Bedell Communications

How are you using research results in your technology white papers? Are you using them as the actual content or to inform your technical copywriter and help shape the paper?

I edited a white paper last week that used a research study as its foundation. The entire paper was about the results of the study. The study’s results supported the vendor’s messaging and would have been very useful as part of a presentation to educate a sales or marketing team. However, the results didn’t have any value to the IT decision maker who would be reading the paper. This is a mistake.

It is important that when you look at research findings you determine their role in your content, keeping in mind that the role you had planned on when you commissioned the research may not be the best choice given the results you receive.

Let’s consider an example. Your research has identified the top three pain points that your readers are experiencing. How do you use this information? The statistics can either be the content, or you can use this information to inform the content. In other words, instead of saying, “Our study found that 93% of security professionals feel that IT is becoming more complex,” you can write a paragraph or two on how IT is becoming more complex. The study has indicated that the complexity of technology is a concern to your audience.  Instead of telling them what they are concerned about (they already know this!), use the information to write about what the reader’s interests. Don’t just tell the reader, “Security professionals are challenged by the increasing complexity of IT.” Provide some insights; for example, the impact complexity has on IT as a whole.

On the other hand, if you have research findings on an industry trend that impacts the reader’s business at large, include it. For example, the cost of a data breach is useful information to an IT manager who is making a business case for a DLP solution.

The bottom line is to be mindful of your ideal reader. Ask yourself at every point in your outline and again after you’ve written a first draft, “Am I giving my ideal reader valuable information?” — Crystal Bedell, Freelance Technical Copywriter and Content Strategist

You are one paragraph away from being done writing a white paper. Better yet, your potential client is one paragraph away from finishing your white paper. What is the next step you want them to take? That is exactly what you should be asking yourself as you write the conclusion of your white paper.

In school, many of us were taught to use the concluding paragraph of a research paper to reassert the thesis statement and establish a tone of completion. But you are not writing a research paper. The thesis (most likely being that your product/service can solve your reader’s problem) was not overtly stated at the beginning of the paper and you are not at the end of the sales cycle. The feeling of completion shouldn’t come at the end of your white paper. Instead, it should provoke a feeling of action. What do you want your potential client to do next? Yes, this is your call to action.

As you write your concluding paragraph, keep these tips in mind:

• In 150-200 words tell your reader in clear, concise language, what they should do next.
• Give readers the tools to take the next step. In other words, don’t forget a URL, a phone number, etc. This may seem overly simple, but many companies forget this valuable information.
• Avoid the temptation to recap the white paper’s contents or add extraneous information. If you’ve kept your reader’s attention thus far, don’t insult them by restating what they’ve already read.
• Use active (instead of passive) verbs. This keeps your sentences concise, and also provokes a sense of progression — which is exactly what you want!

Do you have other best practices for writing the concluding paragraph of a white paper? Post your comments below or, if you’d like feedback on a concluding paragraph you’ve written, send it to me at cbedell@bedellcommunications.com — Crystal Bedell

Survey results are a great way to back up the claims you make in technical white papers and other marketing communications, especially when the survey is published by an independent, reputable source.  I’m  updating a security white paper for a client, and I’ve tracked down a few surveys that were published in late 2009 that I thought would be helpful to security technology marketers. Here they are, in no particular order:

For its Global state of information security survey, PriceWaterhouseCoopers surveyed more than 7,200 C-level executives  to gain insight on the global state of information security midst the current economic downturn.

The CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey 2009 is a US-centric survey based on the responses from more than 400 information security and information technology professionals about their experiences between July 2008 and June 2009.

BankInfoSecurity’s Application Security Survey gauges the efforts of some 100 “banking/security leaders” to secure their business applications. Respondents were asked about their confidence in application security, and their application assessment and testing practices.

Outpacing Change is Ernst & Young’s 12th annual global information security survey. Nearly 1,900 senior executives in more than 60 countries give their input on their security budgets, regulatory compliance efforts, and the technologies they plan to invest in over the next 12 months.

