1. Don't make the whitepaper too long (or too short). A happy medium of 8-10 pages includingillustrations (about 3000 words) provides sufficient space to cover a complexsubject area in a readable length for most audiences.

2. Use the third person in thewhite paper. While the pronouns ?I? and ?we? (first person) or ?you? and?your? (second person) may seem friendly in a white paper at first blush, they areinconsistent with the expectation of credible, objective information.

3. Refrain from includingmarketing information about your product or service throughout the white paper.In most cases, the goal of a white paper is to provide unbiased,objective information to educate and inform a target audience, and todemonstrate thought leadership. Marketing collateral is the best place formarketing language.

4. Address business andtechnical audiences in separate white papers. Business and technicalaudiences struggle with significantly different challenges, and seek quitedifferent information about solutions.

5. Stick with the facts;avoid posing strong opinions or specifying required courses of action in awhite paper. Stating facts rather than offering opinions, describingoptions and alternatives, and factually explaining the likely ramifications ofvarious actions is likely to resonate better with the information seekers thatread white papers.

6. Motivate readers byproviding useful information -- not by instilling fear, uncertainty, and doubt.Most business and technical decision makers do not operate based onthese emotions. Instead, they typically evaluate options to implement sounddecisions, especially in situations with significant financial implications.

7. Include third-partyinformation. By synthesizing related information from various third-partsources on a particular topic, a white paper can be a powerful resource forreaders.

8. Consider the option ofoutsourcing white paper development. White paper development qualityusually suffers when in-house personnel try to find time in their busy schedulesto develop the paper while continuing to perform their existing duties.

9. Consider hiring an agency,rather than a freelancer, to write your white papers. Freelance writerscan produce high-quality work and may be fairly inexpensive, but they lack thestrategic advantages of agencies. Agencies usually employ multiple writers, therebymitigating risk, providing broader coverage, and offering faster response timeswhen business conditions call for quick action.

10. Don't try to find asubject matter expert to write your white papers. Effective white paperwriters have proven time and time again that the demonstrated abilities toreview and quickly synthesize complex information from various sources, conductefficient interviews, develop a concise outline, draft a compelling paper, andefficiently incorporate comments are more important to white paper creationthan prior knowledge in a specific subject area.

Special Bonus:  Getthe most out of your white papers; use them to inform other audiences too. Organizationscan use to educate andinform a broad array of secondary audiences, including employees (e.g., salesforces, executives, legal personnel, and HR personnel), potential employees, contractors(e.g., PR firms, ad agencies), regulatory personnel, the media, analysts, and partners,including resellers, recruiters, suppliers, and investors.