White Paper Writing
Marketers: To get more from your white papers, repurpose
So you’ve hired a B2B copywriter to create a white paper for your firm. How can you get more from your investment? Simple: Repurpose your white paper into multiple formats. Having essentially the same material available in different formats gives your company more “kicks at the can.” In other words, more chances to engage prospects.…
Read MoreThe best of That White Paper Guy
Looking for tips and tricks on white papers? Let’s review some of the free resources available from That White Paper Guy. An infographic, an FAQ about white papers, recommended books, close to 100 easy-to-search articles, our LinkedIn group, and even a crash course in writing B2B content — we’ve got plenty for you to explore. Download our white paper infographic…
Read MoreWorst. White. Paper. Ever.
While researching white papers over the past 20 years, I’ve seen a lot of dreck. Analyzing all those poor examples helped me identify what I call the “worst practices” of these documents. And I’m amazed to report—more than six years since I first encountered it—that one white paper is still the worst I’ve ever seen. Click the cover to…
Read MoreMust copywriters show our faces?
Do white paper copywriters have to do video interviews? Do we have to show our faces to the marketing managers who hire us? Or to the SMEs we interview? Even when we’re working remotely and will never meet in person? I got that question recently from a writer with a pressing reason to ask. Experienced copywriter…
Read More7 habits of highly effective white paper writers
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is an acknowledged self-help masterpiece. Written by Stephen Covey and published in 1989, this book has sold an estimated 25 million copies. And it’s been translated into 38 (?!) languages. These seven habits make a lot of sense to me. And I’ve been thinking about how well Covey’s…
Read MoreHow to create a white paper mashup
What if you need a white paper that’s more than just one flavor? As you know, I believe there are three main “flavors” of white papers. Vanilla: A backgrounder zooms in on a certain product or service. Ideal for prospects doing a technical evaluation near end of the sales funnel. Chocolate: A problem/solution zooms out to show an industry-wide problem…
Read MoreHow to avoid "marketing-speak"
Acme Software provides best-in-breed solutions that enable seamless integration with enterprise Web 2.0 platforms… Do your white papers say something like that? How about your website? If so, wake up! You’re subjecting prospects to deathly dull “marketing-speak.” Marketing-speak is that flabby layer of nice, polite, meaningless fog that obscures the truth in so much content…
Read More"Cheat sheets" for white papers: a new format for you?
As a B2B marketer, you’re likely under pressure to empower your sales team with great content. Are your sales reps asking for something “short” they can hand out at a meeting or e-mail to prospects? Your reps may believe customers don’t want to read lengthy pieces and would prefer something shorter they can quickly skim. This…
Read MoreTo get clients, learn how to call a moose
“Where do you find clients?” I get the same question almost every week. But I don’t have a ready answer. That’s like asking a hunter where he got that moose he just bagged. What are you going to do? Run off to the very same spot in the woods, and expect to get another moose?…
Read More9 ways to break through writer’s block
You know how they always show writers in Hollywood movies? Crumpling up sheet after sheet of paper, and tossing them at a trash can? It just doesn’t happen like that in real life. At least it shouldn’t, when you’re writing white papers. Maybe novelists, poets or screenwriters can suffer from writer’s block.…
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