Tailor Your White Paper to Your Audience

Abridged with the author’s permission from a post on the Savvy B2B Marketing blog.

When I ask clients about the audience for a white paper, I sometimes hear: “the technical and business decision makers” (i.e., we’re trying to reach everyone with this one piece) or “the CIO” and that’s where it ends. But your ability to connect with your audience hinges on how well you understand what makes that person tick—what keeps her up at night, how she solves problems, how she prefers to consume content, who influences her decisions…that’s just a start.

Let’s assume you’ve defined your buyer persona as the director of HR at insurance firms with 500 or fewer employees:

• Overstretched on a daily basis
• Reliant on in-person training sessions for new hires and other HR issues
• Skeptical of qualitative statements about the marketplace
• More concerned with the ways technology helps her do her job than understanding how it works
• Wondering whether her daily struggles are the industry norm
• Just beginning to research the topic

Here’s how this information can shape your white paper.

Align with the buying stage. Since the prospect is in the early stages of the buying cycle and not aware that she has a problem, write a paper that educates her on industry trends, and shares best practices for addressing the types of issues she’s grappling with. In other words, do not talk about your product or service.

Grab attention. Once your paper has been written, getting your paper noticed and read starts with the cover design, title, and executive summary.

• Cover design: When your white paper is competing for attention in a sea of white papers on third-party sites you need to make it stand out.

• Title: Since most prospects come across white papers while conducting searches, your title needs to include the keyword phrases that your prospects will be using. According to MarketingSherpa, prospects search on terms related to their problems far more often than they search on terms related to a solution. You also want to make it clear who should read your paper. Include the ideal reader’s role in the white paper title—for example, “Six Ways HR Directors Can Trim Training Costs.”
• Executive summary: Similar to crafting a title, you want to focus on the terms that prospects are likely to search on, spell out who the paper is intended for, and highlight the problems or challenges or opportunities that your paper covers.

Format for readability. If a person does decide to read your paper, it’s more likely than not that she’ll start by scanning or “power browsing.” Here’s what you can do to help your reader:

• Use headings and subheads to succinctly describe each section.
• Pepper the paper with call-out boxes and quotes.
• Format the paper so that these elements stand out.
• Insert graphics to illustrate critical points.

Move the prospect to the next stage. At the end of your paper, include a call to action that guides the reader to the next logical step. Remember, this person is early in the buying cycle, so she’s looking for information that will help her better understand her issues and options. At this point, it may make sense to encourage her to sign up for an educational webinar or download a podcast interview with an industry analyst. Whatever you suggest, spell out how the prospect will benefit by responding to the call to action.

Stephanie Tilton is a content-marketing consultant who helps B2B companies craft content that nurtures leads and advances the buying cycle. To find out more about how she can help you educate prospects, demonstrate thought leadership, and ratchet up the results of lead-nurturing campaigns, visit Ten Ton Marketing.