Professional Audio & Cloud
Computing
Manoj Sakhare | @manojsakhare
May 27, 2016
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
ABSTRACT
[The abstract provides another opportunity to grab your readers attention, and
convince them that your white paper is worth their time to read. Similar to the
white paper title, much time should be spent developing a clear, concise and
hard-hitting abstract.
Tips:
Write the abstract after you have completed your white paper.
Use a direct structure format for creation of your abstract. That is,
include in this abstract the most attention-getting findings, insights and
recommendations from the white paper.
Keep it short, simple and to the point. A commonly recommended
length is 150 to 250 words.
Put abstract on the title page. Then, you can use the title page as a
separate sheet for your sales team to send to prospects. Add a call-toaction linking to the full white paper and save it as a PDF.
Ensure that the abstract answers the following questions:
1. What is included in this white paper? (e.g., what audience pain or need
is trying to be solved)
2. Why should I read this white paper? Give your audience a reason to
take time out of their busy schedule to read your white paper.
3. What are the white papers conclusions and recommendations?
Ask someone to review your abstract. Preferably someone that knows
your audience and has a strong attention for detail.]
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................
BACKGROUND/PROBLEM STATEMENT.............................................
SOLUTION....................................................................................
CONCLUSION..............................................................................
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.............................................................
[Develop an outline prior to beginning the writing process. The outline will
eventually take form as its shorter, more succinct cousin, the Table of Contents.
The outline will provide a map and related trails that will keep you on the correct
path to meet your originally laid out objectives. It will ensure that your messaging
and content are on-target, and the information flows in an easy to follow manner
for your readers. The following tips and subsequent section examples provide a
good starting point.
Tips:
DONT SKIP THE OUTLINE. Yup, the first tip is that you shouldnt
skip the process of creating an outline. Yes, it will take time and delay
start of the writing process; however, it will save you an enormous
amount of time in the long run, and more importantly, ensure that you
have a better final product.
Target your audiences needs. It is of the utmost importance that
you create a white paper that is focused on the readers needs,
interests and/or pain points. Take a non-egocentric approach to your
content creation, minimizing the attention that you spend on your
company and its products. In most cases, there are plenty of other
formats to provide company or product-specific information to your
audience. (e.g., data sheets) For additional tips on how to align with
audience needs, refer to The Four Steps to Content Marketing
Enlightenment.
Collaborate with your team for creation of the outline. As the
foundational design of your white paper, modifying your course at this
stage will be much easier than having to change direction once the
white paper is written. Therefore, include team members as part of
development and review of the outline to ensure that your white paper
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
plan is on target. Here are some tips about collaborating across your
organization.
Plan on many revisions. Creation of an outline is an iterative process.
Dont hesitate to modify its design during the process.
Maintain flexibility. Although the outline is intended to be the map or
architecture for writing your white paper, maintain the flexibility to
adjust your outline as necessary once writing begins.
Map out sections and subsections. It is important to break up your
text into several sections, including section headers and subheads
within each section. This increases readability and allows your reader
to skim through the document and absorb the sections that are most
relevant to their business.
The below sections provide just one example of how to structure a white
paper.]
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
INTRODUCTION
[If youve done a good job in creating the title and abstract of your white paper,
then your readers will now be ready to dive into your story. The introduction is
essentially the next level down from the abstract. More specifically, its an
opportunity to introduce readers to the problem, need or pain point that is the
basis of your white paper, as well as the related solution. Just as you did in the
abstract, you need to peak your audiences interest in the introduction and entice
them to read further.
Tips:
Set up the problem, need or pain point right up front.
Grab your readers attention in the first sentence or two. Strive to make
a great first impression. (e.g., a controversial and/or bold statement)
Use data to support your point(s).
Provide additional detail than what was included in the Abstract, but
avoid going into too much detail: Save the details for later sections in the
white paper.
Introduce a framework that may be used throughout the white paper or
may even provide background into the topic.
Indicate the objective(s) of the white paper, as well as what specifically
will be included in subsequent sections. Providing a map or structure to
the white paper in the introduction will help your audience follow your
thought process and understand how the white paper is organized to
achieve its objectives.]
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
BACKGROUND/PROBLEM STATEMENT
[The introduction provided an overview of the white paper. This section offers the
opportunity to expand upon this overview, and thoroughly define the problem
statement.
