Quick tip: How to write a white paper title that sizzles

Which white paper would YOU sooner read:

If you’re like most people, the title on the left makes your eyes glaze over…

while the one on the right has a fighting chance to get your attention.

Want to make your white paper title sizzle? Here are 11 tips on putting together more compelling titles for white papers.

Title tip #1: Understand that your title is critical

Think about it: How do most prospective readers find your white paper?

Most likely they do a Google search, or visit a site like Bitpipe.com or Knowledgestorm.com or FindWhitePapers.com.

In any case, what do they see?

A list of titles, with a snippet of text under each one. Your challenge is to compel prospects to pick your title out of the pack.

Title tip #2: Learn to spot tired titles

A boring title usually contains no active verbs and loads of lengthy buzzwords.

Worst of all, it sounds just like 100 other titles you’ve heard before.

It’s just too generic, too careful, too corporate-sounding, and too packed with SEO buzzwords.

Title tip #3: Consider using a number

This article could easily be called:

11 tips on white paper titles

But remember: Some say David Letterman ruined the Top 10 list forever. Everyone knows he only had five or six good ones and the rest were filler.

So don’t be afraid to stop at fewer than 10… or to push it past 10, as we did here.

See this article for more on using the numbered list format (aka “listicle”).

Title tip #4: Take time to find a dynamic name

With so much at stake, don’t just grab the first title anyone suggests.

Play around with some variations of your first idea until you have the punchiest possible name.

Title tip #5: Stress the benefits for readers

Always tell your readers what your information can do for them.

What will they gain from investing their precious time to download and read it?

Title tip #6: Address prospects by job title

That would look like:

6 Things Every CIO Must Know about Data Warehousing

That makes it harder for any CIO to pass by without pausing and wondering if they know all six things.

Maybe they should check out your white paper; they might learn something.

Title tip #7: Call it what it is

Not everything has to be called a “white paper.”

In fact, in some industries and for some prospects, white papers sound like too much work to bother with.

Perhaps you should call your document something like:

• an executive overview
• a technology backgrounder
• an evaluator’s guide
• a special report (my personal favorite)
• something else entirely.

You can slip this in as a subtitle:

6 Things Every CIO Must Know about Data Warehousing: an Executive Overview

Or you can not label your white paper at all. Just give it a snappy title and let that be the end of it.

Title tip #8: Never mention a product name

Putting a product name in a white paper title makes it sound like a sales pitch. Period.

So if you’re writing something sales, don’t try to pass if off as a white paper. B2B prospects hate that. Instead, call it a “brochure” or a “product brief.”

And remember that a sales pitch is the last thing most white papers readers want.

The only exception to this rule is a backgrounder or vanilla. For that flavour, you can and probably should mention the product in the title.

Title tip #9: Knock a tired title down to a subtitle

What if your manager or client hands you a boring title that you must use?

One tactic is to come up with a better title, then knock down the original to the subtitle.

For example, say your manager wants to call a white paper:

Making On-Board Sensors More Effective through Information Infrastructures

What a yawn?!

Then you come up with an intriguing image: The cutesy little lap dog can become an effective watch dog.

Combining these two gives you:

From Lap Dog to Watch Dog:
Making On-Board Sensors More Effective
through Information Infrastructure

What an improvement… and now you’re both happy.

And if you can get away with it, in the next draft try to trim off the final phrase and make your title sizzle like this:

From Lap Dog to Watch Dog:
Making On-Board Sensors More Effective

Title tip #10: Run possible titles past sample readers

After all, someone in your intended audience can judge better than you or I what works for them and their colleagues.

Don’t guess, test.

Title tip #11: Back up your title with lively content

A title is like a promise. Don’t tack a great title on a ho-hum document.

Use your lively title to motivate you to create an exceptionally interesting white paper.

You’ll be way ahead of the crowd when you do.

So there you go: 11 quick tips on how to create a better title for your next white paper. I hope that helps!

Originally published 13 June 2013. Last updated 19 January 2025. 

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