White Papers For Dummies
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- Product Details
- About the Author
- Read an Excerpt
- Table of Contents
A fast and easy way to write winning white papers!
Whether you're a marketing manager seeking to use white papers to promote your business, or a copywriter keen to break into this well-paying field, White Papers For Dummies gives you a wealth of practical, hands-on advice from one of the world's leading experts in the field.
The fact-based documents known as white papers have been called the "king of content." No other B2B marketing piece can do more to generate leads, nurture prospects, and build mindshare.
Where white papers were once used only by technology firms, they are becoming "must-have" items in the marketing toolkit for almost any B2B firm. Practically every startup must produce a white paper as part of its business planning.
But writing effective white papers is a big challenge. Now you can benefit from the experience of a white paper specialist who's done more than 200 projects for clients from Silicon Valley to Finland, from mighty Google to tiny startups. Author Gordon Graham--also known as That White Paper Guy--provides dozens of tips and tricks to help your project come together faster and easier.
White Papers For Dummies will help you to:
planning, production, and promotion
ISBN-13: 9781118496923
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: Wiley
Publication Date: 04-08-2013
Pages: 384
Product Dimensions: 7.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.00(d)
Series: For Dummies
Gordon Graham -- also known as That White Paper Guy -- is an award-winning writer who has created more than 200 B2B white papers for clients from New York to Australia. Gordon has written white papers on everything from choosing enterprise software to designing virtual worlds for kids, and for everyone from tiny start-ups to Google.
Read an Excerpt
About This Book 2 Conventions Used in This Book 2 What You’re Not to Read 3 Foolish Assumptions 3 How This Book is Organized 4 Part I: Getting Started with White Papers 4 Part II: The Three Flavors of White Papers 5 Part III: From Foggy Idea to Finished Document 5 Part IV: Succeeding with White Papers 5 Part V: The Part of Tens 6 Icons Used in This Book 6 Where to Go from Here 6 Part I: Getting Started with White Papers 9 Chapter 1: Unleashing the Power of White Papers 11 Seeing a White Paper for What It is 12 Getting the scoop on the three flavors of white papers 12 Following a proven system for creating white papers 13 Declaring White Papers the “King of Content” 14 Seeing the growing trend to white papers 15 Spotting three flaws in many white papers 16 Using a mantra to avoid problems 17 Understanding Today’s Complex Sale 18 B2B marketing has evolved quickly 18 Today’s B2B buyers do their own research 20 Profiting from White Papers 22 At the top of the funnel 24 Throughout the funnel 25 At the bottom of the funnel 26 Discovering Who Uses White Papers and Who Should 27 Chapter 2: An Exciting Opportunity for Writers 29 Sizing Up the Possibilities 30 Looking at three trends pushing white papers to the top 30 Understanding why marketers can’t find qualified writers 31 Calculating the earning potential for a white paper writer 32 Discovering who uses white papers 34 Wondering whether the white paper opportunity will last 35 Coming into White Papers from Three Common Paths 36 Copywriters and white papers 37 Journalists and white papers 40 Technical writers and white papers 42 Finding White Paper Clients 44 Avoid most of what you hear 44 Getting started with the basics 45 The secret of freelance success 46 Chapter 3: The Past, Present, and Future of White Papers 47 Where It All Began: Generation 1.0 (1910s to 1990s) 48 Characteristics of Gen 1.0 white papers 48 The closest model: Business reports 49 Forcing White Papers to Evolve 50 Where White Papers Are Now: Generation 2.0 (1990s to Today) 51 Characteristics of Gen 2.0 white papers 51 Two close models: Annual reports and science magazines 51 But aren’t white papers old-fashioned? 52 Still evolving, not dying 53 Where White Papers Are Going: Generation 3.0 (Coming Soon) 53 Some trends to watch54 Four possible paths to the future 54 Chapter 4: Just the FAQs on White Papers 57 Working Out the Whats of White Papers 57 What is a white paper anyway? 