Christine Taylor's Core Copywriting

White Papers vs. Bylined Articles: What's the Difference?

I just came from an interesting discussion on White Paper Source Forum about the difference between white papers and articles. There are some white papers that may veer towards an article format, and some articles -- particularly those culled from existing white papers -- that may more closely follow a classic white paper structure. But in general, here are some solid differences as I see them:

1. Articles are bylined while white papers generally are not. They're not necessarily written by the "author," in fact they are often ghosted. (Contact me if you need an  experienced journalist to ghost your bylined article for you.)

2. The structure is usually quite different. Articles may start with a minor hook, but quickly state their major point. The rest of the article goes on to expand what is essentially a thesis paragraph. (An article is a classic example of "tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em, tell 'em, tell 'em what you told 'em.") An article will occasionally be about a particular vendor in a product round-up, or where a vendor has introduced a truly innovative and/or market-leading product. But even then the article should be straightforward and not appear to try convincing the reader to make any purchases based on the article. A classic and well-structured white paper will emphasize reader's challenges, lead them through an explanation of a technology in terms of solving the challenges, and end with a specific explanation of the vendor and a call to action.

3. The article is primarily meant to inform, the white paper to persuade. Vendors can use their articles as sales tools -- even a vendor-neutral white paper can convince a reader of the usefulness of a technology -- but its approach must be straight and informational. Note that the vast majority of contributed articles must be vendor-neutral. (Then why, you might ask, would I bother to go to the time and expense of writing one? Because it's great PR for your company. Your URL and likely a tagline will be included, and you will also slant the article to an explanation of the technology that your company is, in fact, based on.)

4. Articles can successfully use an ironic sense of humor and clever turns of phrase, which white papers should shy away from. Strong author voices are welcome in this media, although they are by no means necessary to writing an article. The primary consideration must always be clarity and usefulness to the intended reader.

There are other differences and no doubt similarities I haven't mentioned, but these are some of the glaring differences as I see them.

Review Your Rates, Then Raise Them

I just had an eye-opening experience. Also a forehead-slapping one. I hope that my story will help you, especially if you are an independent copywriter.

Here is the lesson: REGULARLY REVIEW YOUR RATES. Then raise them.

I belong to The White Paper Source Forum and tuned into a discussion on case study rates. (The Forum primarily discusses any and all topics around white papers, but also talks about other types of marketing writing.) One of the independent copywriters, Gordon Graham, reported that a standard rate was $750 to $1000.

I charge $500. Why? Because I always have. Is that a good reason to charge $500? No, it's a god-awful reason. Here is what I wrote:

Wow, I'm glad to hear about the price range on the case studies. I have done large case study programs for a couple of clients and gave them a price break on the case studies accordingly. However, I now realize that I've been slapping the same discounted rate on all my case studies! Didn't even think about it! Hmph.

I can't believe I didn't revisit my price range earlier. Tomorrow I'm sending out that e-mail to my case study clients. Don't let this happen to you -- review your rates regularly and revise accordingly!

When Spinning Makes You Dizzy

Storage Networking World is going on as scheduled this week in -- drumroll please -- Orlando, Florida. (Florida being the temporary home of one of the most powerful hurricanes on record.) I was scheduled to fly out there today (Monday) and stay until Wednesday, but no way am I doing that now.

Computerworld puts the conference on, and they do very well with it. They stand to lose a lot of money if many vendors and attendees pull out. (Intel has already begged off.) So SNW is putting out a regular "don't worry, be happy" series of emails on the effects of Hurricane Wilma on Orlando. Granted,  Orlando is not in Wilma's direct path. But here is Monday's news from Orlando:

111 mph winds. Torrential rains. Tornado watch. Airlines are canceling their flights into Orlando. Disneyland theme parks are closed. City Hall is closed. Mayor urges citizens to stay off the streets.

Here is SNW's take on it: They've canceled today's golfing event because of "moderate" wind and rain.

Excuse me?

Look, I don't blame them for not wanting to lose their shirts on this conference. And I don't expect them to send out emails telling everyone to stay the heck away. But they're spinning the hurricane so hard, they're spinning right into outer orbit.

When your company or a client company spins bad news, a little goes a long way.

Marketing in High-Tech, or the Lack Thereof

jay Lipe of Emerge Marketing is right on the money when he says:

"Today, many tech companies enjoy a reputation, deservedly so, for being on the cutting edge. Faced with a cutthroat market, they excel at inventing and rolling out new technologies and products. Yet when it comes to marketing, they take a decidedly low-tech approach.

From too much techno-speak in brochures, to vague positioning, to the doomed view that marketing just spends money, these high-fliers run the risk of disappearing as fast as they appeared."

Haven't I said this very same thing? Yes I have. I am frequently appalled at the inability of newly minted technical CEOs to grasp the "Why should I care?" factor of selling. Nobody cares how cool your technology is. I came out of IT, believe me, I know. When a neophyte salesperson would sit across from my team and blather on about how many great features their technology had and how advanced it was and blah and blah and blah... we surreptiously checked our watches, wondered what was for lunch, and when he said he was leaving.

