B2B Web Strategy Blog – eMagine

Rules for writing white papers that create “ready to buy” prospects

March 2nd, 2010 Posted by: Bill Gadless

OK, so you’re convinced that your B2B needs a good white paper – or two or three – to help nurture prospects through your sales cycle.  Problem is, no one in your organization even remotely claims to be an expert in writing them.

The good news is that, with the help of Michael Stelzner’s recent post, your people don’t need to be experts;  they just need to follow his “10 Essential Rules.”  You’ll have to click on over to find all ten, but here are quick summaries of roughly half…

• Nail the title.  It’s the front door to your paper;  you should spend significant time crafting and testing it, ensuring that it resonates with your target readers.
• Use the movie trailer open.  Craft an opening that creates a compelling drama in readers’ minds, without giving away the whole plot.  Remember, your first words matter most.
• Talk about their interests first.  Write about your prospects’ fears and frustrations;  then tell them how those challenges can be solved.
• Fire your silver bullet.  Whether you call it that or not, incorporate a “shopping guide”:  i.e., a checklist of requirements that only your company can meet.
• Tell them what to do next.  The last line of your work must include a specific, compelling action for readers to take, moving them from “That was a good read” to “OK, I want to do this.”
• Make it easy for readers to promote your work.  Social media is hot.  A simple “Retweet” button at the end of your paper can do wonders;  if readers like your paper, they click the button and instantly make their fans aware of your work.

I thought it was perhaps an oversight that the list didn’t include my personal favorite:  Don’t just start writing;  build an outline first.  But then I discovered a guest post by John White on Michael’s blog from around a month earlier:  “4 steps to successful white paper outlines.”  So check that one out too, and you’ll be well on your way to a killer white paper.

Entry Filed under: B2B Web Strategy