58 What are the industry standards for white papers? 58 What else do people call white papers? 59 What’s the difference between white papers and other marketing materials? 60 Figuring Out Who Writes and Reads White Papers 64 Who publishes white papers? 65 Who reads white papers? 66 Who hires people to write white papers? 66 Who writes white papers? 67 Understanding Why White Papers Are So Useful 67 Why do companies publish white papers? 67 Why do prospects read white papers? 68 Why do writers write white papers? 69 Pinpointing the Wheres of White Papers 69 Where do B2B prospects find white papers? 69 Where do people read white papers? 70 Where did white papers first come from? 71 Where are white papers going in the future? 71 Tracking the Whens of White Papers 72 When do companies publish white papers? 72 When do B2B prospects read white papers? 72 When should a company use each type of white paper? 73 Figuring Out the Hows of White Papers 74 How do people read white papers? 74 How long does a white paper take to create? 74 How much does a white paper cost?.75 How much can a writer earn doing white papers? 79 How can you tell whether a company needs a white paper? 81 How many white papers are “enough” for a company? 82 Part II: The Three Flavors of White Papers 85 Chapter 5: Picking the Perfect Flavor for Your Next White Paper 87 Recognizing the Three Purposes of White Papers 88 Defining the Three Flavors: Vanilla, Strawberry, and Chocolate 89 Zooming in on the product: Plain vanilla 91 Making points quickly: Scrumptious strawberry 92 Finding a solution: Rich chocolate 93 Making two tasty mash-ups 94 Getting messy with other flavor combinations 94 Choosing the Right Flavor 95 Reflecting on your purpose 95 Considering your target audience 97 Thinking about your target sector.98 Choosing between a pure flavor and a mash-up 99 Figuring out what to do if your idea doesn’t fit any flavor 100 Developing Your Topic 100 Sizing up your ideas.100 Giving readers something new 101 Getting ideas from prospects and clients 102 Chapter 6: The Backgrounder: As Basic As Vanilla 103 Introducing the Granddaddy of All White Papers 103 Defining a backgrounder 104 Spotting a backgrounder.105 Understanding this flavor’s appeal to sales and marketing types 105 Deciding When to Use a Backgrounder 105 Promoting an undisputed leader 106 Supporting a technical evaluation 106 Supplementing a product launch 107 Looking at the Pros and Cons of Backgrounders 107 Pro: Easy to research 107 Pro: Easy to write 108 Con: Short-lived 109 Con: Not good for generating leads 109 Planning a Backgrounder 110 Gathering essential information 110 Allocating pages 112 Choosing an effective title 116 Setting a factual tone 116 Going Beyond Text in a Backgrounder 117 Adding graphics 117 Using rich media 118 Repurposing a Backgrounder 119 Press release.119 Slide deck 119 Demo120 Webinar 120 Chapter 7: The Numbered List: As Fresh As Strawberry 121 Introducing the Lightest and Liveliest of All White Papers 122 Defining a numbered list 122 Spotting a numbered list 123 Five reasons numbered lists are popular 123 Deciding When to Use a Numbered List 124 Getting attention with provocative views 124 Nurturing prospects already in the funnel 125 Casting FUD on competitors 125 Looking at the Pros and Cons of Numbered Lists 126 Pro: Easiest to write.127 Pro: Fastest to read127 Pro: Easiest to repurpose 127 Con: Most superficial 128 Con: Easiest to dismiss 128 Con: Can be overused 128 Planning a Numbered List 129 Gathering essential information 129 Allocating pages 132 Choosing an effective title 136 Setting a provocative tone 137 Going Beyond Text in a Numbered List 138 Adding graphics 138 Using rich media 138 Repurposing a Numbered List 139 Blog post 139 Guest blog 140 E-newsletter article 140 Placed article 141 Chapter 8: The Problem/Solution: As Complex As Chocolate 143 Introducing the King of Content 143 Defining a problem/solution 144 Spotting a problem/solution.145 Understanding why this flavor appeals to executives 145 Deciding When to Use a Problem/Solution 146 Generating leads at the top of the funnel 146 Educating salespeople and