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“He who fails to plan, plans to fail.” Old Proverb

Preparation and planning is the first step in writing a white paper. Assemble your thoughts and discussions into a plan of action before you start writing. Your preparation includes research on the domain topic, the marketplace, and the audience. Most writers aren’t experts on the particular subject matter of the paper, so they do substantial research before they start the first sentence. It is the careful planning combined with the research that adds new perspectives to old topics. Despite not being a domain expert, the best writers use preparation to add a fresh viewpoint to white papers.

Even subject matter experts need to go through this exercise. The type and amount of information gathered will be different than a non-expert, but putting everything into a single plan helps you focus on the writing, not on the content.

Here are some things to gather:

Subject matter information – You should gather as much information about the subject matter from as many sources as you can. Read through several books and review the trade publications on the topic. Gather internal company and customer product information – sales literature, catalogs, website, and existing white papers. One overlooked source of information is the technical specification, installation guide, and the documentation for the product. And, if you are selling a software product, look inside the source code if you can. The comments that programmers write are very informational, as well as humorous.

Goals – Write down the goals of the paper. Is this paper a test run for the market? Is the paper part of a thought leadership program? Are you trying to generate sales leads? The specific end result should be documented and well understand.

Audience – Write down the audience of the paper. The description of your audience should include the title and job responsibilities, but also any psycho-graphic and demographic data you have. The more you understand your reader, the better you can communicate.

Macro / Micro issues – Normally, the areas above are enough for preparation. A increased perspective can be gained if you look at the broader issues surrounding the company. These broader issues include the competition, industry market research, and the overall health of the particular industry.

If you gather this information for your next white paper, you’re ducks will all be in a row. And you’ll find the writing to be much easier after you’ve completed this prep work.

This post will discuss the Top Ten Mistakes in Writing White Papers. This post contains #9 and #10.

Mistake #9 – Misuse of jargon

Jargon is the informal words and phrases that pop up in groups and communities. It has a purpose in social settings, but not in writing. A white paper should be professional and communicate clearly, without being boring. There should be no jargon in a white paper.

Jargon plays a role in social situations. You will often overhear employees of a company use jargon to describe internal processes and other events. In these social settings, jargon helps build a community.

White papers are used for education and jargon often muddies the message. If you can’t communicate with clarity and precision, your message suffers. Jargon contributes to the absence of precision because it is used as a language substitute. The ‘slang’ words are mental short-cuts and grossly oversimplified.

There is one exception to the rule: technology. The technology market has multiple words and phrases describing technical terms. If there is ever a question, give priority to clarity over everything else.

It is better to write clearly and focus on your message. Leave the jargon for social situations.

Mistake #10 – Our market is different

No, it’s not. Everyone says that.

Sure, there may be specific details and peccadilloes that don’t exist in other industries. But those minor differences do not change the overall landscape of business. The overarching principles of business, marketing, and customers still apply.

Don’t fall into the trap that your market is different. Keep an open mind and pull in new ideas from all areas. One good idea could get your over your next big hurdle.

Writing simply doesn’t mean you are writing simplistically or childishly, but rather that you are making clear statements, constructing arguments logically, and describing your product appropriately.

When I download and read white papers, especially B2B technology papers, there is always a tendency to use ‘extra’ words to describe the product. In some cases, it is obvious an engineer wrote the paper and someone – it still isn’t clear to me who does this – goes back through and adds in extra words. Those papers always have the same characteristics.

The paper is filled with multiple compound sentences strung together in way to barrage the reader with attributes, rather than communicate. The features of the product are adorned with seemingly elaborate, yet empty, words. These descriptive phrases are often comprised of a set of 3 attributes, all separated by commas and all equally meaningless. These words are used at least once: solution, capabilities, quickly, fully functional, time to market, complete, integration, scalable, flexible.

(As I write the sentence above, I’m reviewing an actual paper. Yes, it contained all of the words above.)

In the beginning, when white papers were first being used, those words might have meant something. Today, they are empty and make the paper unnecessarily complicated. When you write simply, your ideas flow off the page and the reader effortlessly understands. Not only do simply written paper take less effort to read, they do a better job of convincing the reader.

When you have completed the 2nd draft of your paper, I would make a specific pass to eliminate those empty words.

Then I would make another pass, pausing after each sentence and asking “Is this as simply as I could write this sentence?”

In the end, you do more work. But the rewards in new customers will be amazing.

