| "Let's just write a whitepaper." It's a common | | | | whitepaper - but the need for the tool, not the |
| impulse for company executives and marketing | | | | tool itself, would be the focus of the whitepaper). |
| professionals when they simply can't figure out | | | | 2. Make sure you have something to add to the |
| what's needed in their marketing communications | | | | discussion. Although the first step in writing an |
| mix. | | | | effective whitepaper is identifying an appropriate |
| But using an ambiguously conceived whitepaper as | | | | issue to address, you also need to make sure |
| a last resort or a catch-all for all that information | | | | that your company or executive actually has |
| that simply won't fit in your brochures or press | | | | something to say. Strong opinions and novel |
| releases is not a good idea. Alternatively, | | | | perspectives works best. If you don't have |
| whitepapers can be an effective component of | | | | anything new to add to the discussion, then you |
| your organization's marketing efforts if they, in | | | | need to find a new whitepaper topic. |
| fact, do what they are supposed to do: Establish | | | | 3. Don't write a user's manual. Sure, it's fair game |
| your organization or a company executive as a | | | | for companies to write whitepapers on |
| respected authority on an industry issue. By doing | | | | technology issues. But it's important to know the |
| so, the media and prospective customers will | | | | difference between exploring a particular |
| come to see your company as a "go-to" source | | | | technology issue (which is appropriate for a |
| on the issue-and, therefore, you are in a better | | | | whitepaper) and simply providing a step-by-step |
| position to sell your products or services. | | | | guide for setting up your company's technology |
| To get started, here are four simple rules for | | | | products. Writing a whitepaper on the benefits of |
| writing effective whitepapers: | | | | mobile technology in homecare could work. A |
| 1. Never use a whitepaper to simply sell or | | | | step-by-step guide to connecting a laptop to a |
| introduce a new product or service. That's what | | | | wireless network - not so much. |
| brochures and press releases are for. Remember, | | | | 4. Use the right voice and tone. Typically, |
| a whitepaper must offer some education or | | | | whitepapers address serious topics and position |
| perspective on a hard-to-understand or | | | | their authors as experts. So, the tone of a |
| controversial industry issue. For example, a | | | | whitepaper should follow suit. However, a |
| healthcare information technology company would | | | | whitepaper still has to compete for audience |
| want to consider a whitepaper to explain how and | | | | attention - and, therefore, needs to be engaging. |
| why healthcare providers could benefit from | | | | So, while you don't want the whitepaper to read |
| integrated technologies in the care setting. | | | | like a text book (no one will read it), you also |
| However, the same company should not use a | | | | don't want it to read like a tabloid-magazine article |
| whitepaper to simply introduce its new integration | | | | (no one will take it seriously). Shoot for a |
| tool to the market (sure, the tool might be | | | | something in the middle. |
| mentioned or references in the integration | | | | |