of mostly text and usually very few graphics. However, diagrams, charts and illustrations are commonly included in most white papers.
White papers “represent an intersection of technical documentation (i.e., providing technical information about a product or service) with marketing communication (developing information to inform potential customers, improve sales and garner attention in the marketplace),” explains Willerton.
White papers usually provide valuable information to their intended audience, yet readers of white papers generally understand that the sponsoring company is marketing to them. The marketing aspect of a white paper is typically a very soft sell. Overt marketing messages are usually left for other documents. Often, solutions are introduced only after a significant case has been established, demonstrating a clear need.
