e-Newsletter Article - Creating Effective White Papers

Institute of Management Consultants • New England Chapter

Provided by

Jan Cannon
Creative Director
BOOM
617.484.5998

Tips for Creating Effective White Papers

By Jan Cannon

From their origins in 18th century England, where white papers were short government reports delivered to members of Parliament, to their use on Internet websites, these information-packed documents can be useful tools for consultants. Once the sole venue for explaining technology issues within the computer industry (and still the leader in number produced), white papers can be used to report research results, present case studies and offer information about products and services in any industry. They generally run no longer than 10 pages with target audiences ranging from investors and vendors to potential customers.

White papers can enhance your credibility, serve as marketing tools or even generate revenue as products for sale. Here are some hints to make your white papers as effective as possible.

First give a summary of the history of the problem, then detail the solution and how it can be best applied – a subtle "sales pitch". Make your story clear and persuasive. Even if you’re not trying to sell a product or service, you are selling your opinion.
Have your piece well organized and easy to scan for information. Conventional writing advice applies: use words and categories that make sense to your audience, use topic sentences, limit each paragraph to one main idea and provide the right amount of information. Be sure the paragraphs and ideas flow from one to another. Include an executive summary as the first page and summarize your key point(s) at the end of the paper.
Explain complex terms in a way that most business professionals can easily read and understand. Use a simple, informal writing style minimizing jargon.
Make your writing visually appealing. This means using white space effectively on the page and inserting appropriate and captioned graphics.
If making your white paper available on the Internet, use Adobe Acrobat PDF format because of its ability to present both text and graphics consistently across platforms.

There are many ways to use your white papers after they’re written. But that’s another topic for another time.

Jan Cannon serves on the current IMCNE Board of Directors and is Creative Director of BOOM, developing marketing communications using the best media for the message.
Phone: 617.484.5998
email:

This article appeared in an IMCNE e-Newsletter on September 18, 2002.

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