I have to share story with you. It’s one of the most bizarre things that’s ever happened in my freelance writing career—and it happened to me just recently.

Now before I share this story with you, I want you to know that I thought I had pretty much seen it all… I work with some of the largest companies in the world (and some of the smallest) and have seen the many hoops they make us freelancers jump through. But I’ve never experienced about to share with you…
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The interview process in writing white papers has some interesting parallels in newspaper journalism—beginning with the all-important needs assessment. So I think it helps to go back to newspaper basics when conducting that first call.

Just the facts, M’am…

When writing for a newspaper, you learn to keep articles short and stick to the “Five W’s,” who, what, why, where, and when. Bare bones—that’s it. Editors have only just so much space in which to cram those pesky words, so journalists learn quickly to keep interview questions to the point. But that can be easier said than done, both in journalism and writing white papers.

When interviewing several people at once for a white paper needs assessment, for instance, sticking to “just the facts” can become quite a challenge—especially when the project stakeholders are excited about their “story.”

That’s why it’s really important to stick to your outline when conducting that first interview and take charge of the process.

What does “taking charge of the process” mean?
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Are you a blogger or thinking of becoming one? Perhaps some of these questions are on your mind: ‘Is it too late to blog?’ ‘What should I write about?’ ‘How do I find time?’

In this interview with Denise Wakeman of the Blog Squad, we address these very questions head-on.

What are your thoughts on blogging?

One of the primary maxims of writing sales copy is: “Know Your Customer.” However, that particular pearl of wisdom sometimes gets ignored in white papers. Why?

We’re taught to “Talk Sideways”

When I took a speech class in college, one of the tips the instructor gave for handling stage fright was to look over the heads of my audience and avoid direct eye contact. Have you ever heard that one? Or how about visualizing your audience naked?

While these “talking sideways” tactics may help temporarily reduced sweaty palms in public speaking, they didn’t help me “connect” with my audience, which I later learned was much more important, both in public speaking and writing persuasive copy. Talking directly “to” your audience—making that eye contact—is what gets the best audience response.

Here’s a little nugget of wisdom I learned in copywriting that may help you make better connection with your readers:
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Does it ever makes sense to give away your secrets in a white paper?

This is a question that I hear a lot—and it might be one that you’re pondering. When does it make sense to share the very secrets that make you great?

This is the essence of a question I received over email from Andy Marker.

He wrote:

I feel I’m dumping all my experience and thoughts about what I have done onto a piece of paper and this is theoretically quite valuable, personally if not to others.

I can’t really see the value in writing this up and then distributing to various people who basically can just say ‘thanks’ and build a program structured off of what I have written–not needing me anymore.

With this in mind, is it wise to create a document that includes the 1st page and then the table of contents with a note that basically says –’Hire me and I’ll let you read this…’?”

Andy, here’s my answer:

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Does it ever make sense to write a white paper in the first person?

This whole social media craze has me wondering.

In the normal trails of life, we actually talk in first person. And on social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, it makes a lot of sense to to speak in first person.

But what about with a white paper (or even a case study)?

I’d like to have an open “first person” discussion on this one. What say you?

Everyone’s heard of Facebook. Perhaps you use to keep in touch with your college pals or keep your family updated on what’s going on with the kiddies.

But did you know you can actually use Facebook for business?

YES, it’s really true.I recently sat down with one of the world’s leading authorities on Facebook for business, Mari Smith.

In this video Mari shares some of her tips and techniques for using Facebook for business (including how to balance the personal and the business!). Below you will see our interview.

By the way, if you want to follow me on Facebook, go here.Are you using Facebook for business? How has it worked for you?

Reading a good white paper can be like experiencing a great cappuccino. There are two basic components to each, which depend on one another for success.

Two Ingredients—What’s the Right Blend?

For cappuccino lovers, those components are the coffee and the milk (skillfully blended together by the barrista). While the coffee flavor takes center stage, it is sipped through the frothy cap of steamed milk, and getting the combination right is critical for the best experience.

Following that analogy in white papers, the essential components are education and marketing. But which should be more prominent?
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I hope you’re having a great Friday.

Just wanted to share a bunch of new social media study findings:

* 1 in 20 Americans using Twitter (Harris)

* Forrester predicts 34% annual growth for social media marketing $
through 2014

* Retailers Shift Marketing Dollars Towards Social Media (Forrester…)

* 49% of Mobile Twitter Users Aged 35 and up (Nielsen)

Also wanted to remind you that next Thur. is the last day to save $200 on your ticket to Social Media Success Summit 2009–THE premier online event for marketers and business professionals who want to master social media marketing. Go here to join the nearly 400 others who already registered.

Unless you’ve been fully disconnected from the world, it’s been hard not to notice all the talk about social media these days.  Sites like Twitter and Facebook are all the rage.  But what does this really mean to you and your business?

Why Social Media Now??

The idea of selling, pitching and applying hard-core marketing techniques doesn’t resonate with your prospects during a recession. In addition, you likely have fewer dollars to spend on your marketing efforts.

The magic of social media is twofold. First, you can engage directly with prospects and customers without any middleman (no list broker or reliance on publications). Second, it’s free. There’s absolutely no cost to leverage social media sites and build huge followings. Forget about email providers and search advertising. Social media marketing bypasses all the fee-based services you’re used to.

And there is no better time to begin social media marketing. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have literally exploded and encompass hundreds of millions of people. For example, if Facebook were a country, it would be the eighth largest in the world.

Even though social media is HOT, according to the Social Media Marketing Industry Report, most marketers have only been using it for a few months.  What does this mean? A big fat opportunity for your business.

First, The Bad Way to Use Social Media

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