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White Papers Aren’t Just for PR Departments Anymore
White papers have had a place in the public relations book of tricks for eons. They are an ideal way to explain your company’s stance on a controversial practice in your industry or a complex new piece of technology, and for a long time, that’s the only way they were used.
But, really, that is so limiting.
White papers have evolved from their original format but they still are generally presented as a formal research paper, written in at least a nominally objective voice, that sometimes contain a formal bibliography and/or citations. While, at some level, customers know that the objectivity may be thinly veiled, they generally read white papers with more of an open mind.
In addition to being the basis for presentations, published articles and Web-based seminars, white papers make great fulfillment pieces for direct mail or email marketing. On your website, you can require respondents to enter information before they can download the white paper. In some contexts, a white paper can even be effectively used as a prospecting piece.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when developing a white paper.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Remember, you’re presenting yourself as an expert; don’t just presume you know everything there is to know without confirmation. Whatever the objective — to bring focus to a complex process, explain a new trend or offer cogent advice — the reader needs to come away thinking that you are an authority and the read was worth their time.
DON’T SELL, EDUCATE
Let the white paper “sell” your expertise. Readers are looking for information that will help them do their job better, not for a sales pitch. Maintain an objective voice, write intelligently, and include a brief “About Us” at the end of the report and you’ll be remembered when the time comes.
ORGANIZE FOR CLEAR COMMUNICATION
You can cover a lot of ground in five or six pages if you stay focused. Create a clear thesis statement in your introduction, develop it thoroughly in the body and summarize it persuasively at the end. If charts, graphs, timelines or other visual aids will help communicate your story, by all means use them.
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
A good white paper presents your sales story as if a journalist were preparing it for publication in a scholarly magazine. That said, don’t get bogged down in creating something that sounds scholarly at the expense of readability. If you aren’t a writer, hire someone who can bring the story to life; a white paper has no value unless it gets read.
Done properly and thoughtfully distributed, white papers can help you build stronger customer relationships and establish you and your company as knowledgeable leaders in your industry. Once just a tool of the PR department, white papers can — and should — play a larger role in your entire marketing effort.
About SCORR Marketing
SCORR collaborates with energetic companies to develop “next-phase growth strategies” and utilizes a disciplined approach to marketing plans that ensures solid incremental growth year after year, creating tangible results. SCORR’s team includes dedicated talent with worldwide experience in brand development, client perception, copywriting, corporate identity, design services, interactive/Web, marketing strategy, media, public relations, social media and trade shows and events. SCORR Marketing has offices in Europe, Seattle and Omaha with headquarters in Kearney, Nebraska. Connect with SCORR Marketing on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.