Imagine that you download a white paper to find out how to close a sale faster and the content only talks about a sales strategy, focusing on the entire customer journey. This can be very disappointing, right? In addition, there are other criteria that must be observed when preparing a white paper. Check it out:
Using a very cluttered or dull layout — the design and hotmail email list visual elements of the material must serve to make reading more fluid and enjoyable;
Not going into too much research — any content needs initial research to be developed, the idea of a white paper is to present an in-depth perspective on a topic. Look for reliable sources and use references that prove the veracity of the information and studies presented;
Produce a cold material — the language of the white paper is technical and professional, but that doesn’t mean it should be robotic. An engaging strategy for developing the material is storytelling , making the narrative more attractive and engaging your audience;
Turning content into sales material — like other content strategies, the purpose of a white paper is to educate your customer. Therefore, it is important to find a balance between not having a very superficial development, nor appealing to the persuasive side, trying to sell something to the reader.In addition to sharing content that you have already produced, increasing the time visitors spend on your website, there is another advantage to developing a white paper: taking advantage of content that you already have. A webinar, tutorial or even a blog post can become the starting point for creating a white paper.
How to produce a white paper?
Similar to other content formats, the biggest challenge in producing this type of material is making it have a strong impact on the audience. Here are some steps to creating your white paper.
Model a big idea
The first point of the white paper is: what to talk about? The subject addressed must be irresistible to the audience. Therefore, it is important to define which business persona this material is for (in case your company works with more than one persona). One tip for this is to observe a major pain or objection that your audience usually expresses.
Now it’s time to start researching. To do this, you can create a white paper script with a list of all the topics that will be covered. A good source of information for developing the content is an expert (which could be you or another member of the company), so one tip is to turn these topics into interviews and talk to the professional, gathering the necessary information for the material.
Don't get hung up on size
With all the data in hand, it's time to develop the white paper. However, unlike other written content, which is usually of average length, this material can be the size of an e-book, but if necessary, you can extend the number of words until you feel confident that all the information has been covered.
Bet on a well-resolved design
In addition to text, the white paper can also have graphics and images (as long as they are relevant and make the content more interesting). The better the visual identity, promoting fluid reading, with scannable formatting and graphic elements that refer to the website's visual identity — brand concepts, the greater the reader's benefit and the connection between the content and your company.
Finally, check whether the final material, in PDF format, conveys seriousness and also refers to the subject presented. The design should match the professional and serious language of this type of content.
Did you see how white papers are an excellent solution for educating and qualifying leads that are in the consideration stage? You can also use the strategy to capture leads that don't enter the top of the funnel, shortening the path to the sales stage.
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