White Paper Design
Quick tip: Make friends with your designer
When working with a designer, many writers just “throw their text over the wall.” They never talk to the designer who will work with that text. Yet somehow, they expect the designer to figure out what they want to see. This lack of communication can lead to some awful results, including white papers that are…
Read MoreMaster the art of white paper writing with these top 10 tips!
I’ve worked on 325 white papers over 25 years, and I’ve learned what works—and what doesn’t. Now, I’m sharing my top 10 techniques in a special tipsheet, all to help you create better white papers. Imagine your satisfaction at hearing: —”This is our best white paper ever!” —”We’re getting more leads than we expected!” —”When can…
Read MoreWhite Paper World 48: September 27, 2024
Quick tip: Think outside the list This just in: The enshittification of everything What I’m reading: The Canceling of the American Mind 6.5-minute read. 11-minute listen: Quick tip: Think outside the list 2-minute read. In an earlier tip, I described how to write better lists. But sometimes a list isn’t the best approach. Sometimes recasting a…
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 MoreQuick tip: Don’t go mobile-first with white papers
For years, we’ve heard that everything should be mobile-first. But I don’t believe this applies to long-form content like white papers. I’m not a luddite. I have an iPhone and I read my email on it. But when I find a white paper on my phone, I send the link to my desktop. That way,…
Read MoreHow can I help with your next white paper?
Whether you’re a B2B marketer or a content writer, you can benefit from my experience. I’ve learned a lot, working on white papers for clients all over the world. Now you can get my help with your next project… avoid all the common pitfalls… and publish a white paper that gets results. My unique services…
Read MoreQuick tip: Format white papers for the screen, not the page
I’ve seen figures saying 90% of all white papers are viewed on-screen. Yet too many white papers are still formatted like printed books: Long paragraphs of text Skimpy white space Few visual breaks Lots of extra pages at the start Making a white paper like a mini-book is NOT the way to reach busy prospects.…
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 More11 ways to grab attention with a white paper
What are some tips and tricks for grabbing a reader’s attention with a white paper? I recently answered that question on Quora. There are many things you can do to help get a white paper noticed, ranging from the cover to the structure to how you write the content. Here’s a more detailed answer, expanded…
Read MoreWorst. White. Paper. Ever.
While researching white papers over the past 20 years, I’ve seen a lot of dreck. Analyzing all those poor examples helped me identify what I call the “worst practices” of these documents. And I’m amazed to report—more than six years since I first encountered it—that one white paper is still the worst I’ve ever seen. Click the cover to…
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