 | Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged |
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Product Description
Insightful tips to master white paper writing and marketing The white paper is a crossbreed of a magazine article and a brochure. White paper guru Michael Stelzner reveals his secrets for creating compelling white papers that attract readers in droves. The first of its kind, Writing White Papers provides critical how-to details for every step of any white paper project—from performing the needs assessment to attracting prospects with creative marketing tactics. With this book, you will learn to: * Create outlines that work * Master interviewing techniques * Focus content on your readers * Inject persuasion into your paper * Quickly find research data * Write the core parts for any white paper * Craft compelling titles * Apply proven marketing techniques Whether you have been tasked to write a white paper for your company, are a freelance writer wanting to grow your practice or a student seeking to master the art of writing white papers, this book will be your priceless guide.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #114273 in Books
- Published on: 2006-10-01
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 1.05 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 214 pages
Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
White papers are 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. This book aims to equip anyone with the tools necessary to immediately begin writing white papers that attract readers and keep them engaged.
About the Author
Michael Stelzner is one of the world's leading authorities on the topic of writing and marketing white papers. He has written nearly 100 white papers for many of the world's most recognized companies, including Microsoft, Federal Express, Motorola, Monster, Hewlett-Packard, Cardinal Health and SAP.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
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.
