Finding a white paper topic

Every white paper needs an engaging topic.

A good topic can make the difference between a white paper that works well, and one that falls flat.

Let’s use a real-world example to show how this works.

Suppose you need to write a white paper for a vendor of automated parking meters. The benefits are clear:

More convenient: Motorists can pay with credit or debit cards

More efficient: Most fees are collected electronically

More safe: Less handling of cash

More revenue: Cities raise more money at less expense

How would you develop a compelling white paper for this vendor?

Tip #1: Size up your ideas

Start by going back to your purpose, your audience, and the half-baked ideas you came up with during your planning.

Then ask yourself:

• What angle would accomplish your purpose best?
• What idea would reflect best on your company?
• What would be the freshest, most unusual, or most helpful?

Hint: Watch out for picking an idea that’s too big or too small.

You want to focus on something you can cover in 5 to 6 pages, depending on the type of white paper you’re writing.

For example, here’s an idea that’s way too big for one white paper:

How Any City Can Solve Their Budget Crisis

A topic this big would probably call for congressional hearings and a report thousands of pages thick.

The flip side of this topic would be too small for a white paper, such as:

How to Position Automated Parking Meters on City Streets

This sounds more like an installation manual or a blog post—not an idea that justifies putting together a multi-page white paper.

Like Goldilocks, you need to find an idea for your white paper that’s not too big, not too small, but just right.

Tip #2: Give readers something new

Avoid ideas that were already covered by other sources such as trade magazines, industry associations, and other vendors.

No one gets excited about a white paper on the same topic they read about two years ago.

So you never want to rehash the same tired material as everyone else.

Even if prospects start reading your paper, you must give them a fresh take on that topic. You must offer something new, useful, and educational, or they’re going to be disappointed.

Tip#3: Google a few phrases close to your working topic

Once you have a draft idea or two, check out what’s already been published in the same area by Googling a few phrases close to your ideas.

This is a great way to get some preliminary research and find some initial sources you may be able to quote.

Don’t wait until you’re in the formal research stage; do some web searches early on, while you’re still shaping your idea.

For example, a workable idea about the automated parking machines might be something like:

An Overlooked Source of Revenue for Municipalities

Or here’s a title that explicitly lists the benefits:

How to Raise More from Street Parking
and Add Convenience for Motorists:
a Special Report for Municipal CFOs

Can you imagine any city manager not being interested in a topic like that?

Tip #4: Get ideas from your colleagues

If you’re stuck for ideas, you can always turn to a ready source: anyone in your company who talks directly to prospects or clients.

For most companies, that includes people in:

• Sales
• Customer service
• Technical support
• Marketing

Sit down with a few of these people and ask them some simple questions:

• What are the prospects and clients you deal with asking about?
• What are they curious about?
• What big problems are they grappling with?
• What do they need help with?

Listen carefully to the answers, and you will surely hear some rich topics for possible white papers.

Tip #5: Test out ideas with customers

If you have a Customer Advisory Board, user group, focus group panel, or any other way of getting hold of some typical customers, tap them for ideas.

This doesn’t have to be a one-way street. You can suggest ideas and see which one(s) interest them most.

Make sure to reward them for their time with a gift card or perhaps a discount on their next purchase.

Tip #6: Hang out where your prospects do

And here’s a classic way to follow your prospects’ interests:

Hand out where they do.

Follow relevant experts, analysts, and journalists on LinkedIn. Do searches to see what they’re always talking about.

Hang out on any forums or associations devoted to your target readers.

Tune into the conversations among your target readers to learn what’s getting their attention today.

Conclusion

It’s worth spending some time to find a great idea for your B2B content.

These six tips will help you develop a topic for your white paper that grabs your prospects’ interest:

• Size up your ideas to find one that’s not too big, not too small
• Give readers something new
• Google a few phrases close to your working to-pic
• Get ideas from your colleagues
• Test out ideas with customers
• Hang out where your prospects do

Good luck!

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