A highly effective way to acquire more prospects for your funnel is to offer a free white paper in exchange for someone’s information. Such a white paper can be created without much hassle in 5 steps:

[1] Consider Your Target

Know whom specifically you’re trying to reach. Keep in mind the audience where you’re advertising and make sure you can reasonably attract whom you want within that space. Then, think of what they want to know or, even better, what problem they need a solution for. Consider trends. Choose a topic you can position as something they need to know. Once you have your topic, come up with a working title that quickly and easily conveys what the white paper is about and why it’s important.

[2] Prepare Your Outline

Brainstorm and list everything you want to include, using your title as a guide. Research. Don’t wait until your outline is finished before you research, because then you’ll have to rewrite your outline to add in all the new ideas you discover. Your source could be as simple as your own mind, if you are the expert. Or you may have to go online for information and/or consult with experts close to you.

Make sure you leave room for an introduction (present the problem) and a conclusion (summarize your solution and tie it to your unique selling point). Remember, this is an educational piece, so stick to facts, not opinions. Don’t make it a lengthy ad. By the time they read the white paper, you’ve already captured the lead, so stop selling. You can better prove your value and expertise by sharing valuable expertise.

[3] Write a Rough Draft

The hardest part is getting the words down on paper. Just plow through it; tell yourself you’re going to write a bad first draft that you’ll fix later. Write for the level of your audience; don’t tell them what they already know and don’t go over their heads. A good white paper is 1–5 pages long, but longer may be appropriate to deliver on the promise of your title.

[4] Revise for a Final Draft

Edit and revise until you’re happy. Then for your final draft, pass it around and have it proofread by several people or use a professional proofreading service. They’re reasonably priced and worth every penny when it comes to presenting your professional image.

[5] Add the Final Touches

Add to the end of the white paper a next step, a call to action ideally presenting you or your business as the solution provider. Make sure your contact information is easy to see at a glance. Finally, add some design elements. It could be as simple as using a different, bold font for your title, using colored text for subheads and adding your logo. Don’t over-design. It’s still just a white paper. Charts and graphs are great if they make sense for the content. If you use third-party information or images, be sure to obtain the appropriate rights and cite accordingly.

And if this article were a white paper, which it very easily could be, here is where I would reiterate how easy this can be while also offering you my expertise should you desire assistance in writing, or my recommendations on where you should place your ad to promote your white paper. (Take a wild guess.)