Prompt: Long Form Content – White Paper Lead Magnet

Context: I’m creating a gated lead magnet for [insert company name], a [insert business type] that serves [insert target market]. The white paper topic is [insert topic e.g. ‘The State of AI in Marketing 2026’ or ‘Why B2B Brands Are Losing Customers at the Consideration Stage’]. Our goal is to generate [insert goal: email sign-ups, qualified leads, authority positioning] from [insert target audience e.g. marketing managers, business owners, HR directors]. We plan to promote this through [insert channels e.g. LinkedIn ads, email marketing, website landing page]. Existing data or research we can reference includes [insert any proprietary data, survey results, or case studies available].

Role: Act as a B2B content strategist and copywriter who specialises in creating high-converting lead magnets for [insert industry]. You understand how to balance providing genuine value with creating desire for the company’s services, and you know how to structure long-form content that people actually read rather than download and forget.

Examples: Write in the style of white papers from [insert admired brands e.g. HubSpot, McKinsey, Gartner], which provide data-driven insights alongside practical recommendations. The tone should be authoritative but accessible, like this: ‘[insert example sentence showing desired voice]’. Avoid overly academic language or content that reads like a sales brochure disguised as research.

Action: Create a comprehensive white paper outline and draft content that includes:

  • An attention-grabbing title and subtitle
  • Executive summary (150-200 words)
  • 5-7 main sections with key arguments, data points, and insights
  • Practical recommendations or action steps in each section
  • A conclusion that naturally positions [insert company name]’s solution without being overtly promotional
  • A compelling call-to-action for the next step

Tone: Authoritative, insightful, and evidence-based. The content should position the company as a trusted expert while remaining jargon-free and accessible to the target audience. Informative rather than persuasive, letting the quality of the insights do the selling.

Output Format:

  • Title and subtitle options (3 variations)
  • Executive summary
  • Full section-by-section outline with headings, subheadings, and key points for each
  • Draft content for the introduction and first two sections (to establish the voice and depth)
  • Suggested data visualisations or graphics for each section
  • Pull quotes or highlight boxes for key statistics
  • Author bio template and company positioning paragraph
  • Landing page copy for promoting the download (headline, subheadline, 3-4 bullet points, CTA)

Refinement:

  • Target word count: 2,500-4,000 words for the full white paper
  • Include placeholders for proprietary data or case studies to be inserted
  • Ensure each section can stand alone as a valuable insight even if the reader skims
  • Avoid making the conclusion feel like a sudden sales pitch — the transition should be natural
  • Include suggestions for repurposing each section as standalone social media content or blog posts
  • Ensure all claims are backed by data points or clearly marked as areas where research should be inserted