How to plan a product backgrounder
Once upon a time, every white paper was a product backgrounder. A backgrounder is good for explaining an unfamiliar or misunderstood product to a technical audience. For a prospect at the end of the sales cycle, or to back up a product launch, a backgrounder can be powerful. These documents do have shortcomings. Unless your…
Read MoreHow to plan a numbered list
A numbered list is the fastest and easiest flavor of white paper to create. And it’s the easiest to place in a trade magazine or website, or to repurpose as a blog post. Readers love numbered lists because they’re light and lively, short and simple. For a vendor, a numbered list is a good way…
Read MoreHow I sold $20 million of software with a "special report"
Twenty years ago, I was VP marketing for a software firm with a typical problem: How to stand out in a crowd. Our company sold data collection software for ERP systems like Oracle and SAP, and resold bar code scanning hardware from Intermec. On every deal, we were up against two or three much bigger…
Read MoreFor white papers, size does matter
A client recently asked me to write some “mini-white papers.” Against my better judgement, I decided to try. I agreed to write 10 mini-white papers of 2-3 pages each on an array of topics for a technology vendor. That’s less than half the length I normally write. “Nobody reads long things anymore,” I was assured…
Read MoreFor best results, don’t rush a white paper
The day before starting my holidays last summer, I got an urgent call from the owner of a Toronto software firm. He was desperately seeking white papers. It turned out his firm was looking for six technical white papers (~65 pages) for an upcoming trade show. And that’s not all. He wanted all these papers…
Read MoreDoes your company need a white paper?
Here are three simple questions that can tell you whether a company needs a white paper: Are you selling something new? Something complex? Something expensive? Any B2B vendor selling anything relatively new, complex, or expensive could benefit from a white paper. Whether you’re selling a product, a service, a technology, or a methodology, you still…
Read MoreAn idea-generating machine for white papers
Marketing with content is great. Search engines love it, prospects use it, and it’s highly cost-effective. And white papers are the “king of content.” The only problem: Coming up with the ideas for your next white paper! Here’s an idea-generating machine from author and design guru Roger C Parker. He’s worked for clients like Apple,…
Read More6 success factors for white papers
Many white papers are started… but not all of them are completed. There are many reasons for this. Priorities change… new products emerge… people come and go… executives lose interest. Explaining a product in detail can turn up flaws the vendor doesn’t want to admit… or conflicting opinions that can’t be resolved. How can you…
Read MoreFour wild beasts that can ravage a white paper… and how to tame them
Four white paper predators stalk the halls of many companies, ready to strike without notice. Any one of these is enough to ravage a white paper project. If you encounter two or three on the same project, run for the hills?! Here’s what each varmint looks like, and how to deal with it. Pest #1:…
Read MoreThree strikes against "thought leadership"
Whenever I hear, “We want this white paper to develop some thought leadership…” I cringe. As a marketing executive, I’ve sponsored white papers that helped sell millions of dollars worth of software. As an independent copywriter, I’ve worked on more white papers than just about anybody. And believe me, “thought leadership” is NOT a worthy…
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