By Kevin Gault
White papers are hot. Marketers everywhere use these effective marketing tools to educate buyers on solving business problems. But in the “here today, gone tomorrow” world of marketing trends, will the excitement about white papers fizzle?
Leading white paper experts concur that white papers should have a bright future, but they see changes down the road as well as some clear warning signs.
“So much marketing takes place on the Internet, it has pushed us into educational marketing, which is marketing by offering content,” explains Bob Bly, author of The White Paper Marketing Handbook. “These days, people don’t like hype, they don’t like sales, they mainly want education about the products they buy, and that’s what white papers provide.”
Jonathan Kantor from The Appum Group thinks white papers will grow in popularity. “White papers appeal to both sides of the decision-maker spectrum. They describe how technical features translate into business advantages. There is no other business medium that occupies this middle ground quite like a white paper. As a result, we’re seeing a number of industries use white papers that never used them before.”
White papers will not only move into new industries, but also into new formats. “White papers could become ‘white podcasts’ over the next few years,” says Russell Willerton, Assistant Professor of Technical Communication at Boise State University. “White papers in PDF could include cutting-edge features that blur the line between a paper and a presentation. Video clips or complete video presentations will probably be used, so that ‘white papers’ will hardly resemble papers at all.”
In addition to changing forms in the future, white papers could saturate the marketplace. “We’re seeing that start to happen now,” says Gordon Graham, also known as “That White Paper Guy”. “There is now a surfeit of white papers as every vendor rushes out ‘me too’ documents just to keep up with their competitors. There are too many white papers in the world today and, as with all things, only a few vendors make exceptional use of white papers, and the rest are just average.”
Bly adds that there’s “plenty of information out there, but not a lot of wisdom. It’s easy to find content, but what a reader looks for is expert advice on how to do something, how to select something, or how to buy something.”
There’s one sure way to keep your white papers in demand: Make them helpful to the buyer. “Here’s the key,” says freelance writer Ed Gandia. “The only white papers that will stand a chance will be those that present a clear, logical, concise argument, well-supported claims and a sincere desire to educate the buyer. In the years to come, buyers will only grow more impatient with white papers that include overt sales pitches.”
Michael Stelzner, author of the book Writing White Papers agrees, “The future for white papers is very bright for writers who learn how to master the craft and businesses that learn how to leverage these super weapons. For the rest, things look bleak. Why? Because far too many white papers under-deliver by focusing on product details and not customer needs.”
White paper writers and marketers will be wise to stay abreast of the latest trends and new forms that white papers will take. And above all, learn how to write white papers that focus on helping readers solve their business problems and make sound buying decisions. A quick search on Amazon will reveal some must-read books to get you started.
