If content is king, then white papers are the crown jewels. According to a DemandGen 2017 Survey on Content Preferences, 76% of buyers are willing to register and share information about themselves in exchange for a white paper. White papers are a valuable resource that readers use to help them understand a wider problem and gather insights, and that organizations use to demonstrate thought leadership, drive leads and build brand.
Producing a white paper is challenging, and not every marketing team is equipped to do it. Many marketers are consumed with operational tasks and demand generation, and may not have the time or expertise to develop content. Subject matter experts are similarly pulled in different directions and can’t find the quality time needed to write.
A good white paper includes a mixture of facts, quotes, and figures that support a central premise, and must be crafted with skills that include: researching, interviewing, writing and editing. The best white papers don’t need buzzwords, marketing language or hype. They should provide useful information pertaining to an issue, help solve a problem, or guide a decision. They should not be promotional copy; rather, a white paper is an educational content piece.
Before you hire a writer for your white paper, think about these questions:
- What are your goals?
- Who is your target audience?
- What is the topic and will it resonate with the target audience?
- What is your call to action?
No doubt you have one or more topics that someone has mentioned as ideal for a white paper, but no one has put fingers to keyboard to produce a suitable deliverable. As a Word Knitting expert, I can transform your ideas into a finished paper that has been meticulously researched and professionally written.
Your finished white paper can be used as part of an integrated marketing campaign to drive traffic to your website, capture leads and provide value during the sales cycle. It can also form the basis for a webinar, blog posts and articles to maximize your investment across multiple channels.
Contact me for more information on Word Knitting’s white paper services.