Posts by Gordon Graham
How to create a white paper style guide, in 60 minutes or less
A good style guide can boost consistency, settle arguments, and save time. If your company or client has a style guide, follow it. If not, you can help them develop one. Fast. Unlike what you may expect, you don’t need to sink days into creating a style guide. Here are two quick methods I learned…
Read MoreYou asked: How do I write in a crisp, clear, conversational style?
The best white papers are written in a crisp, clear, sparkling style. Those papers stand out like a refreshing drink of pure water in a sea of dreck. Some people ask how to achieve that level of clarity. —”How do you write briefly in a friendly and conversational way?” —”What if you were taught to…
Read MoreYou asked: Why do clients expect writers to design white papers?
The question “who does design?” comes up often from white paper writers. Even Bob Bly—the copywriter’s copywriter—wonders why clients don’t listen when he says he writes text, but does not provide finished design. In my experience, most B2B companies already have a designer they work with. Of the 300+ white papers I worked on, I…
Read MoreWho do you trust for a white paper source?
White paper writers often ask me, “What makes a good source?” Especially in an era of “fake news” and “alternative facts”?! Deliberate falsehoods are spread by many sources today. Those include social media chatbots, agents of foreign governments, clickbait creators, conspiracy theorists—not to mention vendors lying about their products. With all this misinformation, a recent…
Read MoreHow to evaluate white paper sources: 4 factors to consider
So you’re writing a white paper… And it’s time to cite an expert, define a term, or introduce a proof point. Where do you find a good source? If you’re like most writers, you do a few quick queries with Google and get a list of search results. Then you start scrolling and clicking on…
Read MoreTips on white paper sources
When you search for white paper sources, any company can claim they’re the best. But finding the evidence to prove that can be tough. Doing research to turn up the right nuggets of proof gives your white paper more authority. Strong evidence strengthens your claims and proves that your white paper is more than one…
Read MoreHow to make your white papers succeed
What does it take for a white paper to succeed? That question has been on my mind a lot lately. And here’s my best answer, based on real-world data. As you may know, we recently analyzed 300 white paper projects I worked on from 1997 to 2020. Of those 300, we judged that 214 were…
Read MoreHow we analyzed 300 white papers
We recently reviewed all the white papers we worked on from 1997 to 2020. The results were fascinating. Of these 300 white papers, a full 50 were abandoned and never published. That’s 1 in 6. Three dozen more were published, but with clear defects. That’s 1 in 9. That means 214 of our papers (71%)…
Read More20 top tips for white paper designers
First time ever designing a white paper? You can make that a smash hit or a total flop. It’s as simple as that. White paper readers don’t demand anything fancy. They just want a document that’s easy to scan, easy to read, and professional. If you give them that, they’ll likely scan it to pick…
Read MoreWhen clients “ghost” writers: Advice for both sides
A marketing person asks me to do a white paper for their company. They’re excited to have me on their team. Using my time-tested method, I deliver an executive summary. The client approves it with no reservations. They pay my first invoice. I expand the executive summary into a full-length draft. It’s the right length.…
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