How to write a white paper conclusion

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.

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Crystal Bedell
Freelance technical copywriter & content strategist
cbedell@bedellcommunications.com