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 -- don't take any old brochure or product brief,
print it on 8-1/2x11" paper and call it a white paper. Decision-makers
hate that, don't 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:
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.
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 don't include technical
sections, usually due to one of two reasons:
Extreme paranoia regarding proprietary knowledge.
Shoot, no one is asking you to include the blueprints. But if
you won't tell your customers what you're selling because you're
afraid your competitors will find out, I suggest that you are
not ready for the marketplace.
Uncertain writer. If the writer doesn't know
the background technology, they can't write about it. Find an
experienced technology writer and give them the information they
need. (If necessary, professionals will understand the need for
signing an NDA. Just don't try to get them to dump their other
clients.)
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.
Push a positive return on investment. ROI has
always been a big deal, and with reason. If you have great hard
cost numbers, terrific - don't 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 don't hesitate to talk about those too.
Add some case studies. Actual case studies with
actual customers are ideal, but if you can't mention customer
names (common in the financial world), it's fine to speak more
generally. "A Fortune 100 finance company recently deployed…"
Conclude with how great your product is and contact
information. Here's 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.
Here's a run-down:
Sell a product - its ultimate purpose, of course
Differentiate product from competitors
Place company in leadership role
Promote bylined author as a subject matter expert.
(Which they should be, even if a professional writer actually
wrote the thing.)
Help journalists research their stories (note:
journalists are not helped by sales brochures)
There's 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!
The Christine
Taylor Company
P.O. Box 3499
Wrightwood, CA 92397
