Content Marketing Made Simple

How to Create Magnetic White Paper Content

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When most people hear the term "white paper," their eyes glaze over. They think of dense, text-heavy documents that take hours to read. To them, white paper content is something that needs to be read, but it's something that also ends up at the bottom of their reading pile because the content can be dull.

Your white paper content, however, can be magnetic. You can draw in your readers and get them excited about the solutions you're offering them. Here are some ways to add that spark to your white papers and engage readers:

• Identify your ideal reader. All too often, it's easy to forget who the ideal reader is for your white paper. Create reader personas to identify your ideal reader: what will she be looking for? What's her temperament? Where is she in the buying process? Once you know who your reader is, you can tailor your white paper content to her needs.

• Write a catchy title. Think of how Cosmopolitan lures readers with its headlines: "10 Tips to Make Him Yours" or "150 Perfect Beauty Buys."  Your white paper needs a catch title to get readers interested, and nothing beats lists that offer to solve reader problems.

• Make sure your white paper is about educating the reader. Don't fall into the trap of writing a white paper that is nothing more than a sales document in sheep's clothing. Take the time to speak to experts and thoroughly research the issue, then present a solution that ideally aligns with what you're selling. Just don't sell directly; white paper content should, first and foremost, be about educating your reader.

• Add graphics to the cover. It may sound a little counter-intuitive, because white papers are about content, but graphics hook the reader. Think about it: would you rather read a paper with an interesting, eye-catching graphic, or a paper that immediately starts out with dense, heavy text?

• Call it something other than a white paper. In technology circles, "white paper" is a perfectly acceptable, and even expected, term. But for other industries, your prospect may not know what a white paper is. Consider calling your white paper a "special report" or an "ebook" to interest readers. They'll be more likely to download something they understand.

• Keep your writing clear. A common white paper content pitfall is using jargon and being verbose. When you write in clear, plain language, you can keep the reader engaged longer. Some jargon is to be expected, particularly in technology and other industries, but for the most part, if you keep your writing clear, you have a better chance of shepherding your reader to the end.

White paper content does not have to be boring. In fact, it can be interesting, engaging, and magnetic, and it can drive leads like you've never seen before. The trick is to be creative with your content, which is what will educate and inform your readers and get them to ask about the solutions you offer.