A white paper supports PR, marketing and sales because it works for all levels of decision makers. Engineers and executives may not be too impressed by brochures, but they are impressed by well-written white papers. (The same thing goes for trade journal articles more about that in a subsequent piece.)
Good white papers sell products because they pack a lot of useful information into a clear and readable structure. Warning -- dont take any old brochure or product brief, print it on 8-1/2x11" paper and call it a white paper. Decision-makers hate that, dont let this be you! Good marketing white papers contain both technical and marketing sections in a balanced format, and then throw in some other great stuff. A good white paper may start with an executive summary my general rule is a 5+ page paper needs one but it will follow the same structure as below, abbreviated to one page.
White papers should include:
1) Throw down the challenge glove. Describe the pain the prospect is experiencing. (That you can help with, anyway!) Describe the problem from their standpoint, and be sure you know what that problem is.
2) Talk about how your technology will solve their problem. Bore in on the technology behind the product and how it will make their lives easier. Be sure to include some technical detail for the engineers and technology journalists who are sure to read it. (And who are sure to be annoyed if it lacks detail.) Many marketing white papers fail because they dont include technical sections, usually due to one of two reasons:
3) Get specific on product benefits. This section combines with the technology section and includes ways that the product meets the challenge. You can also use this section to contrast your approach with other technologies, especially if your product is innovative. We all know the sad fate of disruptive technologies, but readers do want to know what your product does differently, how it does it, and why it does it better.
4) Push a positive return on investment. ROI has always been a big deal, and with reason. If you have great hard cost numbers, terrific dont hesitate to use them. Longer white papers have room for graphs and charts, but even shorter ones can refer to positive ROI. Newer ROI analysis methods factor in soft costs employee time, improved infrastructure, etc. so dont hesitate to talk about those too.
5) Add some case studies. Actual case studies with actual customers are ideal, but if you cant mention customer names (common in the financial world), its fine to speak more generally. A Fortune 100 finance company recently deployed
6) Conclude with how great your product is and contact information. Heres where you can use the marketing mottoes, just keep it to 1-2 paragraphs. And include your contact information!
Well-written white papers have lots of good uses. Heres a run-down:
Theres a lot that goes into creating a useful white paper. For your next project, consider hiring an experienced writer to create a marketing white paper that just keeps on selling. Talk about good ROI!
About The Author
Call Christine Taylor today at 760-249-6071 or e-mail her at
chris@keywordcopy.com, and start that white paper selling!
Christine Taylor
Keyword Writing
P.O. Box 3499
Wrightwood, CA 92397
Recently, I wrote about about creating specific, compelling goals that... Read More
Over the years, I have been amazed at... Read More
Imagine being in a crowded concert or bar. All of... Read More
After our first half-hour telephone coaching session, when asked what... Read More
Let me create a picture for you. This is the... Read More
"THE ANSWERS (1 - 5) ARE HERE!!!"Question 1) List the... Read More
Why should you describe your business to others in 5... Read More
Wherever you turn these days you'll find articles covering every... Read More
Here are four simple things you can do to take... Read More
"I'd love to work with you, but?"How many times have... Read More
Alexander Graham Bell once said, "When one door closes another... Read More
For two winters I heated my house with an old... Read More
When buying something, you can buy in one of two... Read More
Health insurance lead generation systems provide a stead stream of... Read More
While working with a new coaching client, I asked to... Read More
What comes to mind when you think of networking --... Read More
The success of a small business depends upon a steady... Read More
How many sales opportunities have you lost to competitors who... Read More
Your business is making profits, but where is the cash?... Read More
How many of you have a corporate web site? Everybody... Read More
A completed communication consists of a sender and a receiver.... Read More
Selling With Purpose What is it about selling that makes... Read More
When a request for proposal (RFP) comes in, you get... Read More
We all learned in Sales 101 we must follow up... Read More
Remember those school exercises that started "Compare and contrast....yada yada... Read More
In some situations, attempting to intimidate the other person will... Read More
I was sitting at my desk last week when my... Read More
If you asked me to point to the heart and... Read More
The customers you already have could be your biggest lead... Read More
Some businesses flourish while others slowly fade away. There's usually... Read More
A few weekends back, the Brobdingnagian Bards performed at the... Read More
How many of you made as much money as you... Read More
There are 3 ways to grow any business:- Get more... Read More
We use this method to find new cleaningcustomers, and it... Read More
I am often reminded of the following true story whenever... Read More
Successful salespeople have the ability to turn the customers they... Read More
We all know that you can't earn your commission until... Read More
Have you ever run DOWN an escalator that was going... Read More
"I was at your site for all of two minutes... Read More
1. Animate your window display.How often do you change your... Read More
Will you do just about anything, including sending out hundreds... Read More
Back in the days when I sold for CTV and... Read More
Sean works for a major telecom company.During one of our... Read More
To be effective your sales letter must be opened, read,... Read More
In my opinion, the most overrated topic in sales training... Read More
You've polished your sales page over and over againuntil it's... Read More
What do people buy? They don't buy your wonderful presentation.... Read More
You're not alone. Most people are uncomfortable walking into a... Read More
A lot of people are very intrigued by the idea... Read More
How many sales opportunities have you lost to competitors who... Read More
Most people who consider trade show planning think of it... Read More
Cold calling can be a great way to generate quality... Read More
What do the words that you use say about you?... Read More
I've recently been hearing sales companies talk about how they... Read More
How much extra money could you make by closing just... Read More
Have you ever shopped at Walmart and thought... I need... Read More
We would all like to think that our product or... Read More
Being a good listener requires more than just keeping quiet... Read More
While working with a new coaching client, I asked to... Read More
1. Make telephone callsFew things are more terrifying than the... Read More
A closing question asks for a final decision. A trial-closing... Read More
If you need to hold a fundraiser and don't know... Read More
A lot of effort is put into getting new clients.... Read More
Manufacturers and distributors are rolling out more sales incentive programs... Read More
If you are in Sales, you have probably heard these... Read More
What do you think it is? Many experts insist it's... Read More
Sales |