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Industry White papers

Industry White papers start with a good report, and can include things like:

- Answers a pressing question
- Distills a fuzzy topic
- Clarifies a misunderstood topic
- Explains a trend, and/or
- Gives step-by-step advice to help the reader accomplish a specific task—or, several
levels higher, illustrates how a larger business activity can be improved

That’s just a few examples. Whatever approach you choose, you want your target reader to come away thinking, “That was well worth reading. This company certainly ‘gets’ what I do.”

Take notes. What do you like? What don’t you like? What’s missing? From the
perspective of a member of your target audience, do you think you would have learned
something? What you discover will help you write a report that stands above the pack.
Beyond some “About Us” copy at the end, you don’t need to promote your products at all. By definition, whatever topic you’re talking about reflects what you do. After all, you
wouldn’t offer a tip sheet with “ten ways to improve the ROI (return on investment) of
your next direct mail campaign” unless you sell direct marketing services. You wouldn’t
write a white paper about protecting a wireless LAN (local area network) unless you’re in the wireless networking business. And so on.

Plus, YOUR Company’s the one with its name on the report...

Finally, remind yourself: Most of your potential leads aren’t ready to buy. And they may
not be for awhile. So they’re not looking for one vendor’s sales pitch. They’re looking for
information that will help them do their jobs more effectively and make better decisions.
Give them what they what and your company’s name will stick in their minds.
Use visuals wherever appropriate. Whether it’s a screenshot, graph, chart, or timeline, a
good illustration will help your reader understand and absorb your material.
And for the same reason, break up sections into subsections. (This of course may not
apply to a tip sheet or other report shorter than 5 pages.)

Also: Use lots of white space. Wide page margins and generous gaps between text and
visuals will ensure your report is easy on the eyes.
White papers, also known as guides or reports, may be your last, best chance to get the
click-through you want in business-to-business (B2B) email marketing. That is, in B2B
email marketing as it's being practiced today -- often text only, sometimes HTML, bells and whistles kept to a minimum. With next-generation rich-media email around the corner, that may change.

First, a white paper should not be just black and white. If you're using it as a marketing
tool to generate leads or to brand your company as a smart-thinking one, put as much care into the look and design as you would into a print ad.

In fact, think magazine layout. Use color both in text headings and in graphics; use
diagrams and flow charts. Use pull-quotes (a selected sentence or two "pulled" from your copy and highlighted in a bigger font size).

Picture your white paper printed out and lying on a decision-maker's desk. It should display your company's logo and perhaps reinforce your Web site design. He or she may or may not get around to reading every word, but you will have succeeded, nonetheless, in delivering a substantive piece of product collateral.

Most of your target audience will skim and never read every word. It's meant to be
important, but also brief and a summary.

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