Quick tip: Excise the IZEs! [guest tip from Bob Bly]
The tendency to add IZE to nouns is an old story in English. The practice has been going on for centuries. Apologize was born before 1600, and criticize appeared in Shakespeare’s day. Revolutionize came along before 1800; burglarize first appeared in the 1870s. Edwin Newman, in his book A Civil Tongue, suggests that by adding…
Read MoreQuick tip: Shun the TIONs!
2.5 minute read. 3.5 minute listen. I see them all across the nation, to my total consternation: puffed-up words that end in TION. Too many people play this game of word puffery. You just add TION to any verb, and “poof!” it turns into a noun. But in my book, that’s going in the wrong…
Read MoreWhite Paper World 39: April 12, 2024
Quick tip: Shun the TIONs! Still relevant: My 2014 interview in Huffington Post [with samples] Still irrelevant: Some poor advice on white papers April Book Giveaway: Send me bad advice Listen to this edition (10 minutes total): Quick tip: Shun the TIONs! 2.5 minute read. 3.5 minute listen. I see them all across the nation,…
Read MoreWhite papers and… making your own beer?!
At first glance, white papers and home brewing don’t have much in common. But there are some surprising similarities. To start, consider the clear, sparkling style of a well-written white paper. Doesn’t that remind you of the crisp, refreshing taste of an ice-cold beer? Beyond that, here are five more parallels between creating a white…
Read MoreWhite Paper World 38: March 22, 2024
Quick tip: Here’s how to handle LSD Fresh content: White papers and… the Greek gods?! March book winner: Erica Vega Marketing Warfare and fabulous flanking Remembering John Gallop Click here to listen to this entire issue, 16:15 minutes Quick tip: Here’s how to handle LSD 3 minute read. 3:15 minute listen. No, this isn’t advice…
Read MoreWhite papers and… the Greek gods?!
In ancient Greece, tales of the gods served to inspire, caution, and educate mortals. Today these legends can guide us to create white papers that ascend to the heights of Mount Olympus. Here are five tips on how these timeless gods and goddesses can inspire us to create more effective long-form content. 3.5 minute read.…
Read MoreQuick tip: Here’s how to handle LSD
No, this isn’t advice on avoiding bad trips. This is about writing numbers clearly, using the notion of the Least Significant Digit (LSD). ⏱️ 3-minute read. One of my pet peeves is false precision: numbers that suggest more accuracy than they can actually convey. I see that in news reports, in survey results, and…
Read MoreWhat’s a good topic for a white paper?
I get that question a lot. One good answer is, “anything that’s hot right now.” And that hot topic should refer to something that’s relatively new, relatively complex, and relatively expensive. This rule explains why in 2017-2018 I heard from four eight 13 16 24 58 prospects launching new cryptocurrencies, something like Bitcoin. What made cryptocurrencies…
Read MoreWhite Paper World 37: February 16, 2024
Listen up: Now there’s audio! Quick tip: 3 steps to a stronger title [with example] This just in: 6 out of 10 B2B marketers use white papers, again Help with your next white paper: Get a blueprint! Listen up: Now there’s audio! 1 minute read. 1 minute listen. Drum roll, please! You can now…
Read MoreQuick tip: 3 steps to a stronger title [with example]
The title is the single most important line in your white paper. A good title gets your paper noticed. A poor title gets it ignored. That’s why much of the success of a white paper depends on your title. But many writers struggle with titles. So here’s a step-by-step process that makes writing your title…
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