Writing White Papers by Michael Stelzner
It’s no secret that reaching a technical audience is challenging for marketers in the B2B world. Engineers and scientists are skeptical of the typical copywriting fluff that fills up print ads and websites. This group has little tolerance for emotional ads that are intrusive.
So, how do you court this crowd?
Give them information in a straightforward editorial style and cut the marketing hype. Study after study is showing that key decision makers will not only read a white paper but also pass it on to another colleague. This can bring about something you rarely hear anything about…viral marketing for engineers!
Technical white papers are not a new idea but are being reexamined as a way to communicate product information in an editorial voice and in turn generate leads. Michael Stelzner’s Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged offers straightforward tips on how to write a white paper and most importantly ensure that it gets it read.
His chapter regarding interviews is worth a close look, especially for anyone tasked with the difficult challenge of taking the information the product engineers provide and making it into interesting prose. Product specs do not make for easy reading and key decision makers most likely will not have the familiarity or interest for gobbledygook. The skilled white paper writer will know how to blend the conversational and the technical into a decent product.
Stelzner covers the gambit from tricks for research using search engine caches to marketing the white paper itself. Pointers like picking a sticky title and busting through writer’s block are covered as well. A couple samples of white papers close out the book giving the reader a chance to see how everything comes together.
A veteran of freelance technical writing, Stelzner’s blog has multiple tips on how to write for and get along with all clients. Make it part of your morning routine if your in the B2B marketing world.
Jake - Thanks so much for the great review of my book! - Mike
Comment by Michael A. Stelzner — January 25, 2007 @ 11:38 am
[…] “>Writing White Papers Engineers and scientists are skeptical of the typical copywriting fluff that … Michael Stelzners Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them … A veteran of freelance technical writing, Stelzners blog has multiple …stelzners:2 keep:1Link to original material […]
Pingback by Writing fluff — January 31, 2007 @ 1:54 am
Let me suggest an alternative book on white papers. Bob Bly’s “The White Paper Marketing Handbook” is excellent, exceptionally well-written and filled with the kinds of devices that make it easy to take his advice, such as outlines and checklists. If you’re like me you won’t find all the chapters helpful because of the broad range of folks who write white papers, but if you’re writing a white paper as a marketing tool this book is filled with valuable advice delivered in a useful way.
Comment by Wally Bock — January 31, 2007 @ 10:15 am