Writing White Papers 101

By Gordon Turner

An important area where many technical writers are employed is in producing sales and marketing materials for a wide variety of firms. One sales and marketing document that you may be asked to write is a white paper.

A white paper is generally released after a new product or service is already on the market. It uses facts, figures, and graphs to make the case. In a white paper, a problem is presented and a solution (the product or service) given. These generally run from 8 to 12 pages with a target audience ranging from investors and vendors to potential customers. Remember that since what you are selling has already been released, you can safely assume that your reader will have some background information. White papers are distributed through many channels, including the Web, trade shows and conferences, and sales representatives.

The first step in creating an effective white paper is the treatment-give a brief description of the problem and solution. Is this an introduction to a new prescription medicine? Is it a new small business software package that will help boost productivity? Describe the problem, the solution, and what you want the reader to do in response. Bulleting will help to organize the main topics and how you plan to develop them. This can be done by giving a history of the problem and the proposed solution, a summary of the technology involved and why it is better than others, how it can be best used, and the action you want from the reader.

Next, develop an outline by expanding on each of the topics in your problem-solution treatment with subsections and bullets that summarize the main points in each subsection. Estimate how many paragraphs and pages that each subsection will need so you can get an idea of the length. You may also wish to choose what graphs and other graphics you want to use at this point, along with their placement. Remember that they need to add substance to your argument, not just look nice on the page. The client is probably familiar with the topic and should be able to clearly see the structure of your argument from this outline. Don't forget that you need to get approval from your client after each step!

Now you are ready to put flesh on the bones and write the draft. The document can be organized in the following three sections. First, give a summary of the history of the problem; second, detail the solution, how it can be best employed, and why it is better than those of competitors; and finally, summary what you expect the reader to do. This is the most important part of your paper because it is the "sales pitch" that you have been leading up to. Make it clear and persuasive.

In summary, writing a successful white paper takes these three steps:

• The treatment, which defines the problem and the solution
• The outline, which expands and fills out the treatment
• The draft, which is the written product

If you follow the above and carefully develop your argument, you will have a document that will make your client happy by persuading customers.

Gordon Turner is a volunteer writer for the Willamette Galley. He can be reached at Gordon66@Spiritone.com.