How To White Papers
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Publicado: 11 de agosto de 2012
How to Write a White Paper
A White Paper on White Papers
By Michael A. Stelzner So you've decided you need a white paper. What exactly should the objectives be? Will the paper be wellreceived? How long should it be? Who will write it? These and many other questions are common concerns that should be addressed from the start. The good news is you are not alone! Since its first edition, more than85,000 people have read this paper. It is my hope that it leads you in the right direction. This paper's objective is to guide you in the process of developing effective white papers and persuasive business documents. What Is a White Paper? The term white paper is an offshoot of the term white book, which is an official publication of a national government. A famous white paper example is theWinston Churchill White Paper of 1922, which addressed political conflict in Palestine. A white paper usually argues a specific position or solution to a business problem A white paper typically argues a specific position or solution to a problem. Although white papers take their roots in governmental policy, they have become a common tool used to introduce technology innovations and products. Atypical search engine query on "white paper" will return millions of results, with many focused on technology-related issues. White papers are powerful marketing tools used to help key decision-makers and influencers justify implementing solutions. For some examples of white papers used in the technology marketplace, see http://www.stelzner.com/copy-whitepapers.html.
About the Author: MichaelStelzner is the author of Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged, the executive editor of the 20,000-reader WhitePaperSource™ Newsletter and has written more than 130 papers for major corporations such as Microsoft, FedEx, Motorola, Dow Jones, LinkedIn, HP, Monster, and SAP.
Copyright © 2010 Stelzner Consulting www.stelzner.com, 858-748-7800
-1-
How to Write a WhitePaper Rev: 2.0
Know Your Audience An effective white paper quickly gains affinity with its readers Perhaps the biggest mistake white paper writers make involves not properly understanding the disposition of their readers. Instant affinity is key. A white paper must quickly identify problems or concerns faced by its readers and lead them down the path to a solution provided by your product orservice. Different types of readers look at the same problems from different perspectives. For example, an engineer might care about technical nuances, whereas a CIO is more interested in business benefits. In the case of high-level executives or managers, their busy lifestyle means they have extremely short attention spans, an important consideration when writing to this type of audience. If youdo not grab the reader's attention in the first paragraph, you will never achieve your objectives. Decide on an Approach There are really only two ways to write white papers: (1) by focusing on your self-interests or (2) by concentrating on the interests of your readers. The selfinterest or "chest-beating" approach focuses exclusively on a product, service or solution by expounding on itsbenefits, features and implications. While effective in some circumstances, this approach is best left for something other than a white paper, such as a data sheet or product brief. The self-serving approach to white papers focuses exclusively on a product or solution The self-serving approach is often focused on the mistaken belief that people like to read boring details about why your product is thebest thing since the invention of the Internet. This method is an ineffective approach to writing that turns most readers off immediately. If you want your customers to actually read the paper, you should try to gain affinity with them right away. It should be noted that it is perfectly appropriate to touch on product features and benefits if they are carefully crafted into the white paper. The...
A White Paper on White Papers
By Michael A. Stelzner So you've decided you need a white paper. What exactly should the objectives be? Will the paper be wellreceived? How long should it be? Who will write it? These and many other questions are common concerns that should be addressed from the start. The good news is you are not alone! Since its first edition, more than85,000 people have read this paper. It is my hope that it leads you in the right direction. This paper's objective is to guide you in the process of developing effective white papers and persuasive business documents. What Is a White Paper? The term white paper is an offshoot of the term white book, which is an official publication of a national government. A famous white paper example is theWinston Churchill White Paper of 1922, which addressed political conflict in Palestine. A white paper usually argues a specific position or solution to a business problem A white paper typically argues a specific position or solution to a problem. Although white papers take their roots in governmental policy, they have become a common tool used to introduce technology innovations and products. Atypical search engine query on "white paper" will return millions of results, with many focused on technology-related issues. White papers are powerful marketing tools used to help key decision-makers and influencers justify implementing solutions. For some examples of white papers used in the technology marketplace, see http://www.stelzner.com/copy-whitepapers.html.
About the Author: MichaelStelzner is the author of Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged, the executive editor of the 20,000-reader WhitePaperSource™ Newsletter and has written more than 130 papers for major corporations such as Microsoft, FedEx, Motorola, Dow Jones, LinkedIn, HP, Monster, and SAP.
Copyright © 2010 Stelzner Consulting www.stelzner.com, 858-748-7800
-1-
How to Write a WhitePaper Rev: 2.0
Know Your Audience An effective white paper quickly gains affinity with its readers Perhaps the biggest mistake white paper writers make involves not properly understanding the disposition of their readers. Instant affinity is key. A white paper must quickly identify problems or concerns faced by its readers and lead them down the path to a solution provided by your product orservice. Different types of readers look at the same problems from different perspectives. For example, an engineer might care about technical nuances, whereas a CIO is more interested in business benefits. In the case of high-level executives or managers, their busy lifestyle means they have extremely short attention spans, an important consideration when writing to this type of audience. If youdo not grab the reader's attention in the first paragraph, you will never achieve your objectives. Decide on an Approach There are really only two ways to write white papers: (1) by focusing on your self-interests or (2) by concentrating on the interests of your readers. The selfinterest or "chest-beating" approach focuses exclusively on a product, service or solution by expounding on itsbenefits, features and implications. While effective in some circumstances, this approach is best left for something other than a white paper, such as a data sheet or product brief. The self-serving approach to white papers focuses exclusively on a product or solution The self-serving approach is often focused on the mistaken belief that people like to read boring details about why your product is thebest thing since the invention of the Internet. This method is an ineffective approach to writing that turns most readers off immediately. If you want your customers to actually read the paper, you should try to gain affinity with them right away. It should be noted that it is perfectly appropriate to touch on product features and benefits if they are carefully crafted into the white paper. The...
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