channel partners 147 Educating analysts, bloggers, and journalists148 Redefining a market space 148 Building mindshare149 Looking at Pros and Cons of Problem/Solutions 149 Pro: Generates the most leads 149 Pro: Lasts the longest 150 Pro: Makes the best investment 150 Con: Hardest to create 151 Con: Slowest to create 151 Con: May heighten internal conflicts.152 Planning a Problem/Solution 152 Gathering essential information 153 Allocating pages 157 Choosing an effective title 163 Setting a dignified tone 164 Going Beyond Text in a Problem/Solution 165 Using graphics in a problem/solution 165 Using rich media 167 Repurposing a Problem/Solution 168 Blog post 168 Placed article 168 Slide deck 169 Webinar 170 Conference presentation 170 Chapter 9: Mashing Up Different Flavors 171 Understanding Why You Need Mash-Ups 172 Supporting a product launch, plus attracting attention 172 Generating leads, plus raising your company’s profile 173 Creating Tasty Mash-Up #1: Backgrounder + Numbered List 174 When to use this mash-up 174 What to include and what to leave out 174 Creating Tasty Mash-Up #2: Problem/Solution + Numbered List 175 When to use this mash-up 175 What to include and what to leave out 176 Avoiding Two Messy Combinations 176 Messy mash-up #1: Backgrounder + problem/solution 176 Messy mash-up #2: All three flavors in one 177 Fixing a Mash-Up That Doesn’t Taste Right 178 How to tell when you’ve made a mess 179 Separating the flavors 179 Reconfirming your purpose 180 Using the ingredients that belong180 Chapter 10: Special Ingredients for a White Paper 181 Sprinkling on the Special Ingredients 181 Positioning blurb 182 Synopsis-style executive summary183 Numbered lists 184 Buyer’s guide 185 Case studies 186 Conclusions 186 Call to action.187 Leaving Out the Bitter Ingredients 187 Hype 188 Marketing speak 189 Groupthink 191 Vagueness 191 Product mentions 192 Direct attacks on competitors192 Part III: From Foggy Idea to Finished Document 195 Chapter 11: A Proven Process to Complete Your White Paper 197 Benefitting from a White Paper Process 197 Not all white paper projects go smoothly 198 Many companies lack a publishing process 198 A process you can use for your own 199 Getting an Overview of the Process 200 Stage 1: Planning a white paper 200 Stage 2: Producing a white paper 201 Stage 3: Promoting a white paper 201 Getting an Edge with Six Success Factors 202 Success factor #1: In-house sponsor 202 Success factor #2: Firm deadline 202 Success factor #3: Deep understanding of the topic 203 Success factor #4: Cooperative SMEs and reviewers 203 Success factor #5: Joint ownership 204 Success factor #6: Sense of urgency 204 Taming Four Maddening Pests 204 The scope-creep 205 The tug-o-warrior 205 The no-see-em reviewer 206 The dyslexic designer 206 Chapter 12: Planning an Effective White Paper 207 Step 1: Assembling the Team 208 What the client does in this step 209 What the writer does in this step 210 How to hire a white paper writer 211 Step 2: Holding a Kickoff Conference Call 213 What the client does in this step 214 What the writer does in this step 215 Resolving differences during the conference call215 Step 3: Preparing a Plan 216 What the writer does in this step 217 What the client does in this step 217 Putting together a white paper plan 217 Step 4: Gathering Research 218 What the client does in this step 219 What the writer does in this step 219 Step 5: Preparing an Executive Summary 219 What the writer does in this step 220 What the client does in this step 221 Crafting the executive summary 221 Dealing with comments on the executive summary 222 Chapter 13: Producing a Powerful White Paper 225 Let the Writer Write! 