How a White Paper Writer Helps Your Business

So, you’ve come up with a great idea for a valuable white paper that you know will connect with readers and generate more leads. However, you have to write the paper first. That’s the hard part.

You may be tempted to simply ask someone in-house to create the white paper. But even if your employee knows your product or service better than an outsider, they may struggle to translate the benefits into a language that customers will understand. Another way would be to outsource to an experienced white paper writer, as they can effectively communicate your message while meeting your deadline.

This post will explain some important ways a white paper writer can help you achieve your business objectives, as well as what qualities to look for when hiring a writer.

How a White Paper Writer Can Help

Saving you time: Compared to in-house writers, white paper writers can conduct research and produce drafts much more quickly. Writing a white paper can be a headache-inducing experience for someone inside your organization, especially if it’s their first time.

The last thing you want is a frustrating writing process with many rewrites, and hiring an full-time copywriter can be a time-consuming process. On the other hand, a seasoned white paper writer will be familiar with the ins and outs of a white paper. Not only that, they'll be able to produce professional copy that shortens the writing process and help you meet deadlines.

Saving you money: If you decide to look internally for a white paper writer, you’ll likely be turning the project over to a product manager, sales executive, developer or engineer. However, these employees have full-time responsibilities, and asking them to write a white paper pulls them away from their regular jobs.

On the other hand, a white paper writer understands how to communicate with your readers in an easy to understand way, and most charge between $5,000 and $7,000 per project. It might seem a steep cost, but getting the white paper done right the first time will save you money in the long run, as you won’t need to massively rework the paper.

Offering a fresh perspective: An outside white paper writer can provide a fresh set of eyes, which may be exactly what your project needs. An outside writer won’t use the typical shorthand and jargon industry insiders often indulge in, and someone outside your organization will be able to ask the kinds of questions a prospect would ask.

By viewing things through the perspective of your prospects, an outside white paper writer can deliver more effective answers to the questions your prospects will have. In addition, a white paper writer can bring a sense of objectivity to your company’s products and services.

Meeting tight deadlines: When you task an in-house writer with a white paper and a deadline, chances are your white paper will be put on the back burner when the writer becomes distracted by other important tasks. However, a white paper writer can focus on your project and your timelines.

As a professional writer, they will be solely focused on writing your paper and meeting your deadlines, as their livelihood depends on the completion of the project in a timely manner. When you need the paper for a trade show or for a new product launch, hiring a white paper writer can be your best bet to achieve an aggressive deadline.

Delivering professional copywriting: A skilled white paper writer will be able to deliver crisp and clean copy for your white paper, no matter what the industry or the topic. Also, some white paper writers are also skilled designers who can create a professional-looking document, filled with graphs, charts, and infographics.

While someone in-house can learn the ins and outs of effective copywriting and graphic design, their time is most likely better spent elsewhere, as these skills take years of experience to fully develop. Outsourcing a white paper writer brings you all the benefits of a professional’s work without having to hire them full-time.

What to Look for in a White Paper Writer

If you are seeking out an outside writer to create your white paper, take these factors into consideration:

Writing Skills: White papers should reflect competence if nothing else. No matter what the writer’s background and experience, their writing must be concise and precise to deliver the appropriate message to a target audience. Be sure to ask for some recent samples.

Interviewing Skills: White paper writers must possess good interviewing skills to extract the key pieces of information from subject matter experts. Like a journalist, they must know the appropriate questions to ask that will uncover the key elements of a paper.

Graphic Design Skills: Today's white papers need to incorporate images, illustrations, and graphics in order to engage sophisticated business readers, so your writer also needs to be familiar with visual graphics and design.

Technical Competency: A white paper writer should be technically competent and have a good understanding of the target audience. Without these qualities, the writer will struggle to bridge the gap between what the engineers are saying and the languages spoken by the reader, resulting in a less effective paper.

Effective Organization: Writing a white paper can be a time-consuming process. The writer must juggle their time effectively as they interview, research, outline, draft, design, and revise the paper. Not to mention, the writer must often work around various people’s schedules when arranging interviews with subject matter experts.

Summary

When you’re deciding on if you should turn your white paper project over to an in-house writer or outsource, there are many factors to consider. Keep in mind, though, that a white paper is a time-consuming project often better suited to an outside writer so that your in-house developers and engineers can concentrate on their regular jobs.

With an experienced white paper writer on your project, you can rest assured that they will bring a professional approach to each part of the process, including interviewing, drafting, writing, and designing. Should you decide to work with DuBelko White Papers, here are the benefits that I bring to your project:

White Paper Specialization: Unlike freelance copywriters who occasionally dabble in producing white papers, I focus on these projects full time. My only goal is to write and design the best white paper possible for your specific needs.

Professional Process: I will work with you closely during the production process. During the project, you will have the chance to give feedback on the outline, the draft, and the revision. When the paper is finished, I’ll even help you brainstorm ways to promote and distribute your new white paper.

Fast Deliverables: Because of my proven process, my white papers have a quick turnaround time. I’ll work according to your deadlines on a tight production schedule, from researching and interviewing to writing and designing.

Just like a website, if a business doesn’t have a white paper, it is considered a significant shortcoming in the eyes of a prospective business customer. So get to writing—or better yet, hire someone who knows white papers inside and out to write one for you.

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