White Papers
Writing to influence
Providing businesses with compelling arguments for customers to purchase their clean energy solutions. The Executive Briefs are supported by verifiable facts, ensuring the credibility of the information.
A call to action
The white paper’s purpose is to spur readers to take action. The papers provide readers with an analytical, trend-focused argument — supported by verifiable facts, case studies, and expert quotes.
Successful white papers enable businesses to effectively sell their climate tech solutions to customers, policy and regulatory agencies, and local communities.
The papers will focus on emerging trends, justifying change. Reporting trends alone is not enough, however. They must also feature customer benefits, such as improved market competitiveness or better strategic decisions. For effectiveness, the benefits should include financial measures, such as cost savings, added revenue opportunities, and payback periods.
Writing for busy leaders
No one has time to read lengthy reports. Effective white papers have an executive summary format that is instructive, concise, clear, and authoritative. The papers should be written from the perspective of the executive responsible for business decision-making. As such, they should be written in a conversational tone and free of technical jargon, making the content easy to understand.
To aid quick reading, the writing includes:
Numbered or bulleted lists to make the information easy to scan.
Short paragraphs, headings, and subheadings to make the papers easy to read online.
Research references that support the ideas, trends, and other statements in the paper. All research should be linked to gain readers’ trust.
Business benefits
White papers are often used for lead generation and market development by capturing email addresses, names, titles, and company information from individuals interested in the topics. By posting the whitepapers online or sending them via email, the content establishes a client company’s market awareness and thought leadership. With respect to sustainability, the white papers can demonstrate your firm’s commitment to the energy transition.
Most importantly, the white papers contribute to building a community. They also help the client establish a voice of authority, while featuring their firm’s products, solutions, and people that provide customer benefits.
Finally, white papers support the sales process by providing added customer value with industry insights.
Writing examples
Each week, I write a newsletter advocating for clean energy at Clean Electricity Pathways.
