{"id":17583,"date":"2024-02-15T00:00:24","date_gmt":"2024-02-15T05:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/?p=17583"},"modified":"2024-04-14T13:17:58","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T17:17:58","slug":"quick-tiip-3-steps-to-stronger-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/quick-tiip-3-steps-to-stronger-title\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick tip: 3 steps to a stronger title [with example]"},"content":{"rendered":"

The title is the single most important line in your white paper.<\/h2>\n

A good title gets your paper noticed. A poor title gets it ignored.<\/h3>\n

That’s why much of the success of a white paper depends on your title.<\/p>\n

But many writers struggle with titles. So here’s a step-by-step process that makes writing your title as simple as 1-2-3.<\/p>\n

The key is to break your title into three parts, and always include each one:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A main title<\/strong> that touches on the topic in a lively way<\/li>\n
  2. A short label<\/strong> for your document<\/li>\n
  3. A subtitle<\/strong> that states exactly who the paper is for<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Step 1: Write the main title<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    This part really needs to pop. You want to come up with something memorable or provocative that will stand out in a list.<\/p>\n

    That way, more readers will click on your title to open or download your paper.<\/p>\n

    Your main title will depend on which flavor of white paper you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"scoop<\/strong><\/p>\n

    For a numbered list<\/strong>, your title pretty much writes itself.<\/p>\n

    Always start with a number: “7 proven tips on\u2026”<\/p>\n

    And use a numeral, don’t spell out the number. A numeral pushes your numbered list to the top<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \"scoop<\/strong><\/p>\n

    For a problem\/solution<\/strong>, you have several choices.<\/p>\n

    You can highlight the problem:
    \n“Are your telecom costs out of control?<\/em>”<\/p>\n

    Or you can describe the benefits of a solution:
    \n“Enhance patient safety and reduce costs by fighting SSIs.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

    Or you can do both at once: “Three critical issues with Modernized E-file (MeF) forms, and how to solve them with an online hub<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

    \n

    \"scoopFor a backgrounder<\/strong>, name the product and the features covered by your paper:
    \n“Iron-clad security in the Scan-o-matic 3000<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

    This is the only flavor of white paper where you want to mention a product name in the title.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Step 2: Write the label<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    For this part, you need to be careful. You should only call your piece a \u201cwhite paper\u201d if your audience sees white papers often.<\/p>\n

    In some sectors, a white paper sounds foreign or academic or like too much work to read. If so, use a friendlier label like \u201cguide\u201d or \u201cbriefing\u201d or \u201cspecial report.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Step 3: Write the subtitle<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Go back to your audience analysis. You did an audience analysis, correct?<\/p>\n

    The brief description you came up with then fits right in here.<\/p>\n

    For a quick recap, this includes some demographics about the target reader, a description of their company, and the main worry they’re dealing with.<\/p>\n

    Then you put all three parts together for a strong result.<\/p>\n

    \"redheaded<\/h3>\n

    Let’s try writing a white paper title<\/h3>\n

    Say you’re writing a white paper for a company like Shopify<\/strong>. One new vertical they’re trying to target is bridal shop owners.<\/p>\n

    Up until now, a wedding dress was always considered a consumer purchase that required personalized attention and on-site fittings.<\/p>\n

    But today’s brides are used to buying clothes, shoes, and cosmetics online. Why not their wedding dress too?<\/p>\n

    Your company has noticed Amazon<\/strong> starting to muscle its way into wedding dresses. But they have a plan: a simple way to help bridal shops set up a website.<\/p>\n

    That way shops can show off wedding dresses and invite brides in for a viewing, something Amazon simply can’t offer.<\/p>\n

    Now they just need a white paper to launch the new service.<\/p>\n

    How to write the three parts of this title<\/h3>\n

    The main title<\/strong>: The problem is the threat of a big e-commerce site stealing sales from local bridal shops. That’s clear and simple.<\/p>\n

    So for the main title, we can trigger the fear of any small bridal shop owner with a rhetorical question:<\/p>\n