What is a white paper?
Of all the marketing materials that exist, the white paper is arguably the most powerful. White papers help your team generate leads while educating your audience about key issues.
It’s an educate first, sell last approach that can be very fruitful for organizations. The Content Marketing Institute found 43% of marketers believe white papers, compared to other content efforts, produce the best results. A report from TechTarget revealed that 91% of IT buyers find white papers to be the second most effective type of marketing content in the buying process. 71% of B2B buyers use white papers to make purchasing decisions. And 76% of marketers are willing to share information in exchange for white papers.
White papers can generate leads
White papers enable your team to dive deeper into topics to provide your audience valuable information that can help them make critical decisions. Meanwhile, your organization gains the chance to prove expertise, establish authority, and capture new sales opportunities.
The purpose of white papers
White papers are educational, authoritative, and persuasive documents that thoroughly explore a specific topic or issue.
The white paper also offers a solution to the problem to help the audience learn from the document and implement key solutions.
The key purposes of white papers include:
Establishing authority: via an in-depth document on an industry-related topic, your organization can establish that you are an authority on the topic.
Educate your reader: white papers offer the chance to educate your audience on a specific issue or topic.
Provide solutions: by presenting in-depth research on an issue alongside potential avenues for resolve, you offer your audience solutions to their challenges.
Lead generation: usually white papers are offered for free, but to download the document, the reader must enter an email address––making them an ideal document for lead generation.
Types of white papers
Various types of white papers serve different purposes for organizations. Some of the key types of white papers include:
Problem-to-solution white papers: the majority of white papers involve identifying a core issue and offering a detailed solution.
Research white papers: some white papers are written to delve into specific industry insights, trends, or research––particularly new research that your organization wants to share.
Technical white papers: these offer detailed information about a specific technology, product, or industry concept to help technical experts more deeply understand the issue or topic.
Thought leadership white papers: white papers can also be used to discuss future trends or establish leadership in a specific space.
Key characteristics of white papers
So what makes a white paper a white paper? Some core characteristics separate other marketing documents from white papers.
The ideal white paper proves that your organization is an authority on a topic while offering solutions, and evidence to prove what you say holds.
Research: if there’s one core element that separates white papers from other documents, it’s in-depth research that provides evidence for any theories, ideas, or arguments you are making.
Authoritative tone: as part of the white paper you are establishing that your organization is an expert on this topic. A tone that provides authority and expertise is essential.
Single topic: it’s important to keep your white paper focussed on one particular topic––the goal is to provide in-depth information on one topic. If you have multiple ideas, it’s best to separate them into different documents.
Taking a view: a whitepaper is also meant to persuade the reader toward a particular viewpoint that you put forth, so having an opinion is essential.
Solution-focused: you should also aim to include a pathway forward. Your audience doesn’t just want to deeply understand the issue, they want potential solutions too.
In-depth content: a white paper isn’t a quick summary of your topic, it’s a deep dive into the latest research, data, and information. Keep in mind: typically white papers run anywhere from 10-20 pages.
How to set out the structure of a white paper
Cover page: a compelling cover will entice readers to download the document.
Engaging title: your title should cover the topic, but also be clear and engaging to draw your audience in.
Introduction: begin with a section that introduces the topic you’ll be covering including the core issue that you’re addressing.
Main body: the majority of the document includes the in-depth analysis of the topic you’re covering, alongside research, data points, and arguments.
Solutions: once the body of your argument is established, cover key solutions to the overall issue or problem you’ve discussed.
Conclusion: summarize your document by highlighting the key takeaways for readers.
CTA: does your organization provide solutions to the issue or challenge? The closer is your chance to mention your company to help bring potential leads in. Keep in mind: it’s best practice to just mention your company once or twice in a white paper.
References: finally, include your references at the end of the document to enable your reader to locate the original sources of the included research.
Choosing the right topic for your white paper
Your organization could put together a white paper on just about any topic. But not every topic is relevant to your company, or your goals. A few questions are worth considering before you choose a topic.
Goal alignment: any decisions you make as a marketing team should align with your overall objectives and the overall goals of the organization.
Consider your audience: dive deep into your audience and their challenges. Make sure that your topic helps to address those issues.
Lean into expertise: consider where your team, or your organization, can lean into expertise to offer new and valuable information to potential customers.
Analyze trends: market trends can make for great white paper topics and may be more likely to receive downloads.
Common mistakes to avoid
When teams put together white papers there are some common pitfalls. These include:
Jargon overload
While the technical details and research points are important, piling on too much jargon can put readers off. It’s best to present your ideas clearly and simply to get your points across while referencing more technical documents and studies.
Being too “salesy”
One common mistake some make is thinking of a white paper as a sales document or proposal, rather than an educational piece. Your job when writing a white paper is to provide authority and information about a topic, not promote your organization or sell your solutions.
The white paper is a top-of-the-funnel document that helps you to gather potential leads. It’s essential, then, to only mention your organization once or twice for customers who might wish to learn more about your solutions.
A lack of audience focus
Before diving in, it’s important to consider your audience. To provide value, consider what your audience needs and aim to solve their problems rather than just focusing on what your company is hoping to gain.
Forgetting visual design
To make your white papers engaging and interesting, it helps to include visual elements––such as color, images, illustrations, and graphs to illustrate points visually. This can help break up the copy and keep your audience hooked.
Examples of successful white papers
There are endless examples of white papers that have been successful in various industries. These successful white papers tend to align with the expertise and goals of the organization. They’re also focused on educating first and foremost.
Some examples include:
2022 State Of Remote Work created by Buffer
This white paper was well-received given its timeliness post-pandemic when many organizations were considering offering their teams more remote work opportunities.
Buffer is also well-positioned to provide expertise on the topic, given it has been a fully-remote company since 2013.
The State of Marketing Report created by Hubspot
This white paper combines industry expertise with key takeaways for marketers to implement. It considers relevant trends––including AI and social media––alongside deep insights and research. This helps to provide the audience with key information aligned with the organization’s strategy.
The evolution of project management and why now is the time to modernize created by Atlassian
This white paper considers modern project management methods. It covers the common challenges project managers have in collaboration, and visibility across projects and offers key solutions.
Atlassian is well-placed to offer expertise on this topic given its product offering Jira, which helps teams simplify project management.
The ultimate lead generation document
The white paper may be one of the most powerful lead generation documents helping you to educate your audience while gaining new sales leads.
With white papers, you gain the chance to do deep dives on relevant topics to provide your audience with ultimate value––all while elevating your organization as the expert they should choose to solve their challenges.
Interested in creating white papers as part of your B2B marketing efforts? At CG Communications, I create in-depth, researched, and well-crafted white papers to help your organization grow. Get in touch today.
FAQs
What is a white paper vs. a research paper?
While white papers and research papers have some similar characteristics, they are unique documents.
A white paper is created to educate, persuade, and inform your audience about a particular topic. These are used as a marketing document to generate leads.
A research paper is created to explore, analyze, and present findings from research. These contribute to the academic field.
What is the difference between a whitepaper and a report?
White papers and reports also share some similarities but differ in application.
A white paper is created to educate, persuade, and inform your audience about a particular topic. These are used as a marketing document to generate leads.
Reports are created to present information, facts, or findings. Usually, reports are objective in nature and aimed at informing the audience about results or progress. They can also be used to keep stakeholders informed.
Why is it called the white paper?
White papers originated in the British government where white-covered documents were released to provide information on specific topics.
The idea carried over to various organizations to provide potential customers with clear information––white is often associated with clarity and simplicity.
These days industries across the globe use white papers as a way to educate, persuade, and generate leads.
