An Eleven-Question Guide to Creating an Excellent White Paper
Answer the following questions before you meet with your writer. The result will be an outstanding white paper!
1. Who is your target audience?
Who is the primary audience? What industry are you targeting? What job titles describe your readers?
2. What is the desired length of the paper?
Most white papers ([http://www.hoffmanmarcom.com/writing-whitepapers.php]) are between eight and ten pages in length. Some clients request a concise, five-page, white paper brief while others require 15 to 20 pages to explore a complex topic. Just make sure you include enough information to adequately cover your topic but not so much that you bury your reader in unnecessary details.
3. What is the white paper's objective?
Will the paper be used to create sales leads or as a reward to someone who emails for more information? Will you distribute the white paper to press and analysts to create buzz or use it to educate your salespeople about a new product? Define a clear objective to help guide the content you deliver.
4. What is the white paper's primary topic?
What is the focus of this white paper project? What information will you provide to ensure your white paper delivers true value to your reader?
5. What tone will the paper adopt?
How do you want to approach your readers? Will the paper be informational, using a credible third person tone (recommended) or a more familiar, "friendly" tone using first or second person?
6. What challenges will resonate with your reader?
What business or technical challenges do you want to address in the white paper? These are the problems that your products or solutions help solve. Do you have current statistics, relevant data, industry stories, or customer examples to underscore the difficulty of these challenges?
7. What primary messages will the white paper share?
What are the top three to five primary messages you want to leave with your reader? What memorable lessons can you share?
8. What supporting information can you provide to the writer?
What supporting documents and illustrations can you provide for additional content? Assemble sales presentations, marketing collateral, videos, previously written papers, news articles-anything to quickly bring your writer up-to-speed.
9. What is the schedule for completion?
What is the deadline for completion? Do you need the white paper for a new product launch, trade show, or a press campaign? Establish important milestones during the kickoff call such as the dates for outlining, first draft, and revised drafts. Also, allow enough time for design, layout, and printing.
10. What is the writer's scope of work?
Will your writer provide writing services only or is design, illustration, and layout also included? If you are using different vendors for writing and design, make sure all parties are aware of the schedule.
11. Who are the key contacts at your organization?
During your initial white planning meeting, provide your writer with the names, titles, email addresses, and phone numbers of subject matter expert(s), reviewers, and a financial contact.
Sit down before the interview and answer the above questions. Being well prepared will shorten the interview time and ensure you start your white paper (http://www.hoffmanmarcom.com/writing-whitepapers.php) project starts off on the right foot.
1. Who is your target audience?
Who is the primary audience? What industry are you targeting? What job titles describe your readers?
2. What is the desired length of the paper?
Most white papers ([http://www.hoffmanmarcom.com/writing-whitepapers.php]) are between eight and ten pages in length. Some clients request a concise, five-page, white paper brief while others require 15 to 20 pages to explore a complex topic. Just make sure you include enough information to adequately cover your topic but not so much that you bury your reader in unnecessary details.
3. What is the white paper's objective?
Will the paper be used to create sales leads or as a reward to someone who emails for more information? Will you distribute the white paper to press and analysts to create buzz or use it to educate your salespeople about a new product? Define a clear objective to help guide the content you deliver.
4. What is the white paper's primary topic?
What is the focus of this white paper project? What information will you provide to ensure your white paper delivers true value to your reader?
5. What tone will the paper adopt?
How do you want to approach your readers? Will the paper be informational, using a credible third person tone (recommended) or a more familiar, "friendly" tone using first or second person?
6. What challenges will resonate with your reader?
What business or technical challenges do you want to address in the white paper? These are the problems that your products or solutions help solve. Do you have current statistics, relevant data, industry stories, or customer examples to underscore the difficulty of these challenges?
7. What primary messages will the white paper share?
What are the top three to five primary messages you want to leave with your reader? What memorable lessons can you share?
8. What supporting information can you provide to the writer?
What supporting documents and illustrations can you provide for additional content? Assemble sales presentations, marketing collateral, videos, previously written papers, news articles-anything to quickly bring your writer up-to-speed.
9. What is the schedule for completion?
What is the deadline for completion? Do you need the white paper for a new product launch, trade show, or a press campaign? Establish important milestones during the kickoff call such as the dates for outlining, first draft, and revised drafts. Also, allow enough time for design, layout, and printing.
10. What is the writer's scope of work?
Will your writer provide writing services only or is design, illustration, and layout also included? If you are using different vendors for writing and design, make sure all parties are aware of the schedule.
11. Who are the key contacts at your organization?
During your initial white planning meeting, provide your writer with the names, titles, email addresses, and phone numbers of subject matter expert(s), reviewers, and a financial contact.
Sit down before the interview and answer the above questions. Being well prepared will shorten the interview time and ensure you start your white paper (http://www.hoffmanmarcom.com/writing-whitepapers.php) project starts off on the right foot.