Don t Make This Mistake with Your White Paper

Don't Make This Mistake With Your White Paper

By Michael Stelzner
Expert Author
Article Date: 2008-01-15

What is a good template for a white paper? This question comes up a lot.

While working on a white paper, I decided to take a break and see what is happening in the blogosphere.

I came across an article that I want to warn you about. It was titled "White Paper Template."

Now don't be quick to follow this author's advice.

Let me tell you some of what she said:

White papers can make the difference between convincing a client to work with you rather than your competitor. Sharing information is the key to showing you are the expert.

I could not agree more. Now read this:

Page One - Title page that includes in large type the title of the paper, in smaller type the name of the author, the name of the company, and the date.

Page two - The next page should contain all the copyright information

Page three- The Introduction to the company producing the paper including a very brief description on the services offered. The Introduction should also include a description of what is contained in the paper.

So what's wrong with this advice? Plenty!

If you want to persuade, DO NOT follow this model. Here's why.

Simply said, the first three pages are filled with meaningless information to the reader. Given that most readers will abandon the paper in mere seconds, it is important NOT to make them wade through copyright statements and factoids about your company.

Rather, talk about things the reader can relate to, such as trends and problems they might be facing. Click here to see how I do this with one of my papers.

What are your thoughts? Chime in.

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About the Author:
Visit http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/ for extensive resources on crafting compelling white papers and applying creative marketing tactics.

Michael A. Stelzner is the author of the new book Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged and has written nearly 100 white papers for companies such as Microsoft, FedEx, Motorola, Monster and SAP.