What to Do When Your White Papers Are Too Short

Nov. 14, 2012 - PRLog -- Official Article Launch:

The Ideal Length of the White Paper: Solving the Long and Short of It.

Part 2: What to Do When Your White Paper Is Too Short

By Catherine Sherlock of Sherlock Ink

Pender Island, BC, Canada          November 14, 2012

What is the ideal length of a white paper to be an effective tool of communication? Companies are often told to keep their content marketing short because the Internet has filed down people’s attention spans. The Internet has changed the way people make purchases; however, they still need good information in order to be able to make decisions.

Prior to the Internet, companies got much of their decision-making information from sales people. Research suggests today people turn to the Internet and conduct research independently and with peers in order to make business decisions and purchases. One of the types of content frequently consumed – particularly for complex decisions – is white papers.

White papers are specific pieces of content marketing designed to provide a certain depth of information to the reader. When a company puts out white papers that are too short, they fail to deliver on this unspoken promise of the white paper. In addition, they fall short in using the tool of the white paper to its full advantage in positioning their company. Basically, a white paper that is too short does not function well as a communication tool.

This article helps you explore ideas of what to examine if you think your white papers may be lacking effectiveness due to a lack of depth and alignment with larger goals. Included are discussions on aligning your white paper to the right stage of the buying cycle and using white papers to position yourself as a thought leader.

Download the article, free and ungated, at http://www.sherlockink.com/free-stuff/

The article, ‘The Ideal Length of the White Paper: What to Do When Your White Paper Is Too Short’, is part two of a three-part article discussing white paper length.

Part 1: The Length Question looked at how long white papers should be to be effective. In exploring the question of white paper length, readers improve their writing and conceptual skills to help them make empowered decisions concerning their white paper communications.

Part 2: What to Do When Your White Paper Is Too Short examines how to fix white papers that are too short. Included are discussions on aligning your white paper to the right stage of the buying cycle and using white papers to position yourself as a thought leader.

Part 3: What to Do When Your White Paper Is Too Long – Coming soon.

For more information, contact Catherine Sherlock of Sherlock Ink at info (at) sherlockink.com (mailto:catherine@sherlockink.com)

Bio

Catherine Sherlock holds a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University. She first honed her writing skills working as a writing instructor for the York University Centre for Academic Writing, then as an Environmental Consultant.

Today, Catherine brings her multidisciplinary background to her independent writing and research services where she is known for creativity as well as her abilities to relate divergent ideas to create new concepts and to make the complex understandable.

She has worked with clients ranging from the public sector to the private sector as well as non-profit and other organizations.

Contact Info:

Catherine Sherlock

Writer, Researcher, Consultant

Sherlock Ink

Info (at) sherlockink.com

www.SherlockInk.com