By Mitt Ray
A white paper is a cross between a magazine article and a corporate brochure. Most clients want to read the educational magazine article part of the white paper to find out the solutions to their problems — but the persuasive brochure part of the white paper does its job too, and convinces the readers to buy the product or use the service.
This unique feature of the white paper — to educate and sell — makes it one of the most powerful marketing tools. This is the reason why clients are ready to pay $3000-$10,000 for a 6-14 page white paper.
How to gain some experience writing white papers
If you know how to write articles or marketing materials, you should be able to learn how to write white papers with a little effort and practice. The first thing you need to do is read all you can about writing white papers from books, blogs, articles, etc. Also study some well-written white papers. More and more companies are posting white papers online to build their authority — download a few and give them a read.
Now start writing…
After you learn how to write white papers, you can start practicing your skill on a hypothetical or real company. Choose a business-to-business company, as this type of business tends to commission more white papers. They usually have complicated offerings and need to convince business owners to buy their product or service.
Or create a white paper to sell your writing, about how businesses benefit from using freelance writers. Post it on your site as a free download for prospects.
Sharpen your skills by writing as many white papers as you can. Once you feel that you’re ready, start looking for white paper jobs.
Best ways to get your first white writing paper job
Once you have a few samples in your portfolio, you can look for better jobs. The best thing is to advertise your services as a white paper writer through your website, cold calling, and other marketing methods. It’s important that you target B2B companies, as they need white papers. Look for companies that are involved in fields like technology (cloud computing, CRM, content management, IT healthcare), or finance (insurance, banks, re-insurance).
Why and how did I get into writing white papers?
I always liked writing in detail, and when I write articles or marketing material I always have to edit it and make it short and concise. Then I found out about white papers, where you can write everything in great detail.
I did some research and realized white papers exactly suited my style of writing — describing a problem and providing a solution to it in a detailed manner. This is the reason why I started writing in this field.
I read books, white papers, blogs and guides. I asked experts for advice, and after receiving it I started writing white papers. Once I finished writing, I’d send it to some experts who gave me their feedback and helped me improve my skills. Once the people who helped me and I felt I was ready, I looked for work.
I convinced a few of my clients to hire me to write a white paper, and I worked on my portfolio. After I built the portfolio, getting freelance white paper work had become extremely easy for me.
Got questions about writing white papers? Just ask in the comments below.
Mitt Ray is a copywriter. He specializes in writing and marketing white papers. He runs imittcopy which provides copywriting and white paper writing & marketing services. Mitt regularly posts tips on writing and marketing white papers on his White Paper Blog. He is also the author of “Understand and Write White Papers“, a white paper on how to write white papers.
By Carol Tice
Here’s a basic fact of the freelance-writing life: If you want to earn more, you’re going to need to market your business aggressively.
Answering Craigslist or Kijiji ads is unlikely to get you $1 a word or $100 an hour gigs. To find really good-paying work, you will have to prospect.
This often produces a reaction along the lines of, “I’m shy! I’m no good at networking.”
But there isn’t just one marketing strategy in the universe, there are many. So I’d like to highlight 11 ways to market yourself as a freelance writer besides using social media.
Somewhere in here, there’s a strategy that would be a fit for who you are and the kind of writing work you want to find.
1. In-person networking. I know you don’t want to hear it. But in-person networking is not only very effective, it can actually be fun. Just think — you get out of your writing cave, have a drink and a nibble, and meet new people who could help you make more money. Unless you are catastrophically shy, I want you to try it.
2. Direct mail. I’ve never tried this, but many of the top copywriters in this field develop a prospect list, and then audition by sending direct mail. One of them is Pete Savage-he sent one DM letter and got $64,000 of new business, and he sells a kit that describes how he did it. I can give you one tip I’ve gleaned from Pete’s newsletters–I gather he advocates including a bumpy novelty item in the envelope. Makes it irrestistible to receipient…apparently they feel compelled to open it to learn what’s making the bump.
3. Cold calling. That’s right–just pick up the phone, call a company you’d like to do copywriting for, and ask for the communications or marketing manager. Or call the editor of a publication you’d like to write for. Ask them if they use freelance writers. Persistence will pay off here. Everyone who tries it reports they get new accounts, and that every 10 or 20 calls, they get a “yes.” Give yourself an edge and check out their existing Web site or other materials before you can call, so you can point out specific weaknesses in their current marketing and describe how the materials you’d create would bring address their needs and bring in new customers.
4. White papers. Create a white paper about the value of your copywriting service, demonstrating the benefits to companies that use you. Much like the direct mail strategy, this one’s especially great if you want to write white papers for companies. If you haven’t written white papers, you should learn about them because they’re the hottest sales tool in copywriting right now, and they pay very well. Michael Stelzner’s your expert here, and he has a free training on this topic you can read online.
5. Free or paid seminars. They can be in-person, over the Web, over the phone, you name it. But holding a class in a topic such as “How copywriting can help your business” can put you in touch with many good prospects in one fell swoop. Some like charging a little for the class as you screen out looky-loos and get more qualified, highly interested leads who are more likely to become clients.
6. Free downloads. Create a helpful article article with advice or tips on how to communicate your business’s value or some other related topic, which ultimately leads to a conclusion that hiring a professional writer will help your business. Put it on your Web site as a free download in exchange for which you capture their email address. Presto, you’re building a great marketing list and exposing your name to prospective clients while presenting yourself as an expert.
7. Tshirts and car decals. That’s right, think of yourself like any bike shop or car wash would, and promote the fact that you’re a freelance writer everywhere you go!
8. Contests and polls. Hold a contest for the worst business Web site and give the winner free home-page content, or write their bio page, or whatever you want to offer. Or take a poll on the most important thing to say on a business Web site, and give the winner a free consultation. Entrants will, of course, have to submit their contact information, giving you an instant list of companies that need copywriters. This one doesn’t just get you prospects and a great before-and-after sample, you could tell the local papers and get written up, too.
9. Charity donations. Doesn’t your kids’ school have an annual auction? Donate an article for a business, or a free brochure. Great way to let the whole town know you’re a writer.
10. Put out a press release. Have you expanded into a new field? Hired a virtual assistant? Moved your office? Many local papers have business columns that publish these news tidbits, along with your photo in some cases. If not your local paper, try your Chamber newsletter (you belong, right?).
11. Partner or reciprocal deals. Do you know a business whose products or services you use, who could use Web content? Make them a barter deal–you do their site over in exchange for free stuff, including a free plug on their home page that you wrote the content.
