Customer Reviews

Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged

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For those who are interested in understanding the potential value of white papers to business development and customer relationships, this book and Robert Bly's The White Paper Marketing Handbookare the most valuable resources on the subject that I have as yet encountered. I strongly recommend both. Opinions vary as to the origin of the genre. Both Bly and Stelzner seem to agree that white papers can be traced back at least to early in the 20th century when what was then referred to as a "white book" consisted of information published by a national government. Perhaps the most famous is the "British White Paper of 1922" (also known as the "Churchill White Paper") in which the political conflict in Palestine is discussed. Interest in the commercial potentialities of white papers has increased rapidly and substantially in recent years and my own opinion is that exploration and fulfillment of those potentialities has only begun.

In this volume, Stelzner offers his detailed definition of a white paper: "...a technical or business benefits diocument that introduces a challenge faced by its readers and makes a strong case why a particular approach to solving the problem is preferred. A white paper usually proposes a solution to a problem, but can also introduce a new concept or describe how to perform technical tasks.

He explains with rigor and eloquence "how to capture readers and keep them engaged."He suggests that there are four primary types of white papers: technical white papers tend to be targeted at engineers, business benefits white papers are usually targeted at decision-makers in management positions, hybrid white papers are usually targeted at both influencers (e.g. engineers) and decision-makers, and government white papers which usually discuss implications of policy decisions.

Here's a key point which both Stelzner and Bly stress repeatedly: A white paper must never be -- or be perceived to be -- an "infomercial" in print form. A white paper has value to the extent it provides information and counsel which help its recipients to answer questions and to make decisions. What's in it for the provider? There are several significant benefits which include positive association with the given answer or solution, the recipient's appreciation (i.e. good will), and perhaps most important of all, maintaining direct and relevant contact on a non-solicitation basis.

What I especially appreciate about Stelzner's approach is that he provides a step-by-step framework for what can - and should - become a cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effect "game plan" for the production, distribution, and promotion of white papers (regardless of type) which will have the greatest appeal to what should be their carefully selected recipients. The ten-step process which Stelzner explains may - and probably will - require a segmented database. These are the sequential steps:

1. Clarify the topic ("focus your lens")
2. Identify your ideal reader (s)
3. Decide on primary and secondary objectives
4. Develop a detailed outline
5. Interview the experts (or at least identify expert and relevant sources)
6. Research
7. Write the first page
8. Write the title

NOTE: You may prefer to identify several candidates and select one later.


9. Write the core ("Where's the beef?")
10. Hire an editor

NOTE: Stelzner probably prefers that a professional writer be retained but, if that is precluded by limited resources, at least obtain feedback from several qualified persons who meet the profile of the "ideal reader."

Stelzner thoroughly discusses each of these steps, offering countless "dos" and don'ts,"while reiterating that the most effective white papers tend to be those which address a specific problem and then offer a solution which in no way is - or is perceived to be - self-serving insofar as the provider is concerned. I totally agree. Over the years, my own extensive experience with white papers - either as a provider or as a recipient - has convinced me of the importance of viewing a white paper as a no-strings "favor" or benefit. The integrity (i.e. credibility) of the white paper itself as well as that of the provider must be impeccable.

Initially, I said that I highly recommend both this book andRobert Bly's The White Paper Marketing Handbook. That's true. I also strongly suggest that both be purchased and then carefully read. Whereas Bly addresses more of the marketing aspects of white papers, Stelzner focuses heavily on the craft of writing them. Absorbing and digesting the material in both books will assist substantially the process by which important writing and marketing decisions are made.

Thanks to Web sites and email newsletters, white papers have become a great way to market a product or service. A visitor can get a free white paper in exchange for signing up for an email newsletter or basic information. People can't resist a free offer and white papers -- when done right -- can educate and inform.

Sure, a business wants to show how it has the solution to the problem identified in the paper. But a well-written white paper does more than market a solution. It also establishes a person or business as a thought leader, introduces a new idea or concept, and explains how something works. Too many white papers turn into infomercials and Stelzner walks the reader through the process of creating an effective white paper.

Stelzer covers everything including needs analysis, research, interviews, and other important steps in the white paper writing process beyond the actual writing. I've downloaded or received many white papers and few get my attention. For some, the title can scare a reader out of reading it. These titles sound like something written by a PhD for others in the field.

As a freelancer writer, I've written a few white papers and not with as much confidence as I would like. Writing White Papers gives me all the information I need to thoroughly and confidently write the next one without any lingering doubts or fears.

Writers who write few or no white papers will appreciate the chapters on "Interviewing," "Researching," "Writing the First Page," "The Compelling Title," and "Writing Tips and Strategies." The advice in these chapters applies to various types of writing.

