White Papers For Dummies

Learn to: Plan, create, and promote effective white papers Pick the perfect style of white paper for your next project Manage a white paper project with a 12-step process Discover how to write great white papers, and use them to boost your business! White papers are a challenging form of content marketing that takes years to master. Luckily, this hands-on, friendly guide gives you a shortcut. Whether you're a marketing manager seeking to use white papers to promote your company, or a writer looking to break into this well-paying field, White Papers For Dummies gives you practical, step-by-step advice on planning, creating, and promoting effective white papers. Get started — find out what white papers are, who reads them, and whether your company (or client) needs one Plan a white paper, fast — pinpoint the audience, purpose, topic, key points, and call to action for your white paper Master highly effective habits — discover how to think like a lawyer, write like a journalist, and promote like a madman to make your white paper a hit Tricks of the trade — avoid common pitfalls that trap beginners creating their first white papers Reach your target audience — get a crash course on ways to promote your white paper and get it discovered, read, and shared Open the book and find: Why white papers are called "the king of content" The huge opportunity for writers Outlines for the three main types of white papers More than 40 ways to promote a white paper Tips on finding powerful sources Ten ways to improve a white paper title Advice for white paper designers How to use white papers throughout the sales process

Introduction  1 Part I: Getting Started with White Papers 9 Chapter 1: Unleashing the Power of White Papers 11 Chapter 2: An Exciting Opportunity for Writers 29 Chapter 3: The Past, Present, and Future of White Papers 47 Chapter 4: Just the FAQs on White Papers 57 Part II: The Three Flavors of White Papers  85 Chapter 5: Picking the Perfect Flavor for Your Next White Paper 87 Chapter 6: The Backgrounder: As Basic As Vanilla 103 Chapter 7: The Numbered List: As Fresh As Strawberry 121 Chapter 8: The Problem/Solution: As Complex As Chocolate 143 Chapter 9: Mashing Up Different Flavors 171 Chapter 10: Special Ingredients for a White Paper 181 Part III: From Foggy Idea to Finished Document 195 Chapter 11: A Proven Process to Complete Your White Paper 197 Chapter 12: Planning an Effective White Paper 207 Chapter 13: Producing a Powerful White Paper 225 Part IV: Succeeding with White Papers  251 Chapter 14: Doing Research: Think Like a Lawyer 253 Chapter 15: Write Like a Journalist 273 Chapter 16: Promote Like a Madman 305 Part V: The Part of Tens  327 Chapter 17: Ten White Paper Problems and How to Solve Them 329 Chapter 18: Ten Tips on Designing a White Paper 335 Chapter 19: More Than Ten Ways to Spice Up a White Paper Title 341 Index  349

Gordon Graham — also known as That White Paper Guy — is an award-winning writer who has created more than 200 B2B white papers for clients from New York to Australia. Gordon has written white papers on everything from choosing enterprise software to designing virtual worlds for kids, and for everyone from tiny start-ups to Google.