| The Power of a Well-Written White Paper |
|
The term "white paper" derives from the lengthy policy documents published by Congress and the British Parliament. When politicians were rushed for time, they would literally bind these documents in white paper, rather than issue them in book form. Today, the definition of a white paper seems to be open to interpretation.
Regardless of how you define the term, a well-written white paper needs to provide high quality, in-depth information on a specific topic. It needs to lay out a problem or challenge and offer a specific solution, without being too "salesy." It should primarily educate readers, rather than sell them on a particular product or service. Ideally, white papers should range from six to 10 pages in length and include some graphics and quotes to break up the copy. If you're producing a white paper that's only two to four pages long, call it a "guide" or a "report."
According to a study by Eccolo Media, a San Francisco-based technology communications firm, white papers remain one of the most effective marketing tools available today. Despite the daily barrage of tweets, texts, and emails, people still take the time to read white papers. Many of Eccolo Media's findings are equally applicable to the financial services industry, including:
- White Papers Offer Bang For Your Buck. Among Eccolo's survey respondents, 77 percent indicated they had read at least one white paper in the last six months.
- Quality Counts. Even though respondents said they preferred to have white papers written by a third-party, good writing from a vendor trumped mediocre writing from an objective source. In fact, 86 percent of respondents felt high-quality writing was either moderately, very, or extremely influential.
- White Papers are Influential. Nearly 84 percent of respondents found white papers either moderately or extremely influential in their purchasing decisions. Only one percent of respondents thought white papers were not influential.
- White Papers are the Most Viral Marketing Collateral. Eccolo's survey found that 89 percent of respondents passed them along to others.
After you have taken the time and effort to create an effective white paper, make sure you end with a strong call to action. Ask readers to visit your website, schedule an appointment, or sign up for your newsletter. Finally, don't forget to use your website and social media sites like Twitter and Linked In to publicize your white paper. Do your white papers need help? Contact Bull's-eye Communications or call 774-719-2324 to discuss your needs. |
|
Long Sentences Shorten Reader Comprehension |
According to research by the American Press Institute (API), longer sentences make it more difficult for readers to understand your message. API's research, based on studies of 410 newspapers, correlated the average number of words in a sentence with reader comprehension. Here's what they found:
- Readers understood 100 percent of a story when average sentence length was fewer than eight words.
- From nine to 14 words, readers could understand more than 90 percent of the information.
- For sentences of 43 words or more, comprehension dropped to less than 10 percent.
When I'm editing editorial or marketing content for my clients, sentence length is one of the first things I review. You can do this too by simply reviewing the "readability statistics" after you complete spell-check in Microsoft Word.
If your average sentence length is more than 20 words, see if you can shorten sentences. Take long phrases with lots of commas and break them into two or three shorter sentences. Your readers will comprehend your message better. And that's your ultimate goal, right?
p.s. the average number of words per sentence in this newsletter is 15.6. |
|
Recommended Reading
|
|
Here's a sampling of particularly interesting articles I've come across in recent weeks:
|
| Stuck For a Word? Try Visual Thesaurus |
 Whenever I'm stuck for a word, I click on Visual Thesaurus, an interactive dictionary and thesaurus that creates word maps that link to related words.
If you have a meaning in mind, like "happy," it helps you find related words, such as "cheerful" or "euphoric." Visual Thesaurus helps you find the right word, write more descriptively, free associate, and gain a more precise understanding of the English language. You can even use it to the hear correct American and British pronunciation of words, including 39,000 proper nouns.
|
| Recent Bull's-eye Projects: |
- Completed the December issue of Fidelity StockSense newsletter for stock plan administrators
- Edited a white paper on international investing for Strategic Advisors.
- Contributed an article on the impact of rising interest rates on bond funds for FI Life
- Wrote an article on the telecommunications sector for Fidelity Interactive Content Services
- Wrote article on year-end charitable planning tips for American Endowment Foundation
Thank you for your business in 2009 and let's hope that 2010 is a prosperous year for everyone, especially our friends who are still looking for work. In the meantime, I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!
Sincerely,
Neil Rhein
|
|
|
|
|
 |
- Financial Communications
- Newsletters
- Content Development
- White papers
- Marketing Collateral
- Creative Design
|
| Today's Buzzword: |
|
Telephonically
Communicated:
To convey information or data by telephone. "The results of the retest were telephonically communicated to the CEO." A less buzzy alternative: "I called Jack."
Source: www.buzzwhack.com |
| Notable Quotable |
|
"Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it.
Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want-and their kids pay for it."
--Richard Lamm, former governor of Colorado
| |
|
