jcberry

In regard to writing, closing bit on White Papers for Dummies:

• See how you can rearrange your writing environment/conditions
• Try mind mapping or brainstorming
• Trick yourself to get started
• Ease off the self-criticism until after you write
• Try positive affirmations

I’ll add: don’t think the ocean side, forests, deserts are automatically great places to write. If they help you then that’s fine, but some people think they must have a special environment.

It’s been a great read.

Secondly, these are optional promotional actions after the required ones:

Mention the paper in your email sig line, your LinkedIn, or Google+
Sponsor a podcast, video chat
Send it to relevant analysts
Submit a guest post to relevant blogs
Post it on channel partner websites
Get it mentioned in industry association newsletters
Post it on industry association websites, portals or forums
Submit it to trade magazines
Syndicate it through a content network
Create a self-running presentation
Post your slidedeck online or use it for a webinar
Give a presentation at an industry conference
Give out hard copies at tradeshows and events
Give out digital copies on flash drives at events
Use it as a conversation starter
Use it as a leave-behind
Set up a Google AdWords pay-per-click campaign
Make an online display ad campaign
Advertise in trade magazines

I also thought about how we used swag at shows to get our name out there.

White Papers for Dummies held me a little more when it talked about promoting your white paper after you have created it.

First up, the must-do’s have all the things that I did in my marketing department position:

1. Create a landing page with an abstract
2. Feature it prominently on your site
3. Mention it in company newsletters
4. Email your salespeople/partners/in-house opt-in list
5. Tweet about it on Twitter
6. Blog about it
7. Announce it in LinkedIn groups
8. Publish a press release
9. Send it to relevant journalists and bloggers
10. Get mentioned in channel partner newsletters (and vice versa for them)
11. Post it on (Scribd.com, slideshare.com, slideboom.com, mybrainshark.com)
12. Create a slide deck and send it to sales and channel partners

So I have to remind myself:

1. Write every day
2. Challenge the belief that you can’t learn any more about being a good writer
3. Read the classics often
   The Elements of Style (illustrated one like I have)
   The AP Stylebook (all the way back to undergrad!)
   Writer’s Market (100th anniv this year)
   
   I’ll update this now and then today.

2:51 PM –
4. Just remembered Faulkner’s advice for writing: kill all your darlings, i.e. don’t be afraid to cross out that turn of phrase or word that you really think is great. Something better may come out of it.

 

For me, the most important part of White Papers for Dummies is where you need to have a vision where there was none. Your product or company needs to differentiate itself by providing a new solution, or a new approach to a problem.

Traditional solutions do this wrong. Your offering does this instead. Clearly say what your company (or client) is doing and why your company does it best. You can prove through statistics and research. Sum up the problem, show how the competing offering doesn’t work, and then show your new and improved solution.

In a problem-solution paper, don’t mention your solution until the very last minute. This may sound counterintuitive, but the reason is to promote you as a trusted advisor and expert on your area.

Just creating my white paper with the following pages:

1. Cover page

2. Content index and copyright notice

3. Executive summary, which I mentioned

4. Introduction to the industry-wide problem

5. Traditional solutions and how they don’t work (or work optimally)

6. Our new solution

7. Product buying guide

8. Case study (optional)

9. Conclusion and call to action

10. About the company (1/2 page)

11. End notes and bibliography

Again, these are adapted from White Papers for Dummies