An easy 7-step guide to creating lead-generating white papers. This guide is designed for marketers working in small to mid-sized B2B companies or nonprofits that need to communicate complex topics to influence and inform their audiences.

1. The Mind
Blowing
White Paper
(A How-To Guide)
Sonia M. Quiñones
www.soniaquinones.com

2. Yeah, yeah, I know what
you’re thinking. A mind-
blowing white paper?
Is there even such a thing?
Aren’t white papers
supposed to be boring?

3. Um, no.

4. In fact, white papers can be awesome.
And here’s why.

5. A well-conceived,
well written white paper
can get you the kind of
results that nothing else
in your marketing toolkit
can provide.

6. Like what, you ask?

7. ✓ Show business executives different approaches for
solving a complex problem.
Well, let’s see. A good white paper can . . .

8. ✓ Show business executives different approaches for
solving a complex problem.
✓ Help a procurement officer identify potential vendors.
Well, let’s see. A good white paper can . . .

9. ✓ Show business executives different approaches for
solving a complex problem.
✓ Help a procurement officer identify potential vendors.
✓ Bring a potential ally up to speed on emerging issues and
industry trends.
Well, let’s see. A good white paper can . . .

10. ✓ Show business executives different approaches for
solving a complex problem.
✓ Help a procurement officer identify potential vendors.
✓ Bring a potential ally up to speed on emerging issues and
industry trends.
✓ Position you as a thought leader within your niche,
allowing you to influence and inform your audience 24/7.
Well, let’s see. A good white paper can . . .

11. ✓ Show business executives different approaches for
solving a complex problem.
✓ Help a procurement officer identify potential vendors.
✓ Bring a potential ally up to speed on emerging issues and
industry trends.
✓ Position you as a thought leader within your niche,
allowing you to influence and inform your audience 24/7.
✓ Provide a journalist with the background information they
need to write an in-depth article about your company.
Well, let’s see. A good white paper can . . .

12. Not boring reasons
at all, are they?
Nope.

13. In B2B situations, a well-done white paper
can significantly increase trust
and facilitate the sales process.

14. In fact, in a 2015 Eccolo Media
survey, 84% of respondents
rated white papers either
moderately or extremely useful
in their purchasing decisions.

15. So who creates
white papers?

16. Scientific organizations
Government/public agencies
Nonprofits and NGOs
Trade organizations
Technology companies
Financial services firms
Think tanks
Consulting firms

17. Very different types of companies
with one major thing in common.

18. BUCKET LOADS OF
INTELLECTUAL
CAPITAL

19. Whether they sell
widgets or services,
these research-
intensive organizations
have access to a great
deal of information that
their audiences find
valuable.

20. Yeah, yeah.
Let’s get to the good stuff.
How can you create a
mind-blowing white paper?

21. Clear target audience
Specific goals
A narrow topic
Well-chosen content
You will need:

22. SO LET’S GET
STARTED

23. Identify a clear target audience.
Most organizations communicate with a
variety of audiences. Each one has their
own set of needs, so what they want from
you will vary from group to group.
A mind-blowing white paper focuses on
serving the needs of a specific audience.

24. Front line
employees
Donors Current
customers
Peer
organizations Activists
Board
members
Journalists
Public
officials
Leads and
prospects
Your sales
force
Peer
organizations
Examples of audience types

25. Set a clear goal.
Whether you’re writing for an internal or
external audience, get clear about the
specific goal you hope to achieve through
the white paper you’re putting together.

26. Is your prospect early
in their information
gathering process or
are they ready to take
a deep dive into an
issue?
Do you want to increase
the number of people
that sign up to receive
your newsletter?
Are you hoping to
generate sales leads?
Do you want to share
your lessons learned?
Potential Goals

27. Do you want to comment on
an important trend or change
affecting your industry?
Do you want to establish or grow
your credibility as a thought leader?
Is your company under siege,
requiring you to address
myths or rumors impacting
your industry or company?
Maybe you need to
highlight an industry-
wide problem affecting
your stakeholders?

28. Put your ideas together.
A mind-blowing white paper is designed to:
by communicating highly targeted information
achieve specific strategic goals
that a specific audience will appreciate

29. The #1 mistake people make is turning a white
paper into a sales pitch. Don’t do it!
An effective white paper provides answers
questions that many prospects ask.
If you dish out a sales pitch, you’ll waste this
opportunity to get known and trusted.
Gordon Graham, also known as
That White Paper Guy
“

30. A white paper by another other name is
still . . . a long ass document.
Specialreport
Industryreport
Positionpaper

31. But not that long.
Typical white papers are between
five to ten pages but they can run
as long as 24 to 30 pages.
In other words, if you want to write
a mind-blowing white paper, set
clear limits on what your report
will (and won’t) cover.

33. White papers are text-heavy
documents meant to convey
detailed, in-depth information
your audience wants to read
and may not be able to locate
anywhere else.
But keep in mind . . .

34. Today’s readers are crazy-busy, with multiple
demands for their attention.

35. They have short
attention spans.
The average person has an
attention span that only lasts
between 2 to 8 seconds.
Either way, it’s shorter than the
attention span of the average
goldfish, which in case you’re
wondering is 9 seconds long.

