As tech engineers and other professionals, it’s clear that nobody understands the products you develop or the concepts with which you engage better than you. Conversely, your ability to explain those concepts and even know what kinds of content to include in documents like white papers might not be that great. Your company’s tech staff needs to focus on innovation. You can farm out the content creation, which is precisely where today’s message is headed.
Sorry for the early spoiler.
Let’s talk about white papers. In the copywriting world, white papers come in lots of different packages. The average white paper has lots of focused information about a single product, service, or proposed action, but no two white papers are exactly alike in how they present information and data.
White papers are produced to appeal to different kinds of audiences. While most are B2B-focused, consumer white papers aren’t unheard of. What this means is that no matter what your marketing focus — consumer, B2B, etc. — white papers provide a comprehensive look at whatever it is they are meant to introduce or explain.
Here’s the thing: Writers and technical professionals interpret the term “comprehensive” differently. This is just one of many reasons I always recommend working with a content creation service like Beez and not just hiring random freelancers. This is true whether you have been tasked with creating an entire white paper or simply providing content that will be included in one. Developers and engineers often find themselves in the latter position.
With just about 1,000 words to work with, I’ll never be able to get into all the intricacies of planning and outlining white papers or even get into the kinds of information to include. This article is about developing something relevant that will appeal to the target reader and ensure the messaging is appropriate for the audience. You can decide on your own if you and your team are up to the task. If not, let’s talk. Here’s the best advice I can give you on white paper development.
Get Familiar with Google Scholar
For those not in the know, Google Scholar is one of the most focused search platforms for academic and technical content. Relevant and vetted scholarly sources add necessary credibility to white paper content. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you or your development team know enough about a certain technology to keep all content and information coming from in-house. Citing relevant outside sources provides a level of credibility that your own data alone can’t.
Also, get used to using Google’s main search tool to research blog posts and articles, professional journals (usually searchable through scholar, but not always). Focus on relevant news headlines and articles, press releases on related tech, and even competitor content for information and ideas.
Vet All Sources Thoroughly
I touched on this briefly above. I can’t emphasize how important it is that you vet all your sources and only include verifiable information from credible sources in your white papers. Note the twofold process here. You aren’t simply vetting the information; you’re also vetting the source. If your source proves to be less than credible in other areas, select one that has the reputation backing it to reinforce your own messaging.
Use Information That Appears Repeatedly in Source Material
Your travels through Google Scholar are bound to lead to details that you might not have thought to include. If you start coming across topics and terms that weren’t part of your outline, consider their relevance and, if applicable, include them in the appropriate sections in your white paper.
If you’re working with professional writers (and you should), make this expectation known. Good writers also do good research and should be able to spot important details to include. Take the advice of your writer(s). They often notice things your developers and engineers overlook, at least in information terms.
Add Any Company-, Product-, Or Service-Specific Content
Once you have all the data collected, the tie-in to your company, product, or service must be clear. Curated details must relate directly to the topic of the paper and should apply uniformly. White papers are not at all abstract; the details you include should be very pointed, focused, and presented in a way that spurs a little curiosity.
Getting Your White Paper Seen
Potential clients and partners will often request to see your white paper directly, but for the rest of your market, a distribution service will be necessary. CNET is one of the oldest and biggest. Trade Pub is a close second. Use these services to expand your client base, especially if you’re working with a national or international audience.
A Few Parting Thoughts
White papers are expected to showcase the best of your company: the best of your thoughts, the best of your ideas, and the best of your knowledge. That being the case, you want the best possible presentation of each. Make your research thorough. Pull from credible sources. Then, collaborate with a writer or writing team that understands the tech and can write persuasively and with authority on the subject.
Once your paper is ready for distribution, learn how the various platforms operate and use them. You can also send out an email blast to your existing list with a link and a call to action to download. Need more ideas? Contact us to discuss your white paper writing project today.
