Kathleen Hesketh

Creating Effective White Papers How will you tell your story? Author: Kathleen Hesketh Nearly 90 percent of business organizations find content marketing to be an effective tool for attracting customers, driving sales and retaining a following.1 White papers land in the top five of content marketing tactics.2 However, only 19 percent of respondents to a recent survey consider their content efforts to be very successful.3 White papers are a solid means of educating an audience about a company’s products or services and building relationsips, but organizations may be missing the opportunity to connect with both clients and prospects if they speak only to their offerings. Busy business leaders need to stay abreast of industry trends and they are looking for the means to solve challenges. Effective white papers fulfill the need for trending information while simultaneously solving business issues through their own products and services. Where successful white papers emerge, is at this intersection of business need and fulfillment. Effective White Papers What’s your angle? Given the rise in content marketing, there is no doubt that business leaders are consuming the information that organizations are sharing, but it also means that marketers need to cut through a fair amount of noise to get their materials recognized by their target audience. Perhaps this is why 63 percent of marketers responding to a recent survey feel they need to create more engaging content.4 How do you ensure your white paper is selected and viewed by potential clients? Intersecting Business Need and Fulfillment It starts by selecting an engaging topic to tell Industry Trends your story. As organizations approach white paper development, there are three questions White Paper Topic they should ask: 1. What trending issues play an important role in or influence the industry of your target audience? Business Needs 2. What are the greatest business needs facing the buyers of your product or service as a result of these trends? 3. Which of your products or service offerings best address the most pressing needs? Brainstorming with the appropriate people on these three questions should lead directly to the intersection of business need and fulfillment. This is your topic. Effective White Papers address a business need Company X Reduces Costs for Global Manufacturer Our targeted new solution is designed to streamline your processes and reduce overall costs. Read how we have helped one company with our innovative data processing solution. Which white paper would you be more likely to Soaring Costs in Industry X read? Receive a Set-back A New Look at Innovations in Data Processing Costs in industry X have long been on the rise, but few have explored the impact of data processing operations and how a few simple changes to operational flow can have widespread positive impact across the organization. As tempting as it is to write an extended case study that clearly defines a product or service and the results it can generate, this approach robs an organization of the opportunity to paint a bigger picture. Starting your white paper at the intersection of business need and fulfillment, puts your services into a relevant context, highlighting your product or service in association with the immediate needs of your clients and prospects without overtly selling your company. Instead, your white paper does the work, helping prospects see the value of your offering in light of immediate pain points. Think of a white paper as a good story possessing some of the elements of the best literary works: Setting Conflict Resolution The issues or trends an industry is facing The challenges that arise from the industry issues or trends How your company or product solves the challenges The healthcare industry for example, is currently witnessing the widespread adoption of electronic medical records and online patient portals. This setting has given rise to information security concerns as payers and providers alike protect the sanctity of patient data. An organization offering a great product or service documented to heighten security could write a white paper based solely on their offering, discussing what it does and how it has benefited clients, but this would be starting and ending with the resolution. They would would miss the opportunity to showcase their expertise on the subject and be seen as a thought leader on pertinent issues. A more effective approach, and one that generates higher interest, is to link the white paper to the trending issues, taking time to educate the reader. Using this method, the writer could discuss the biggest threats to information security, reinforcing the facts provided with data and statistics. Coincidentally, this part of the discussion would revolve around those security concerns handled by the company’s service, allowing them to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise in the area. As the discussion moves toward the solution, the company is now set up to speak to the strength of their offering. The masters of white paper development White papers span multiple pages in length can do this without ever mentioning the and when used as a forum to discuss company, product or service name. industry trends and challenges, can provide Instead, they tell what it does and pitch it information that is easily broken apart into as the solution to the major industry issue separate tweets and blogs or Facebook under discussion. In this way, it reads as a posts. Often, the content can be revised thought-provoking, fresh take on the and submitted for publication in industry problem at hand. The company is then trade magazines or journals or be rewritten perceived as a knowledgeable leader in to form a video script. One white paper touch with the plight of their target then paves the way toward multiple content organizations, and as one with a valid and initiatives. unique idea for solving industry issues. Setting, conflict and resolution told. While all of these tactics promote the organization brand and awareness within Effective White Papers generate discussion a target prospect population, there is a key opportunity to also engage current clients, and raise awareness about other products and services that could benefit their An advantage to writing a white paper organization. from this perspective is that it gets people talking about the issue your way, and opens a dialogue that your organization can continue. Companies that see the greatest success from white paper development keep the conversation going through blogs, articles and even advertisements. Effectively written white papers get people talking about industry trends your way and can be repurposed for future content initiatives, such as blogs, video scripts or articles in trade publications. Effective White Papers Effectively Address the Audience Meeting the needs of your clients and prospects with clear and relevant information should be the goal of any white paper initiative. Effective papers are well-written, express the point clearly and obey accepted grammar rules while epitomizing the company’s voice and style. While this is often attempted by internal subject matter experts, most leading companies employ the services of a professional writer who has a demonstrated ability to clearly articulate the advantages of your offering without delving too deeply into technical issues that a less experienced audience may not clearly understand. Some large organizations employ full-time writers to take on content writing projects such as white papers. They are knowledgeable about the company’s offerings and the industry, giving them the background to write convincingly about the issues. On the other hand, having a fresh perspective can provide advantages, particularly in areas that are technical or highly specialized, making content more readable across a wider audience. That is one of the reasons why many organizations hire writers on a freelance, project-by-project basis. Someone who is well versed in writing white papers has the research and interviewing skills necessary to acquire the critical information. They can help your company identify the topics and angles for positioning white papers and provide the expertise to craft well-written and thought-provoking content that matches your style and voice. Either way, the path to creating an effective white paper that gets your industry talking is clear. It starts at the intersection of business need and fulfillment and ends with greater client and prospect engagement. For more information, contact: Kathleen Hesketh President and Freelance Writer Concepts and Solutions- Concepts & Solutions About the Author Kathleen Hesketh is a freelance business writer with over seven years of experience in the field. She specializes in white paper development and focuses on generating industry “buzz” that promotes an organization’s thought leadership status. Her work spans multiple industries, including insurance, healthcare, IT services, medicine, pets, travel and more. http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2017_B2B_Research_FINAL.pdf 1 http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2017_B2B_Research_FINAL.pdf 2 http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2017_B2B_Research_FINAL.pdf 3 4 http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015_Enterprise_Research_FINAL.pd