Choosing your internal team to write white papers may seem like an obvious choice, given their familiarity with the information in those white papers, but there are many reasons to look elsewhere for help.
Non-writers shouldn’t write white papers
Your team members may be skilled writers, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be effective at articulating key messages in the most coherent, convincing way. People with significant amounts of technical expertise … for example, attorneys, CPAs, and engineers … often find it difficult to write in ways people outside their professions can understand. While they understand every aspect of the subject, they typically have difficulty with explaining it to someone without their level of education.
It takes time to write white papers
White papers take more time to write than most people realize. And if the team members you expect to write white papers don’t write regularly, it’s probably going to take them more time than you realize. But there’s an even bigger question: While they’re struggling to find and organize the right words what’s going to happen to the rest of the work they’re expected to do every day? Doing their own writing may not be the most efficient use of their time.
You may be too biased
Your team has a significant amount of knowledge about your company and what it does. They probably also have a deep understanding of your marketplace and how you compare with your competitors. It’s likely they also have biases that reflect your company’s values and beliefs. However, your audience may not have a similar level or knowledge or share your assumptions. A professional white paper writer will be better able to ask the questions that matter most to your audience.