White papers, like many foundational pieces of public relations are not inherently exciting. The name is borrowed from government operations in the days before email, days when different bits of information were communicated on a color-coded paper system. The white papers distributed indicated the information was available to the public. So naturally, the public relations industry borrowed this name when it came time to name informative reports organizations produce for their stakeholders.
White papers, as we most commonly use them, serve as a detailed way to understand an issue, solve a problem, or communicate a client’s services or changes to a solution or product. It could be a new program to serve clients better, or perhaps a new infrastructure that makes it easier to ensure the safety of staff and/or clients.
How is this different from blogs or social posts?
It’s true, as PR professionals we can’t help ourselves when it comes to sharing information via every platform we have at our finger tips. White papers are detailed reports that walk readers through what we did, why we did it, and how we did it. A well written white paper can serve as the basis for other communications, including blog posts, social posts, newsletter articles, news releases, webinars, and other public speaking engagements.
How do we create excitement for a white paper?
The subject of a white paper can be very valuable for subgroups of the organization’s audience, but topics aren’t always interesting for the general public. Often, it’s best to build interest around a white paper. Meaning: we divide the subject matter of the paper into other small bits of information that easily aligns with the majority of our audience’s interests or with specialized audiences. This can be writing blog posts about how small sections covered in the white paper impact an organization’s consumers. It could be turning the white paper into a webinar for professionals in that field to share best practices. We use whichever avenues highlight a compelling angle and then link to or distribute the white paper for more in-depth detail.
3-30-3 Guideline
The challenge in linking to a white paper is to keep your readers engaged. We do that by following a 3-30-3 guideline — three seconds to grab attention, 30 seconds to pique interest, and three minutes to highlight the value of the information.
We also aim to provide an attractive report that easily conveys information about how our client has solved a problem (e.g., lowered price, increased quality, or increased safety). After all, every good communicator should answer WIIFM – “what’s in it for me?” – in every piece published.
Do you have an idea/topic for a white paper percolating? Blue Wagon can help get your concept into a shareable, readable comms tool.