Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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October 9, 2006

Five Reasons to Start Writing White Papers NOW

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 7:58 am

Michael A. Stelzner, Guest Writer

Michael Stelzner 3

By now you have heard that the hot new trend in writing is white papers.

These are short documents that help people make decisions. Think informative article meets persuasive brochure and births something new.

There are five very compelling reasons you ought to leap on the white paper wagon. White papers help:

  1. Establish thought leadership (for yourself, your blog or your business)
  2. Create a viral buzz (others send your message everywhere)
  3. Generate quality leads (imagine prospects lining up to talk to you)
  4. Persuade others (help people need you)
  5. Grow a writing practice (develop extra revenue streams)

The Thought Leadership Advantage

Everyone wants to be an expert.

Combining a well-written white paper with other marketing efforts, such as a blog, can help you gain the position of thought leader.

By discussing the concepts that can shift industries or the future of a marketplace, a white paper can be referenced as a “reason to change” by businesses.

For example, FedEx wanted to convince electronics manufacturers that moving product by air from China could shorten the supply chain and provide manufacturers a competitive edge – despite a great sea of resistance (think slow-moving ships).

They crafted a white paper titled, “Speeding the Supply Chain From China: How Manufacturers Are Winning With Full-Service Air Transportation” and proceeded to change an industry.

This article is the first in a five-part series on the advantages of white papers. The next article will examine how white papers can create viral buzz.

Your action: Learn to master the art of the white paper with the new book, Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged .

–Michael A. Stelzner





Filed under Business Book, Guest Writer, Successful Blog, Writing | 11 Comments »




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11 Comments to “Five Reasons to Start Writing White Papers NOW”

  1. October 9th, 2006 at 7:59 am
    Successful Blog - A 5-Part Series: Five Reasons to Start Writing White Papers NOW said

    [...] Monday, October 9 — Five Reasons to Start Writing White Papers NOW Wednesday, October 11 — Create a Viral Buzz – With White Papers Thursday, October 12 — Luring Prospects With White Papers Monday, October 16 — The Persuasive Power of White Papers Wednesday, October 18 — Five Reasons Writers Make More $ Writing White Papers . [...]

  2. October 9th, 2006 at 10:12 pm
    Michael Stelzner said

    Liz – Thanks for providing this great platform to talk about the amazing power of white papers. This is something every blogger should be thinking about — especially if they have services to sell behind their blog.

    Mike

  3. October 9th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Mike,
    I love learning more about what I can do to make my blog stronger. You’re the man for that as far as I can see. :)

  4. October 10th, 2006 at 1:39 am
    Hendry Lee said

    I am half way through the book.

    I am a subscriber to Michael’s newsletter.

    What else I should say? The book is the first and only whitepaper writing guide that attack the whole scenario from marketer’s point of view.

    Highly recommended.

  5. October 10th, 2006 at 5:14 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hendry Lee,
    Yes, the book is well work it’s weight in any currency . . . filled with information that can be put to use RIGHT NOW and it’s so easy to read.

  6. October 10th, 2006 at 6:13 am
    Thilak said

    Nice Post, But I’m lazy… especially of writing. I wake up at 10.00 AM, draft couple of posts then have some snack.

    I ain’t a creative writer like you :(

  7. October 10th, 2006 at 6:15 am
    Writing White Papers - 5 Part Series | ePublishingDaily.com said

    [...] Part one, Five Reasons to Start Writing White Papers Now has been posted. Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

  8. October 10th, 2006 at 6:24 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Thilak,
    You have no need right now, I think, to market your blog or a business. So you have no worries about this kind of thing. That makes total sense. :)

  9. October 10th, 2006 at 6:35 am
    Thilak said

    Hmm.. That justifies that I’m lazy. I need to do sometime.. I can’t depend upon my parent forever.

    I’m lazy because now I live alone in my house. It feels so boring… that’s why i stay hooked up with my RSS Reader ;)

  10. October 10th, 2006 at 6:36 am
    Thilak said

    BTW your comments form is cool, bigger fonts leave a positive impression on commentators.

    We don’t need to stare at our monitors, we can causally sit back and type…

    /* Good Job Lizz */

  11. October 10th, 2006 at 7:35 am
    ME Strauss said

    Oh Thilak, Enjoy this time while you can. Life on your own will be long enough. :P

    Thanks for your nice words about my comment form . I got tired of squinting myself and i figured a nice big typeface would save us all from extra typos in the comments. :)

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