From Wikipedia:

White Paper History

This post will discuss the Top Ten Mistakes in Writing White Papers. Items #7 and #8 are today.

Mistake #7 – Not re-using the content

The process of writing a white paper takes several hours of research and editing, not including the actual writing process. Why would you take all that time and then just it one time? Leverage your effort into other areas.

To get more return out of your time invested, re-use the content in different forms. Psychologists have long recognized that different people have different styles of learning. Why not take your invested time and use it to create multiple areas?

Here is a short list of follow-on items that could be quickly built using data from a white paper:

- Special sections on your website
- Niche sites on the web
- Specialized landing pages
- Presentations for trade shows and conferences
- Training classes for customers
- Datasheets

Mistake #8 – Not respecting the writing process

The ‘writing’ part of a white paper is only one component in the creation process. Yes, there is a process. Often, the shortest section of the process is the actual writing. At a grossly oversimplified level, the process is :

Research -> Planning -> Writing -> Editing

Very few people realize the greatest writers are the same ones who are the most disciplined. It takes more than a simple, “I’m going to write a white paper today.’ kind of attitude.

The mythological stories of a writer hunched over an oak desk furiously are nice to imagine. We are somehow drawn the outpouring of energy and inspiration that flows from the mind to the pen. What we don’t imagine is the intense sessions of research and editing that precede and follow the vigorous writing.

Shortcutting these steps will ultimately be detrimental to the paper and it will show in the content. The best white papers are the ones written with a process

I wrote about the headline being one of the biggest mistakes people make in white papers. I continue that thought here.

Many of the authors who write white papers are also doing other things. Their titles range from Marketing Managers, Engineering Managers, Product Managers, and even Sales Managers. Sadly, these people are writing out of necessity. They aren’t professional writers, but no one else in the organization has the time to author a paper. So, the manager writes it.

Since the author of the white paper isn’t a writer, the headline is overlooked. And, the headline is the most important element of the paper. Why?

Because the headline gets the reader to start reading the first sentence.

There are several resources to help with writing headlines. Many of them are from the great copywriters of the world. Don’t let this discourage you. Anyone who writes a white paper – product managers, marketing managers, engineers, or FAEs – should invest time into reading the great books from copywriters. They have a lot to teach you about creating desire, flow, and salesmenship.

Here are some I would recommend:

Advertising Secrets of the Written Word, Joseph Sugarman

Claude Hopkins, Scientific Advertising

The Gary Halbert Letter

There is a long time debate around the issue of password protection on a white paper.

Lead generation specialists will tell you you should include a password on the white paper. They claim there is no other way to gather contact information. On the other hand, New Marketers claim content is essentially free, and a password will cause many people to move on to other sources of information, namely your competition.

The answer is not straightforward. In many situations, the answer depends on a variety of things. There is no single right or wrong method that works for all companies.

Here are some things to consider:

(1) Is the white paper part of a thought leadership campaign?

(2) Is the paper ultimately focused on your product or service?

(3) Have your competitors released similar papers?

(4) Will this be released on a website or broad mailing list?

(5) Does the paper contain confidential information or trade secrets?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to all of the questions except #5, then there is a good chance you should NOT protect it with a password. Use some other kind of lead generation mechanism.

This post will discuss the Top Ten Mistakes in Writing White Papers. Items #5 and #6 are today.

Mistake #5 – Not using thought leadership

Generally, white papers are used in two manners: excite prospects about current products and establishing your long term credibility. Short-term often dominates the long-term, to the detriment of the company.

Most companies want more sales today. Who doesn’t want that?

Unless you are constantly churning out new products, it becomes hard to maintain a constant flow of short-term ‘excitement.’ At some point, your product innovation pipeline will slow, and you’ll be out of tricks.

Thought leadership white papers offer information that is relevant, applicable, and interesting to your core audience. The information is to help the market set vision, solve a problem, or educate on upcoming problems. The most effective use of this technique is applied repeatedly over time.

Thought leadership, if done properly, creates a unique position for you. New prospective customers will start to visit your site for information before they begin their search.

Initially, a thought leadership paper may have lackluster results. Over time, a thought leadership initiative will generate more leads. More importantly, the leads will be higher quality and will be closer to closing.

Mistake #6 – Skipping the headline

Writers don’t really want to spend time on the headline. They think that after countless hours of researching, writing, and editing, the headline should describe the topic, not be ‘catchy.’ They believe that the content will carry itself. On some level, that seems reasonable.

