White Paper Pundit

One of the reasons that callouts/pull quotes work so well in gaining reader attention is that a large block of text sits alone in an area of white space.

So how can you best utilize this space to gain maximum reader attention for your key white paper messages? Here’s my list of 5 tips you can apply to your white papers:

1. Make it Large - Try to make your callouts one to two font sizes larger than the adjacent body copy. I use 14-point callouts in italics.

2. Keep it Short – Use one short sentence and try to limit it to under 20 words. If necessary trim down your sentence from the body copy to fit this suggested size.

3. Keep it Relevant – Your callout should relate to the adjacent body copy. Don’t use text from another page or a sentence that diverts attention away from your central point on the same page where the callout resides.

4. No Distractions – Many white papers use their sidebar white space to place related business graphs, statistics, or industry quotes. Remember that the more things you add in this sidebar space, the greater the likelihood that it will distract your reader’s attention away from your central solution point. This makes it more difficult for the reader to be re-engaged with your primary white paper content.

5. Dress it Up – There’s no reason why you should have boring black text for your callout. Think out of the box! You can use colors, lines, or shading to dress up your callout message. If you can draw reader attention to your most important solution points, the greater the likelihood that your callout will achieve the primary purpose for which it was intended.

If you like tips like these, you’ll love my newsletter, “Short Attention Marketing Tips“. You can signup for this free subscription by clicking on this link.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 at 8:01 am and is filed under White Paper Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.