36. Focus on one idea per page
or section at a time.
Use lists.
White space is more inviting.
Increase margins and spacing.
Use headings and subheadings.
Rents Rebound: A Post-Recession Analysis
One-Year Review
Tenancies begun in 2012 had rents that on
average were 13 percent higher than tenancies
begun in 2011. This number, however, doesn’t
tell the whole story. The median market-rate rent
for three-bedroom units increased 26 percent
from 2011, very likely a result of demand for a
scarce commodity: three-bedroom units are rare
in Santa Monica, totaling only 7 percent of the
overall rent-controlled housing stock. The 1-year
figures are based on 2,554 units rented in 2012.
Increases in market-rate rents from 2011 to 2012
by bedroom size:
o 3% for zero-bedroom units (291 units)
o 6% for one-bedroom units (1,380 units)
o 5% for two-bedroom units (785 units)
o 26% for 3-bedroom units (98 units)
In contrast, the General Adjustment (GA)
approved by the Rent Control Board in 2012 was
1.54 percent with a maximum increase of $26 per
month.
11%
47%
35%
7%
1-bedroom
0-bedroom
2-bedrooms
3-bedrooms
3,141 units
13,220 units
2,084 units
9,735 units
28,180
Units
Breakdown of Rent-Controlled Units
in Santa Monica, by Bedroom Size
The solution is to break down
your data into bite-size chunks.

37. Why this works:
Good design helps your readers
quickly identify the concepts you
want them to focus on.

38. Always highlight your key points

39. Make it drop
dead easy for
your audience to
remember your
key ideas.

40. ✓Graphics
✓Captions of photos or tables
✓Headings
✓Sub-headings
✓Text
(Yes, in that order.)
What People Read (or Notice) First

41. Use Shapes.
You can use all kinds of
shapes to make your data
stand out. Pick one main
style and stick with it.
Santa Monica City Council. They also update the
Agency’s website and social media presence, and
present seminars for tenants, landlords, realtors
and other interested members of the public.
Leg
The L
rega
repre
the B
staff
adm
perm
regu
Who We Help
14
BOARD MEETINGS
(INCLUDES 3 PUBLIC HEARINGS)
Questions from the Public
Tenants
53%
Others
4%
Owners
42%
22 | P a g e
as state and city laws that affect tenants and
owners of residential rental property in Santa
Monica.
In 2012, articles included information regarding
the State’s carbon monoxide alarm requirement,
as well as the State’s “zero waste” statute, which
requires recycling in 5-unit and larger buildings.
The City’s new smoking law, which requires a
smoking or non-smoking designation for units in
multi-family developments, was highlighted. Also
included was an article covering the Santa Monica
voter-approved Measure GA, which simplified
determination of the annual rent increase
(general adjustment) for rent-controlled units in
the city.
outgoing roommates.
Notice of upcoming seminars and inter-agency
events were also in the newsletters, as well as a
welcome to newly elected Rent Control Board
Commissioners and thanks to those whose terms
had ended.
Newsletters mailed to tenants included the
current Maximum Allowable Rent (MAR) for the
unit according to the Agency’s records.
BILINGUAL WEBSITE ACTIVITY
Number of total visits: 32,760
Number of first-time visits: 18,194

42. Use effective charts.
A carefully designed chart
or table can make your
point more powerfully than
several paragraphs of text.
4 | P a g e
DQuestions from the Public
Tenants
53%
Others
4%
Owners
42%
Tenan
A
S

43. Use callouts.
Bring attention to a great
quote or a sentence that
sums up your point well.
To be middle class means
different things to different
people. The classification is
subjective, reflecting not just a
level of income but a mindset.
“

44. Remember to
watch your
language

45. Incomprehensible jargon is the
hallmark of a profession.
Kingman Brewster, Jr.
“

46. Interested Parties
Play it safe.
Use straightforward language.
The further away your target audience is from direct involvement
with your company or industry, the more critical it becomes to use
simpler language.
Insiders
Let the buzzwords fly!
These guys know what you mean.

47. If your mom wouldn’t
understand what you’re
talking about, then rewrite
your text until she would.
A mind-blowing
white paper passes
the mom test.

48. So what are
you going to
name your
report?
Hmmm . . .

49. First, you should aim for a
title that is clear and
straightforward.

50. You also want a title
that’s short.
(Remember, people are busy.)
If you need to use a longer title,
then consider separating your title
into two parts: a short main title and
a longer, more descriptive subtitle.

51. It’s time to do a
little brainstorming!
Let’s get started.

52. ✓Key trends in _____________________
✓Top 5 trends in ___________________
✓_________________ : Ideal Use Cases
✓_____ years of ___________________
(For example, the anniversary issue recognizing your
company or the impact of an event.)
✓A case for _______________________
✓Assessing _______________________
Performance

53. Users searching for help on a particular topic
will often use an “ing” verb construction.
For example:
✓Understanding ___________________
✓Assessing _______________________
✓Examining (the role of) ____________
✓Quantifying (the impact of) _________

54. And last but
certainly
not least,
add some
eye candy.

55. While we’re taught not to judge a book by
its cover, we do. It’s human nature to use
our senses to predict whether something
will likely cause us pain or pleasure, and
because of this having a good cover design
is important.
Marcus Taylor, Venture Harbour
“

56. A great cover inspires curiosity.
After all your hard work, you want your
audience to read your white paper.

57. A great cover also inspires
confidence that the content
will be worth reading.

58. So let’s recap what
we’ve covered.

59. ✓Selecting the right topic
✓Keeping your concept simple enough to
cover in a short report
✓Highlighting your key points
✓Watching your language to avoid jargon
and undue complexity
✓Giving your report a great title
✓Adding some eye candy
A mind-blowing white paper involves:

60. If people like you, they will listen
to you. But if they trust you, they’ll
do business with you.
Zig Ziglar
“

61. Want advice about how
you can create
powerful reports for
your business?
Don’t hesitate to give me a shout.
You can find me at:
soniaquinones.com

62. Questions or comments?
Visit me on my website or say hi on Twitter.
Thanks!
Sonia M. Quiñones
Content Marketing Writer & Editor
For even more tips on creating a mind-blowing
white paper, download my free guide:
7 Steps to White Papers That Get Results