Throughout this series, I’ve emphasized the importance of capturing the reader’s attention and not letting them get away. Target readers are pressed for time. Give them a reason not to read your white paper, and they won’t.
One of the quickest ways to turn a reader away from your paper is by making it physically difficult to read. Small text, a lack of white space or a layout which is too “busy” can make a document harder to read. A text intensive, hard to read layout can intimidate the reader and turn reading into a chore.
Chances are your white paper will be read on a computer screen – at least the quick read. What might look good in print doesn’t always translate to the computer. However, a clean document which reads well on the computer will also look just as good in print.
Here’s a few tips to make your white paper easier to read:
- Keep the text to one column: while a five column grid may be good for newspaper, multiple columns on a computer screen can be hard to read. At the same time, one column of text run across an entire page is too text intensive. A simple solution is to use a three column design with the text running across two columns. This three column “grid” provides natural white space and a text width that easy on the eye.
- Make good use of white space: For those new to design, white space is exactly what it sounds like – empty space on the page where the paper or computer screen shows through. Think of white space as another graphic element just as you would text or illustrations. White space gives the reader room to breath and gives the eye a rest.Spacing between paragraphs, ample margin widths, spacing between lines of text (also known as “leading”) are all basic elements which affect the use of white space on the page. They are also elements which can have a big impact on the readibility of a document.Don’t be afraid of white space. By giving the reader’s eye room to breath, you make the document much easer to read.
- Choose a simple font and text size: When designing for the computer, it is sometimes helpful to use a slightly larger text size then you would for print. Basic fonts also work best. This is not the time to get fancy.
- Make good use of grapics: Graphics make a document more inviting and easier to read. However, graphics can also break the natural flow of the page and distract from the topic at hand. Use graphics to emphasize and clarify important points. Charts and graphs can be effectively used to highlight important data — just be sure to that the chart is easy to understand. While photos might look nice, they don’t always add to a white paper. Use them sparingly. It is also important not to overuse graphics. Finally, be sure that the graphics fit nicely and balance on the page. An unnatural break in the body text can force the reader to search for the continued text.
- Make headlines and subheads stand out: Bold headlines with ample white space provide a rest for the reader. This is especially important in text intensive documents. Use your headlines and subheads to guide the reader through the text.
The nice thing about white papers is that the ideal layout and design is fairly straightforward. You can greatly increase readibility by keeping it clean, simple and easy to read.
This is the ninth post in a 10-post series on creating better white papers. Click here to read here to read the series from the beginning. Be sure to check back in the coming days for more tips on the process of creating powerful white papers. Click here to subscribe to the RSS feed today.
Want to learn more about the power of marketing with white papers? Read my special report, “Utilizing White Papers to Generate Leads and Establish Industry Prominence.” or contact me today at jalodico@whitepapersolution.com.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Jim;
Nice article! Would you please consider enabling email notification with Feedburner?
Mike
Thanks Mike.
I thought Feedburner offered email subscriptions in the feed link at the top. Unless I’m missing something, it appears that they dropped that feature when they switched to Google.
I’ve added a subscription box in the side bar for email blog updates through Feedburner.
Hope it helps,
Jim
Great post Jim. It is very important to make white papers readable/scannable. Some of the great white papers I have seen are very visually appealing to the eye because of the layout.
I have listed a few blog posts that are in line with your thoughts.
Graham Strong’s 3 Ways to Appeal to Readers & Skimmers
Jonathan Kantor’s Six ‘Attention-Getting’ White Paper Elements, 5 Tips to Best Utilize your Sidebar White Space, How NOT to Format a White Paper!, 5 Steps to a Great White Paper Introduction
Why is it that I continue to be amazed at the lack of editing of articles posted on the Internet? By now, one would think that I would be use to it and simply “move on” whenever I come across another example of editorial avoidance. But, when an article is posted for the expressed purpose of providing the viewer with proper grammatical directions and examples, I am even more troubled when that article demonstrates a lack of editorial excellence.
I would like to bring to your attention that your paragraph heading, “Here’s a few tips to make your white paper easier to read” should be edited to “Here’re a few tips to make your white paper easier to read” as you are referring to a plural word “tips,” not the singular “tip.”
You should also consider that the use of contractions is frowned on in formal writing. As both grammatical errors I now have noted refer to misused contractions, maybe you should avoid them altogether. The correct heading should be “Here are a few tips to make your white paper easier to read.”
When such common errors are included in your articles, and remain there for over a year, I am left with an uncomfortable feeling that I should be skeptical of the accuracy of your instructions. I often make grammatical errors. But I am not providing instructions such as those contained in these articles.
Thank you again for your input John.
Please note that while you are correct in that the proper form of the verb “to be” when used with the plural “tips” is “are” it is important to note both the conversational style and informal tone of this article.
In this case, while the use of the contraction “here’s” may not be grammatically correct, its use is a stylistic decision intended to create a conversational tone.
And while yes, the use of contractions is frowned upon in formal writing, you can see that the informal use of the second person throughout the article sets an informal tone for the piece.
The style and tone of a written piece are of great importance. Consideration for both the target audience (or “viewer”) and the format of the piece need to be considered when developing the tone of a written work.
Please don’t confuse editorial “avoidance” with an editorial decision.
Finally, it is important to note that these articles are not intended to provide grammatical directions or instructions. They are provided to help others with a specific writing process. And while grammar is an important part of the writing process, you will not find “proper grammatical directions” in any of these articles. I’ll leave that to Strunk & White.