225 Step 6: Creating First-Draft Text and Graphics 226 What the writer does in this step 227 What the illustrator does in this step 228 Expanding the executive summary 228 Creating graphics without an illustrator 229 Reviewing graphics 230 Step 7: Gathering Initial Comments 231 What the client does in this step 231 Dealing with comments on the first draft 232 Step 8: Creating the Second-Draft White Paper 233 What the writer does in this step 233 What the illustrator does in this step 234 Step 9: Gathering Final Comments 234 What the client does in this step 235 Dealing with comments on the second draft 235 Step 10: Collecting and Checking Sources 236 What the writer does in this step 237 What the client does in this step 238 Saving source material as PDFs 238 Keying sources to footnotes 240 Spot-checking sources 241 Handling unused sources 242 Step 11: Preparing the Final Document 242 What the illustrator does in this step 243 What the writer does in this step 244 What the designer does in this step 244 What the client does in this step 244 Proofing final pages 244 Putting keywords in the PDF 246 Step 12: Wrapping Up the Project 248 What the client does in this step 248 What the creatives do in this step 249 Making payments — the faster, the better 249 Getting permissions 249 Transferring copyrights 250 Doing a postmortem 250 Part IV: Succeeding with White Papers 251 Chapter 14: Doing Research: Think Like a Lawyer 253 Your Goal: Building an Open-and-Shut Case 254 Digging Up Solid Sources and Extracting Relevant Points 255 Evaluating sources 255 Finding sources for a white paper 257 Understanding what makes good evidence 263 Keeping Track of a Mountain of Research 267 Writing out index cards.267 Typing and printing out a Word fi le 268 Putting them together: Word plus index cards 268 Managing content with Evernote 269 Choosing Footnotes or Endnotes 269 The immediacy of footnotes 270 The finality of endnotes 270 The tidiness of in-text citations 271 Formatting citations 271 Chapter 15: Write Like a Journalist 273 Reading for Fun and Profit 274 Reading white papers 274 Reading related research 275 Reading for inspiration276 Keeping a “swipe fi le” 276 Writing Winning White Papers 278 Getting to the point 278 Handling dialogue and sources 279 Creating text enhancements 280 Writing for translation 284 Choosing one metaphor and sticking with it 285 Controlling your material 287 Rewriting Before You Submit 288 Avoiding throat-clearing 288 Having your computer read your draft 289 Getting readability statistics on your text 289 Changing passive voice to active voice 291 Writing with Style 293 Learning from style guides 293 Following house style 296 Refining Your Writing Process 298 Figuring out your best time to write299 Wearing the right hat at the right time 299 Allowing ideas to ferment 300 Tricking yourself to get started 300 Using a mind map 301 Writing in short bursts 301 Using positive affirmations 302 Challenging the myth of writer’s block 302 Chapter 16: Promote Like a Madman 305 Recognizing the Need for Promotion 305 Promoting a white paper like a product launch 306 Measuring your results 307 Digging up sales and revenue numbers 309 Repeating the most effective promotions 310 Continuing your promotions 312 Choosing the Right Promotional Tactics for Your White Paper 312 Beginning your promotion at home 314 Using cost-effective e-mail 315 Talking it up through social media 316 Getting it to the influencers 318 Promoting it through third parties 320 Using a slide deck 321 Talking about it face to face 323 Advertising, online and offline 324 Part V: The Part of Tens 327 Chapter 17: Ten White Paper Problems and How to Solve Them 329 Boring, Nondescript Title 329 No Summary at the Start 330 No Conclusions at the End 330 No Call to Action 331 Not the Right Length 331 Sales Pitch in Disguise 332 Not Enough Proof to Back Up Claims 332 Not Enough, or Not Good Enough, Graphics 333 No Logical Flow of Ideas 333 Not Written by the Right Person 334 Chapter 18: Ten Tips on Designing a White Paper 335 Design to Enhance the Content 335 Consider Your Readers’ Eyesight 336 Realize That Text Isn’t a Graphic 336 Make Every Page Count 337 Control Page Breaks 337 Avoid a Wall of Gray 338 Leave Lots of White Space 339 Avoid Smug Shots 339 Control Hyphenation 340 Refi ne a Corporate Template 340 Chapter 19: More Than Ten Ways to Spice Up a White Paper Title 341 Stressing the Benefits to Readers 342 Using Active Verbs, Not Passive Labels 343 Identifying Your Target Reader 343 Converting a Weak Title to a Subtitle 344 Why Not Try a Question? 344 Recasting Your Paper As a Numbered Lists 344 Using “How to” Phrasing 345 Leaving Out Product Names 345 Cutting Out Jargon and Buzzwords 346 Using Selected Keywords 346 Testing Titles in Advance 347 Index 349Table of Contents
Introduction 1