Most of the book's contents focus on writing information technology-related papers -- probably because they're the most technical and difficult to write about -- however, one of the examples is about personal accountability. The book doesn't stop at the white paper writing process. Its last chapter focuses on marketing white papers.

The book demonstrates how to make a boring topic engaging -- a problem that often faces the writers of white papers and contains two examples of white papers that retain my attention even though I'm not the prime audience. The book engages the reader making it a surprisingly fast read. Writers, technical writers, and marketing professionals will benefit the most from this well-organized, insightful, and clearly-written book.

Writing white papers is a "necessary evil" of the technical world. While there are few publications that extol the virtues of white papers, those that provide a "how to" are scarce. Hence, it is refreshing to see a book devoted to the mechanics of writing white papers.

Stelzner covers all parts of writing white papers from the perspective of an outside writer. This includes defining the paper's scope and outline, conducting interviews, researching literature, and drafting the paper. Stelzner also provides helpful hints on style, formatting and speaking to intended readers. The chapters on crafting a title, writing the first page and using white papers as marketing tools are informative.

The book's focus is on IT. The risk is that some of the examples that relate to IT may not transfer to other industries. Examples and references to papers from non-IT industries would provide the breath that this book lacks. Research methods focus primarily on Google searches, almost crowding out the wealth of other sources--especially the non-web based ones--that are easier to search and are more efficient in providing relevant insight.

Using white papers as marketing tools focuses almost exclusively on web-based search engines, severely limiting the marketing options available. Most readers assume that authors are knowledgeable in their subject matter. Thus, the introduction containing Stelzner's personal history is unnecessary.

Chapters 1 and 2 would greatly benefit from better organization, and chapter 8 would be more readable if it were divided into smaller chapters. Figures and sidebars are not labeled and are not referenced in the main text (Chapter 10 is a notable exception). The main text could use the services of an editor with an eye for grammar (eliminating the inappropriate use of "secondly"). The main text is not right justified, making the ensuing highlighting jagged. Also, the quality of the paper is such that the highlighting bleeds through the page.

Overall, the content covered in Writing White Papers is practical and useful. From this perspective, it is an excellent, albeit narrow, reference. However, it reads more like a draft copy than a final publication.

Armchair Interviews says: Good information that could have been much better if overall presentation (editing, paper, etc.) was improved.

Whether you're a professional copywriter or just a businessperson who wants to be able to write better white papers, this book is the bible on the subject. Michael lays out the necessary steps for writing a white paper that people will want to read and he also alerts you to some of the writing pitfalls to avoid. His style is both humorous and easy to understand. Highly recommended.

Numerous research studies have shown time and again that white papers are very powerful marketing tools to show thought leadership and generate leads while also providing critical information to both technical and business decision makers. White papers are meant as a "soft sell". They typically discuss solutions for the problems facing a customer rather than just doing a "hard sell" for a product or service. White papers also offer insight and serves as how-to guides for a particular target audience.

Common white paper types include solution overviews, technology briefings, buyer's guides, planning and implementation guides, application guides, ROI guides, case studies, business implication discussions, strategy discussions, industry trend overviews, issues analyses etc

Mike's book deals exclusively with white papers and provide answers to these questions
* How do you get started on writing and marketing a white paper?
* What are the various components of a white paper?
* How do you ensure the white papers land in the hand of the right decision makers?

Mike says:
"There are really only two ways to write white papers: (1) by focusing on your self-interests or (2) by concentrating on the interests of your readers. The self-interest or "chest-beating" approach focuses exclusively on a product, service or solution by expounding on its benefits, features and implications. While effective in some circumstances, this approach is best left for something other than a white paper, such as a data sheet or product brief."

In "Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged", Michael Stelzner reveals his insights and tips about creating compelling whitepapers. Michael Stelzner highlights that whitepapers are used for three main reasons: to show thought leadership, for lead generation and to close sales. He has terrific advice on every step to writing a white paper - from start to finish; picking the right topic, identifying readers, deciding on clear objectives, developing an outline, doing research, writing and marketing a white paper. He also shares valuable and practical tips on getting started with the first page, choosing a compelling title, writing the core, formatting the whitepaper and marketing the white paper to get it in the hands of the right decision maker.

Take a look at the book excerpt and its table of contents at:
[...]

5 key take aways from Michael Stelzner's book

* Give value to your reader: The whitepaper's underlying strength rests on this premise: If you give readers something of value, they will give you their loyalty, and ultimately their business.
* Identify your reader: Asking many questions to clearly define the ideal reader will not only help you bring clarity to your white paper project, it will also enhance your credibility.
* Adopt problem-solution approach: By leading with some challenges faced by your readers and suggesting how to solve their problems, you can develop a compelling white paper that engages readers.
* Include a "call to action": Provide an actionable step that guides readers once they reach the end of your whitepaper. This will help keep prospects engaged with your solution.
* Interview experts: To obtain "content-rich" whitepapers interview experts to speed up the research process and get access to information that you will never find on your own.

