Turning to a B2B white paper writer offers many advantages
A B2B white paper writer brings special expertise to developing B2B white papers to help companies with marketing and communications objectives such as lead generation. Of course, that also raises the question of why a company would turn to an outside B2B white paper writer when it has internal executives and staff who may appear to be better at conveying thought leadership related to business goals.
White papers and your company
Before determining whether your company would benefit from using a B2B white paper writer, it’s important to consider why you’re using white papers in the first place. White papers serve a wide variety of thought leadership and corporate communications needs:
- For example, if your company’s product or service is complicated, innovative, or significantly different from what your competitors provide, a key part of your marketing effort is producing in-depth information to help your customers and prospects understand what makes it the right choice for their needs. A well-written white paper can provide enough facts and arguments to educate your target audience while helping them reach the decision you want.
- Most of today’s communications channels deliver information in small amounts with a short word count. From social media posts to paid advertising, they’re created to make a quick impression, and your stakeholders recognize them as efforts designed to feed your sales funnel with quality leads. Persuasive white papers serve a different role, allowing you the opportunity to explore what makes your product or service better in greater depth. Because expertly written white papers don’t appear to be as promotional as those other channels, prospects and other readers give them more credence. Plus, people tend to hang onto white papers longer than they retain those other marketing materials, giving your message a longer life.
- A well written white paper also helps prospects and customers better understand your company’s value proposition. Their time is limited, and they appreciate practical guidance that’s focused on their specific needs. They’re willing to take the time to read white papers because they may want to better understand a new technology. Or they’re desperately seeking a solution for a problem that’s hurting their business. Maybe they want support for a recommendation they’re making to their bosses. Your persuasive white paper can provide trustworthy information and improve their perception of your organization and what you offer.
- If your sales process is lengthy, such as one involving a high-value product or service that takes many weeks or months to move from initial interest to finished deal, a white paper can help you speed the sales process along.
- White papers are particularly helpful when it comes to purchase decisions involving many people or departments, especially when you don’t have access to speak with everyone who will play a role in the decision. White papers that discuss the advantages of what you offer, contrast it with other options, and explain how users can get the greatest value from it will help you communicate with decision-makers you can’t reach directly. When your contact attaches your white paper to their recommendation, it not only provides evidence that it’s the right choice, but your white papers may help to answer questions and overcome objections other people in the review process may have.
- Most of all, white papers can support your inbound marketing efforts, producing quality leads to support the efforts of your sales team and keep your sales funnel full.
Don’t assign white papers internally
You or others on your sales team may be good writers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should write your own white papers. If that seems illogical, consider these advantages of working with a professional B2B white paper writer for your next white paper:
- White papers are a unique type of document requiring a different mindset from ordinary business writing and promotional materials such as web copy and blog posts.
- Professional B2B white paper writers understand the most effective structure and approach for white papers. After all, white papers are not like brochures, instruction manuals, or other types of documents.
- Because professional B2B white paper writers write for a living, they tend to be faster and more productive than non-professionals. Plus, they don’t have other tasks and responsibilities competing for their attention.
- People who have significant amounts of technical knowledge — such as engineers, attorneys, CPAs, and scientists — often find it difficult to escape the specialized jargon of their professions and write in ways people outside their professions can understand.
- A professional B2B white paper writer brings more objectivity to the process of developing your white paper. They have fewer preconceived notions and internal assumptions about your product or service, and can challenge the biases and opinions common among your team.
- Your team members are already busy, with a long list of responsibilities. If you also expect them to write white papers, what happens to those other tasks? In most cases, the time they would invest in developing a white paper would probably be better spent handling their primary job functions.
White paper writing services offer advantages
It might surprise you, but a professional B2B white paper writer’s lack of knowledge about your company may be a significant advantage in developing white papers. Because a B2B white paper writer has to develop a thorough understanding before presenting your message to the outside world, they’ll have to ask a lot of questions, including questions you and your team may not have considered. Those are likely to be many of the same questions your prospective customers might ask, so the writer can address those issues in the white paper.
Additionally, an outside B2B white paper writer is more likely to approach white papers not from the point of view of your company, but from that of your audience. The writer will consider what’s important to them and what they need to know, making your ideas and arguments more compelling and meaningful to the people you need to reach, leading to more leads and more sales.
One more argument for seeking outside help with white papers is the economic concept known as opportunity cost. The simple definition of the term is what you give up when you make a choice. In a typical job, people spend 40 to 50 hours of each week working and most of us pack a long list of tasks into that time. Your team uses that time most efficiently when doing what they’re best at. That’s why most companies prefer to have their employees working in specialized roles. Generally speaking, specialization increases efficiency, and that’s especially true when it comes to writing white papers.
How can you find the right white paper writing services?
Once you’ve made the decision to get help with white paper writing, the next step is finding a professional who offers white paper writing services. Although many people present themselves as professional writers, true B2B white paper writers have the specific expertise needed to create well written content. A writer whose expertise primarily involves writing college term papers, advertising, blog posts, or thinks of themselves a “creative writer” probably won’t have specialized white paper writing experience. As you’re evaluating candidates for your B2B white paper writing needs, it’s wise to keep these points in mind to ensure high quality content:
Get references
If companies who have developed white papers you admire are satisfied with the work of a professional white paper writer, they’ll usually be happy to provide contact information. References are also important if you find a B2B white paper writer on your own. Don’t just assume that the writer does a good job. Ask for names of the writer’s clients, and ask for their impressions of the white paper writer and whether they would work with them again.
Expect samples
It’s one thing for someone to say they have written white papers. Professional B2B white paper writers will be happy to supply samples of their white paper work for other clients. As you review those white papers, pay attention to how the writer explains difficult concepts. Even if you know nothing about the industry or subject matter, you should be able to come away with a good understanding of the issue being discussed. If the language is confusing, uses a lot of jargon, or seems sloppy, that writer probably isn’t the best choice for you. Remember, white papers are not the same as research papers.
Choose white paper writing services carefully
Be wary of online services promising to develop your white paper in less time for a fraction of what other professionals charge. Many of these services outsource white paper writing to people overseas, who may or may not be native English speakers. Even if those writers are able to develop reasonably decent copy in English, it’s unlikely they’ll use contemporary, conversational business language or captures the voice and tone used in your industry. Any money or time you save upfront will probably be outweighed by extra time editing and rewriting their work.
Choose a professional B2B white paper writer
Taking the time to find and evaluate a professional white paper writing source assures you’ll receive the quality of work your company needs to achieve thought leadership and capture more leads. Professional B2B white paper writers are aware of how to present your messages in the most effective and impactful ways, making your messages understandable, compelling enough to hold the reader’s attention, and focused on achieving your business objectives and supporting your sales team’s efforts.