by Keith Smiley

Many information Technology (IT) companies are using white papers as a marketing tool to help sell computer hardware and software. Other high tech companies are using White papers to help sell their product and services also.

Here are 5 tips on writing white papers that capture their readers attention and keep them interested.

1. Focus on the target reader, not the company. A white paper primarily presents the company's perspective on an issue or technology. Do not focus too much on the company, but the target audience who will read the paper. Present useful information that keeps the reader interested and meets their concerns. Does it solve a problem for the reader and how?

2. Make it clear, precise, and engaging. Keep it simple. Convey in the paper why the reader should be interested. Overly long sentences, convoluted syntax, and complex words can make the paper seem incoherent and academic. Write direct and simple and you'll create a white paper that is engaging and understandable.

3. Do not load it up with technical jargon. Some marketers feel the paper will not be effective without the latest trendy and technical words. Too much jargon can be confusing, can miss the meaning of the topic and key message of the paper, and make it appear like another sales pitch, turning readers away.

4. Know your audience. Do not try to make one paper be all things to all people. Business executives have different concerns about a product purchase than the IT staff or end user. Sometimes, a separate white paper is needed to meet these audience's objectives and better support the sales process. Within the paper, use of subheads and sidebars can isolate and address the different audience's concerns.

5. Make it accurate and error free. Errors of facts or omissions can cause legal problems. The information must be accurate and have proof to back it up. Forgetting a statement, a feature, or making claims of a benefit without proper proof can be a costly mistake. Have the engineers, sales and marketing departments check over the white paper thoroughly before it is published.

Prospects read white papers to get solid information, not a sales pitch. A white paper must be fact-filled and compelling with zero hype and written just like an informative article in a business or trade magazine.