The Deloitte Global TMT Security Survey 2009 takes a look at how the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) industry is responding to the economic recession. Social networking threats, regulatory compliance, and privacy are also amongst the key findings.

The Top Cyber Security Risks published by SANS is a report (not a survey) that summarizes vulnerability and attack trends based on data collected from appliances and software implemented in organizations from March 2009 to August 2009. The report highlights the threats that pose the most significant risk to corporate networks, the elements that enable the threats, and countermeasures for mitigating their risk.

– Crystal Bedell

It should go without saying that the title of your white paper is vital to its success. The title is the first — and maybe the only — factor your readers take into consideration when deciding whether to download your white paper. Yet, time and again I see titles that hinder lead generation. Let’s look at some dos and don’ts for how to write a white paper title.

DO use the Google Adwords Keyword Tool  to identify terms that your readers are searching for and incorporate them into your title. This will  improve your paper’s search engine rankings, and you’ll be speaking your reader’s language so that the title stands out when he/she is skimming the Web.

DO put some thought into it. Whether you outsourced the white paper to a freelance technical copywriter or wrote it internally, you spent valuable resources on its creation. Don’t shortchange yourself now by using the first title that comes to mind.

DO use a number. By incorporating a number (e.g., 10 Reasons Your Existing SEIM Isn’t Good Enough), you provide readers with a tangible takeaway.

DO include a job title. Who do you want to read your paper? This will help qualify leads.

DO NOT mention a product name. The primary objective of a white paper is not to promote your product. The white paper should educate readers on how to solve a problem (beyond simply buying your product) and the title should convey that. And that leads us to…

DO tell readers what problem the white paper will help them solve. Most white paper readers are in research mode. Help them find your paper — and the solution to their problem.

DO explain how the reader will benefit from the content. Your readers’ time is valuable. Let them know what you’re giving them in return for it.

DO use a subtitle when necessary. It can serve as another piece of bait to lure qualified leads if it provides more specifics of the paper’s content. 

DO have someone else read the title for clarity. The last thing you want is for your white paper title to be misunderstood. At best, readers won’t read your paper; at worst, you’ll anger those who do because you didn’t give them what they expected.

DO use terminology and acronyms your readers understand. This isn’t the place to promote new terminology. Likewise, DO NOT insult your readers — and waste valuable space — by spelling out acronyms. If the acronym needs to be clarified don’t use it.

Last week I advised information technology training companies to consider using white papers and case studies in their marketing efforts. Both are great lead generation techniques because IT professionals understand their value. This week I offer some topics that you might consider for your IT training white papers and case studies.

Case studies present an opportunity to highlight a personal success story as it relates to your product or service. Use case studies to profile individuals and organizations that completed training and successfully earned certification. Begin by explaining the challenge(s) faced by the subject. Did the subject previously fail the exam after training with another company or no training at all? Was the exam just weeks away and a job was on the line? Was the subject busy at the office and unable to go offsite for training?

The remainder of your case study should call out your program’s specific benefits as they address the subject’s challenges. Support them with quotes from your subject. I recommend writing two-to-three paragraphs with a subhead on each benefit.

While case studies focus specifically on how your product or service helped a company, a white paper focuses on educating leads on some aspect of your product or service. When I worked as an editor at TechTarget, I received a steady flow of user-submitted questions pertaining to certification exam preparation. Here are some topics that can be addressed with white papers:

• How to study for specific certification exams (Include the name of the exam in the title and make sure to include specific tips and strategies that apply to that exam.)
• Certification paths for specific positions or upper-level certs (Again, be specific in the title and content of your white paper.)
• How to choose an IT training company
• How to choose between computer-based training, instructor-led training, a boot camp, etc.
• How to get the most out of a boot camp/computer-based training/instructor-led training/etc. (Be specific. Each one of these could be a white paper in and of itself.)

This is just a small sampling of topics to get you started. Once you get started with one or two case studies or white papers, the ideas — and leads! — will keep coming. — Crystal Bedell