If you think that sending a more powerful message is the best way to get a rise out of your audience, you’re probably wrong. Oh, it’s a popular request, and people tend to equate popularity with effectiveness – just look at most presidential elections. But following the herd is rarely the most intelligent approach, and … Read more
White papers for agribusiness purposes are more than just powerful documents on their own. Business white papers can actually serve as effective incubators for all kinds of marketing materials and strategies. After an agribusiness industry company develops a white paper, they can use it as the basis for other marketing and communications channels. The agribusiness … Read more
We all have to share news we’d rather avoid now and then. Could be a cost increase. Perhaps it’s a layoff. A cutback in business hours. A product upgrade that’s been pushed back. Worse-than-expected earnings. Or a security breach. How you communicate bad news has a significant impact on your organization and its reputation. In … Read more
I passed the yard sign several times before my curiosity got the better of me. Was it an abstract watercolor in shades of gray and rose? And why was it in someone’s yard? As I walked up and studied the sign, I realized that it was promoting a community event that had nothing to do … Read more
There’s very good reason not to use acronyms and jargon in your white paper, even if you’re writing in an industry in which those acronyms and jargon are used frequently. That reason goes to the very purpose of a white paper: sharing information with people who probably don’t know the subject as well as you … Read more
The continued explosion of social media is a clear reminder of just how badly we humans want to connect with each other. Unfortunately, too many companies completely ignore that reality when they try to communicate with customers and prospects. Doesn’t matter whether they’re using social media posts, an email, or a website – they do … Read more
Years ago, a wise boss told me that the most affordable attorney I’d ever hire is the one I called before making a decision or taking an action. I’ve since come to realize that the same holds true with writers. I’ve often seen organizations decide to tackle writing a new website, guest blog post, or … Read more
Companies and other organizations develop technical documents like white papers and blogs to explain the advantages they offer or to educate their stakeholders about situations or issues. Unfortunately, all too often, those efforts fall short of their objectives. Their target audiences come away not knowing any more, so the organization’s team has essentially wasted the … Read more
Grammar with white papers is an area that creates confusion for many writers (and people who evaluate writers’ work). White papers are typically lengthy documents, and may very well remind you of the research and term papers you wrote in school. But while both school papers and white papers have a lot of words and … Read more
Not so long ago, we thought of information as a prized possession that was to be guarded closely. Today, those who are willing to share their knowledge can gain a competitive advantage. As with so many things, the arrival of the digital universe changed everything. Now, when we want to know about nearly anything, a … Read more