Given all the buzz about content marketing, I highly recommend reading "Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged" .This book is not just for whitepaper writers and marketers. The lessons learnt can be applied to writing and marketing any other form of content as well.

Buy the book, read it and keep it handy for reference.

Just have to say that the book is excellent. I started out years ago as a freelance product copywriter for Nike; I'd never written a white paper. And then, lo and behold, a new mass notification industry client requested one. Panic! Could I do it? I had daily anxiety attacks and probably didn't sleep for a week. I ordered the book, read it, panicked some more, and then submitted the paper. My client loved it and had no changes to my first go! The book was so much help; I would not have had any idea where to even start. So thank you, Michael Stelzner! You rock!

Writing White Papers is an excellent guide for anyone who would like to take advantage of delivering compelling Web content in the form of white papers. Beginners will learn the basics, but there is a ton of valuable information for people like me who have written a lot of white papers over the years.

The chapter on creating a compelling title by itself is worth the price of the book. The chapter begins: "What's the value of a title? A title is a nice suit, a cocktail dress, a pretty face, a head-turner or any other metaphor that grabs your attention." I'll be using the advice on titles frequently as I struggle for titles to book chapters, columns, and speeches.

Done well, white papers deliver authentic thought leadership, branding an organization as one to do business with. Sadly, many white papers are simply product pitches that annoy readers. Throughout his book, Stelzner shows you how to get it right. He's written nearly 100 white papers himself for recognized companies, including Microsoft, FedEx, Motorola, Monster, HP and SAP so he speaks from experience.

I thought I had a pretty good understanding of white papers; how to write them and how to use them effectively. Then I read WRITING WHITE PAPERS by the King of white papers, Michael Stelzner. This book put white papers in a whole new light for me. When I reviewed Dan Kennedy's book, "The Ultimate Sales Letter", I said that no one should even attempt to write a sales letter without first reading Kennedy's book. Ditto here. Don't even think about attempting to construct a white paper without first learning from the white paper master.

Stelzner takes the reader by the hand and walks you through the world of white papers, beginning with a succinct definition and the four primary types of white papers. From here, you'll learn how white papers should be used and the basic elements that all white papers should contain. Once this basic information is clearly defined, we follow Stelzner's ten-step process of writing white papers. The rest of the book is a compelling study of these ten steps.

Throughout the book, the text is laced with clear examples. Everyone will find their own favorite chapter along the way. For me, it was Chapter 5, particularly time saving research techniques. In just minutes on the computer, I was saving hours of time on google, simply by using the proper search techniques, making google searches much more effective.

Once your white paper education here is complete, Stelzner concludes with a chapter on Marketing with White Papers. I believe, for the writer, there is much to learn here on how to effectively "pitch" a potential client on whether or not to commission a white paper for their company or product.

The Appendix contains a Quick Start Guide, a pair of well-crafted white papers samples, and white paper resources. I don't believe much has been left out here. This is a pretty conclusive guide, with the exception of maybe Stelzner sharing advice on how to go about landing such clients as Microsoft, Motorola and FedEx. Maybe that will be in the next volume.

Because I have a technical and a homeland security background, my ideal niche markets need well-written white papers. I was searching for a reference book, when I came across Mr. Stelzner's

His process for developing an effective white paper resonated with me because I like to write sequentially.

I was referred to a software consulting firm here in Washington DC. At our first meeting, I outlined the white paper process as per Mr. Stelzner's book. The prospect was so impressed that she hired me the next day after conferring with the other company principal.

By following his process, I have organized my needs assessment, research and outline quickly. The major areas that make an effective white paper are filling out faster than I thought.

Any copywriter who wishes to leverage her or his technical background for the white paper market should keep this book handy. Follow the process step by step, and a well-organized, easy to read white paper will generate more leads for your client.

Nancy E. Wigal

Gain credibility writing white papers. Make money too. But first, you have to know how to write them. There are not many guides out there right now. But, alas, here's the answer.

Michael Stelzner has shown his stuff in writing and organizing this valuable book. It guides you safely and easily through the maze. It even gives you some templates to use to create successful white papers.

While Bob Bly's book on the same subject tells us how good a white paper is at creating value and marketing our products and services, this book goes on to show you how to write it, how to format it and how to make it a success.

I can't think of anything that's been left out. The book has a wonderful appendix with sample white papers and lots of valuable resources.

If you want to learn to write white papers or if you need a refresher course, buy this book. You won't regret it.