So, you are inspired by the idea of writing your own White Paper and are ready to invest resources into it. Remember a few simple rules:
Don't chase volume
20-30 thousand characters with spaces (which is about 6-14 pages of text) is the optimal volume for WP. A modern reader will hardly be able to read a longer treatise to the end.
Of course, there are successful exceptions: for example, the recent 175-page report from HubSpot and other white papers that take up to 50 pages (over 50 thousand characters). Reports can also be multi-page, and this is quite acceptable.
Educational focus
Of course, you want to tell about your lebanon email list company! But White Paper is not an advertising booklet, its mission is to educate and inform, not to encourage a purchase. Entrust the preparation of content for the white paper not to the first copywriter you come across, but only to the specialist who knows how to write high-quality texts for WP.
Focus on your reader
Before you start writing, study your target audience. Who are these people, what are their demographic, psychological and other characteristics? If you don’t do this, you won’t be able to get closer to the potential client, find the right tone and style, or accurately determine the topic. So, if marketers and advertisers prefer articles with short, simple phrases, then scientists have slightly different habits.
7 Rules for Writing a White Paper
Bet on persuasiveness
Why do experts have authority? Because of their extensive experience, accumulated knowledge and qualifications. A short remark from an expert sounds more significant than the verbose colorful promises of commercial firms.
Even in cases where you are the best expert in your product, it is advisable to invite experts and ask them to speak out. Strive to give readers objective information, to outline different points of view on the problem. Choose formats such as ROI calculation, case study, interview, survey.
The first pages are the most important
The title page of a white paper is usually posted online so that people can quickly skim it and assess the quality of the material before deciding whether to read the rest of it. The first page should be well-done.
To make the reader feel interested and understand that useful knowledge awaits him here, follow these recommendations:
Always remember who your ideal reader is and write for them;
outline the problem in general terms;
also briefly indicate the solution;
Communicate the purpose of your White Paper.
Editing, design and layout must be of the highest standard
Edit your white paper texts carefully. It is not enough to simply correct grammatical errors and let a couple of people read the text. You, as an expert, must present the information, and then you should contact a professional editor to tidy up the text, proofread it, check all the footnotes, references and abbreviations.
Creating a White Paper will take time
Such documents are not compiled quickly. Mike Stelzner analyzed several hundred white papers and prepared an analytical review of them. It turned out that the average time for writing text content for a White Paper is 40 hours (including publication, interviews, data collection and analysis).
By investing in the creation of a White Paper, you gain a chance for a significant influx of leads, closing deals at late stages, expanding your subscriber base. But on one condition: your WP will be well-written and useful. In addition to the white paper itself, you will also need marketing materials for it: press releases, articles, landing pages. If you put in enough effort and don’t spare the time, you will be rewarded.