A white paper table of contents is a common technique, but it’s often handled incorrectly. Because white papers tend to be substantially longer than blog posts, brochures, and other marketing communications channels — they can reach between 1500 and 5000 words in length, which is generally 6 to 20 printed pages — some organizations see a table of contents as being helpful for readers.
Keep a white paper table of contents short
The most effective tables of contents in white papers tend to be short. Instead of referencing every section or element of the white paper, the table of contents might include the five or six most important points. The wording can also be very brief. For example, a white paper comparing options for radish production might include a table of contents like this:
- Introduction……………………………1
- Challenges with coring……………..…2
- Problems with traditional solutions.…..4
- Cross-cutting approaches………………6
- Spiral-coring alternatives……………..7
- An engineering comparison…………..8
- Aspects to consider……………………12
Table of contents aids navigation
A white paper table of contents like that guides the reader through the lengthy white paper, making it easy for them to zero in on the information that’s most important to them. If a table of contents is too long, it can become overwhelming.
Even better approach
While there are advantages to using a white paper table of contents, a strategy that makes more sense both with or without a table of contents is to build “navigation” into the white paper to guide the reader through the content. This is generally accomplished by using subheadings and bold lead-ins to summarize the content that follows. While organizations hope people will read every work of their white papers, the reality is that most people these days skim through content and only stop to read the sections that appear to have the most value to them. Building in navigation recognizes that reality and uses it to your organization’s advantage.