Even when you're selling to engineers, even when you're selling to people who LIKE the bells and whistles, even when you're writing a technical white paper; you have still got to tell them how the product will make their lives easier and better. Otherwise there is no point. No point at all.

How to Age-Proof Your White Paper

I talked with one of my best clients today about updating several white papers that I had written for them some time back. What struck me -- and frankly surprised me -- is that most of the white papers are still in good shape, and need only minor editing and updating. They are 2-3 years old at this point and still going strong.

How did my client keep company white papers working well after all this time? By focusing them on solving readers’ knottiest business problems. Tough business problems don’t go away overnight. Email is hard to manage. SANs have growing pains. Data migration is a headache. These were challenges 5 years ago and they are still challenges today as data volumes grow and the requirements for data protection get stiffer. And people need good tools to help them manage them, now more than ever.

The upshot? Resist the temptation to do a white paper narrowly centered on features and cool dinguses. (Technical term.) Concentrate on solving your readers’ biggest challenges instead, and you’ll have a white paper that will draw better response, from more qualified readers, over a longer period of time.

It’s all good.

Cemetery of Cliches

If there is an old cemetery of worn-out clichés somewhere, then I've been grave-robbing. I can't think of any better phrase at the moment than "When it rains, it pours."

The fall has always been a busy time for me, and this fall busier than most. And since I know from experience that December and January are pretty silent, this is a good chance to save extra money. To exhume yet another hoary cliché, I'm the mouse socking away her harvest for the lean months.

My question to you is: in your business -- whatever that might be -- are December and January indeed silent as the grave? Or do you find that consistent marketing (or maybe just your normal business cycle) are quite busy enough, thank you! I'd love to hear from you.

Marketing Collateral vs. Cool Tools?

Here's a quote from an otherwise  good CMO article called "Tech Takes Back the Market."

Third is the transformation of marketing communications from one-way broadcasting about features and functions to interactive dialogue about business solutions. The current hype in the marcom world revolves around online tools like blogs, podcasts, RSS, and vertical search. Cool tools may well have a place in tech marketing's next iteration, but the more important innovation is recognizing the need for a new mindset that embraces the idea of participatory marketing.

I'm not convinced that I agree with this one. I make my living writing marketing collateral that do not depend on blogs, podcasts, or RSS. Vertical search maybe, in terms of content syndication for white papers. Writer Rob Leavitt  does go beyond the "cool tools" by saying that the important innovation is a new mindset based on participatory marketing. Maybe it's just me, but when I was in IT for 15 years the IT/engineer personalities I knew didn't want to participate with marketing beyond reading the marcom and acting on it if they wanted to. Now, I can see the value of using creative new approaches to providing marcom based on a prospect's needs. I can see the prospect entering project parameters and/or business needs online and being served up highly targeted and information marcom. (And of course a sales rep's contact if wanted.) I just don't want to lose sight of collateral as an important type of marketing communications.

I liked Rob's article, I would just like  a clearer idea of what he means by "participatory marketing" where collateral is concerned. 

Seasons

School starts tomorrow for my newly minted 4^th grader. Up here in the mountains the sky is blue, the air is crisp and the clouds are fluffy. I love Wrightwood. But do you know what I love more? Autumn and wintertime! Warm sweaters, blazing fires, snow and ice… it’s all good. Here’s to enjoying all of the seasons, whether they’re seasonal changes or the seasons of our lives.

Warmly,

Christine

Syndicate Your White Papers

Recent studies peg 87% to 90% of technology buyers as consulting a white paper before making a purchasing decision. It stands to reason that you:

1. Should have a well-written, informative and persuasive white paper.
2. Should place that well-written, informative and persuasive white paper in front of many thousands of qualified prospects.

Content syndication is an important factor in distributing your white paper to thousands-to-millions of qualified buyers. Content syndication:

1. Enables you to optimize your white papers and leverage your investment by reaching the largest audience of qualified readers that you can.

2. Extends market awareness for your company and products.

3. Yields a new lead with contact information every time a reader downloads your white paper.

And remember that content syndication isn’t just for white papers anymore. It’s also an excellent conduit for case studies, solution guides and other highly informative marketing collateral. (Breathless brochures don’t fill the bill.)

Sometimes companies balk at the cost of syndicating content, but look at it this way: if your product costs several thousands of dollars as many technology products do, you only need to make a few sales to recoup hosting costs. For example, let’s say you’re syndicating your content for $5000 a month. If your product costs just $2500, all you have to do is sell four copies a month to break even - and your sales will undoubtedly be many times that if you have syndicated properly and are following up on leads. And if your sales tend to come in at the $100K mark, $20,000 a month for hosting is a drop in the proverbial bucket.

Why Bylined Articles Work

One of my best bylined article customers is a large data storage company. I recently spoke with my contact at the company and asked him why the client has such an active and long-running bylined article program. Here is part of his answer:

It is essential that we not only extend our thought leadership in the market, but also strive to inform and educate our various constituents including customers, partners and other pundits and interest groups.  Bylined articles offer us a forum for offering our knowledge and perspective.

Contributing bylined articles to the magazines your customers read is a prime way to gain market recognition and qualified leads. Start writing and contributing those articles as an important lead-generation activity.