Sample questions to be answered in this section:
What is currently happening in the market today? (i.e., Whats the current
situation?)
What are companies and/or individuals most struggling with and why?
What are the specific problems, needs and/or pain points?
What are the potential benefits of addressing these problems, needs
and/or pain points? (Answering this question within your white paper will
help your readers understand why your solution is of value; and more
importantly, it will entice them to continue reading.
What data points help to support answers to the above questions?
What frameworks and/or models can be used to enhance readers
understanding of this information?]
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
SOLUTION
[Youve already provided a succinct description of the most impactful solutions in
the Abstract, as well as an overview of these solutions in the Introduction. This
section provides the opportunity to go into the specifics of the solutions.
Tips:
Introduce the solution(s), including a clear definition and even a
framework or model.
Provide a detailed description of each part of the solution. Use
subcategories as required to help readers draw distinct boundaries
between different parts of the solution. Subcategories will also make it
easier for your audience to follow your thought process and absorb the
content.
Be very clear regarding the benefits of each of the solutions,
including how it specifically impacts your audience.
Target your solutions to different segments of your audience, thereby
improving the relevancy of your content.
Provide specific, real-world examples to support your solution(s).
These examples provide another opportunity to connect with different
segments of your audience. (e.g., providing examples that are targeted for
3 different buyer personas)
Create a figure and/or table as a stand-alone sheet to help readers
visualize your solution(s). This sheet can also serve as a stand-alone
asset for your readers and/or for your internal sales enablement efforts. A
few examples of charts and figures from Curatas recent studies can be
seen below.
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
FIGURE 1
SOURCE: Business Blogging Secrets Revealed
KEY FINDINGS
Bloggers with 10,000+ page views a month:
They are better aligned with their social media team.
Their blog writers are more involved with promotion. (not a simple handoff)
They better leverage paid media. (especially as companies get larger)
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
FIGURE 2
Content Marketing Measurement Model
Content
Marketing ROI
Performanc
e
Top of
Funnel
Consumptio
n
Retention
Operation
s
Sharing
Cost
Production
Engagement
Marketing
Pipeline
Impact
BOFU
Sales
Pipeline
Impact
t
Nex ration
e
Gen
Middle of
Funnel
SOURCE: The Comprehensive Guide to Content Marketing Analytics & Metrics
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
CONCLUSION
[By this point youve told them what youre going to tell them in the Abstract and
Introduction; youve told them in the Problem Statement and Solution; and now
you need to tell them what you told them. The Conclusion provides the
opportunity to:
Summarize the objectives of the white paper.
Review the problem statement(s).
Highlight the solutions and their value for your audience. Be clear
regarding how these solutions address the problem statement(s).
Finish with a strong statement. (e.g., a vision of future solutions; how your
audience can develop new solutions on their own; where your audience
can go for addition information and/or resources)]
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
[Provide a list of available resources for your audience. This list may include
resources that you have sourced throughout the white paper.]
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Copyright Information [ followed by the year the white paper was published
and the name of your company. You can also add All Rights Reserved at the
end]
For more information, please contact john@doe.com
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
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Additional Tips for Creating White Papers
Formatting & Coloring: Create a consistent color scheme based on the
color of your logo. Use the most dominant color for your section headers.
Use a softer version or a shade of gray as the subhead color. Use these
same colors throughout all visual elements of your white paper (e.g.
charts, graphs or figures).
Grammar & Editing: Ensure that your white paper has been run through
several editors for quality control. Once someone downloads your white
paper, it is in his or her possession and you are unable to make further
edits. Correct spelling and grammar will elevate your message and back
up the credibility of your company.
Promoting Other Assets: Use the white paper to link to several of your
other content marketing assets. These could be other white papers,
eBooks or blog posts. Do ensure that these assets are highly relevant to
the topic at hand and focused on answers the audience may need, rather
than pushing your companys product.
Curating Expert Content: Substantiate your message by including
content from experts on the topic; either directly getting quotes from these
experts or curating their content. Be sure to follow ethical best practices
for curating content, such as linking back to the original source, only taking
a small portion of the content and adding your own annotation. For a guide
to ethical curation, download our complete eBook on the topic: Content
Marketing Done Right
May 27, 2016
Harman International (Ind.) Pvt. Ltd| http://www.harman.in/
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