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Mary Ellen

Slayter

Tom

Mangan

Managing editor, Reputation Capital Former editor at Washington Post and SmartBrief

Extensive newspaper editing experience Professional editor/content marketer at Verb Nerd Industries

Michelle

Rafter

Jennifer

McNally

Business editor, reporter and blogger Work has appeared on Inc.com, Portfolio.com, Reuters and many more

Vice president, content marketing, at SmartBrief

• Understand Your Audience• Understand the Industry and its Issues• Leverage Outside Expertise• Verify Your Information• Develop a Workflow• Master the Art of Storytelling• Edit & Proofread• Create a Conversation

8 Steps to Writing a White Paper Like a Journalist

Today, We’ll Focus on These 3 Ideas:

• Understand Your Audience• Understand the Industry and its Issues• Leverage Outside Expertise• Verify Your Information• Develop a Workflow• Master the Art of Storytelling• Edit & Proofread• Create a Conversation

Leverage Outside Expertise – Who to Call

• Start with your current contacts.

• Look beyond your current network. Social media makes this easier than ever before.

• Reach out to trade associations and industry groups.

• Review trade journals.

• Don’t be afraid to ask!

• Do your homework on the person’s background.

• Prepare questions in advance – and share them.

• Ask before you record -- this is a matter of law in most states.

• Confirm job titles and spellings of names.

• Quote and paraphrase carefully, and ask for clarification if you need it.

Leverage Outside Expertise – Interview Basics

Master the Art of Storytelling – Writing Basics

• Outline an engaging introduction, a body with plot, and a conclusion that moves the reader forward.

• Highlight the odd, the fascinating, the amazing.

• Strive for economy of language.

• Use active voice.

• Repurpose excerpts into blog posts. Link to landing page for the full paper.

• Adapt the material to other channels, such as interactive webinars.

• Build buzz with social media. Coordinate with your expert sources to amplify reach.

Create a Conversation

Common White Paper Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Mistake: Tone is too sales-y. Our Fix: Save the hard pitch for later.

Resist the urge to directly sell to the reader in the text of the white paper.

Mistake: No strategy. Our Fix: Before you start writing your

white paper, make sure you understand WHY you’re doing it. Is your primary goal lead-gen? Or branding? Where does it fit in your overall marketing strategy?

Your Questions

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