This situation happens often in the technology field. The writer constructs an elaborate, long-winded headline explaining the content of the paper. Those papers are usually the ones that don’t get the read.

You should realize that most people, like you, are pressed for time. They make a split second decision about your paper, including it’s worthiness to them, it’s relevance to them, and it’s quality.

The headline is the first rung in the decision making ladder. It serves one purpose: to get your reader to move further into the paper. If the headline is dull, you’ll likely find yourself being passed over.

This post will highlight the Top Ten Mistakes in Writing White Papers. Today’s post includes #3 and #4.

Mistake #3 – No clear path for follow-up

What happens when someone finishes reading your paper?

Do they close down the .PDF file and then move on to something else? If your paper made even a small impression on the reader, most readers will want to learn more.

What is the next step you want people to take?

There should be clear action sequence that the customer should follow. Most people have a very loose approach when it comes to follow-up actions. They leave the paper as is and expect the sales team to follow up with the downloaded paper. Usually, this translates to potential sales slipping by.

Your actions can be varied. You could have them: go to a landing page, send an email, place a phone call, download a software demo. Something. Just make sure you tell them where to go.

If you don’t give the reader a clear idea of where to go, you are leaving the sale to random chance. By specifically telling them the next step, you guide the reader along, putting them one step closer to purchasing.

Mistake #4 – Not knowing the reader

How well do you know your reader?

You can probably tell me the title, the industry, and a few company names. That’s not enough. You need to know enough about the reader so you can create a connection with them.

Many companies use market research and sales date to broadly define their audience. The difficulty is, similar job titles are often commonplace, but the responsibilities are vastly different. Depending on the industry, the core job requirements could be different. By using broad strokes of data to define the audience, you are missing salient points about the reader.

You should have a great understanding of your reader. You should maintain detailed information that relates to job title, industry, specific duties, etc. You should know her job responsibility, know his hardships, and the worries on their mind. Who does he report to? What does he manage? What creates pressure and stress for him? What is his approval process? There are many, many more.

This understanding will allow you to focus on the reader and will create a stronger connection. When you know the reader intimately, you will produce better information and write in a way that is clear and concise. The best white papers create a deep, strong connection with the reader.

This post will highlight the Top Ten Mistakes in Writing White Papers. Today’s post includes #1 and #2.

Mistake #1 – Turning the paper into a sales pitch

By far, the most common mistake white papers make is launching into a sales pitch. This pitch is the main reason why a prospect stops reading.

People view hundreds of advertisements in a day – on the web, TV, radio, billboards, newspapers, magazines, and so on. Whatever the medium, there is always an ad. Because of this bombardment of messages, the average consumer has become very adept at one thing – ignoring the ads. When the white paper starts into a sales pitch, the reader goes into their default operating mode of ignoring you.

Your white paper should educate the reader. You can help explain to the reader a new trend or methodology, solve a problem that they currently have, or present a new way of solving an old problem.

But don’t start off by selling them. As soon as they start to smell a pitch, they leave and go somewhere else. Most probably to your competitors.

Remember this – they are trading a small piece of their time to read your paper. Don’t jeopardize that gift by jumping into a pitch. They have given you a portion of their time, so you should give them new information. Return their gift of attention on your paper by providing something in return – education.

Your first goal is to educate.

Mistake #2 – Confusing company information with customer interest

Today’s harsh truth of commerce – most people are buying your product to help themselves, not to help you. Sure, the purchase helps your sales, but the customer could care less about that. They want your product because it helps them solve some issue.

So don’t begin your paper with company information. Front-loading a white paper with 3 pages of company information history is ego-centric and off-putting. As people take interest in your company, discuss information related to the issues, not information about you.

Imagine this date scene. A young couple on a blind date visit a nice, semi-romantic restaurant. As the appetizers reach the table, the man launches into mindless dribble about hard drives, gardening, computing performance, investment strategies, monster trucks, and his company information. What happens next? When he looks up from his plate, his date has her head down on the table. She passed out from boredom.

Many companies want to be portrayed as professional. They have a tendency to launch into information about themselves – why they are the best, how their product is the best, and how they are better than the competition. People don’t want to hear about you, they want to hear about themselves.

There is nothing wrong with putting information about yourself. Just create a separate section of the paper to hold that information – at the end.

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