The term “white paper” originated in the English government to indicate the creation of specific yet brief reports. One of the first white papers produced was the Churchill White Paper, written in 1922 about the conflicts that existed in Palestine. Today white papers have grown in their intent and purpose. Increasingly white papers are written for the business-to-business (B2B) market segment rather than for government. Companies produce white papers to promote a corporate position, identify advances in technology, report research results, and provide valuable information. They are not designed to serve as technical user guides, post-purchase support or training.
For some, it may be hard to imagine white papers as an effective marketing tool, especially if they are not well written. White papers that do not make a strong business case are too long, not well organized and dull do more disservice than good. On the other hand, when skillfully crafted they generate attention, produce sales leads, educate readers, create a sense of urgency and offer a call to action.
- Generate attention. Professionally produced with color and graphics, white papers attract prospective buyers. They call attention to a company’s positive image and reinforce its brand.
- Produce sales leads. According to a RainToday.com study, 74 percent of professional services companies ranked white papers as an excellent source of lead generation. Companies that offer free “downloads” and use a registration form to collect valuable visitor data increase the number of leads they get. In addition, companies can produce more interest when they refer to white papers in other marketing materials such as blogs, advertisements, direct mail, social media and tradeshow promotions.
- Educate readers. White papers inform, clarify, enlighten and update readers about what’s going on in the industry. When companies share their expertise they earn recognition as authorities and thought leaders in the marketplace.
- Create a sense of urgency and call to action. White papers can be used to create or develop an awareness of problems and challenges that need to be addressed. In the hands of decisions makers who are contemplating purchasing decisions, they are excellent reminders of the company’s caliber and commitment to providing solutions. In fact, in a 2011 survey conducted by Eccolo Media, 65 percent of decision makers, as compared to 41 percent in 2010, stated that white papers were “very” to “extremely influential” in influencing their purchasing decisions.
Components of effective white papers
Well-crafted white papers generally include these common key elements:
- Title. Compelling and attention grabbing titles draw the audience in. Dull titles result in unread papers.
- Executive summary and/or introduction. For longer white papers, a one page executive summary presents and explains the white paper’s purpose. For shorter white papers, the introduction is a one or two paragraph synopsis that entices prospects to read the paper and to click on the white paper registration link. In both cases, they provide enough details to whet the readers’ appetite, without giving away all the pertinent information.
- Historical context and/or research. Including trend information, how the industry or marketplace has changed over time and any statistical data that is available provides readers with a context and a framework with which to understand and evaluate the information that follows.
- Problems and/or challenges. The content here identifies and discusses the issues that regularly confront readers.
- Solution and/or benefits. In this section, the white paper recommends answers to the problems, challenges or issues identified. Some companies provide a comprehensive approach, while others tend to be a little more self-promotional.
- Conclusion. In this section, listing the steps to take after reading the paper creates a sense of urgency and provides a call to action.
- Company profile. This section identifies the corporate mission statement, accomplishments, milestones and contact information.
In a study conducted by KnowledgeStorm and MarketingSherpa (How Technology Marketers Meet Buyers Appetite for Content), seventy one percent of respondents stated they read white papers more than any other content, including blogs and product literature. Additionally, over half (57 percent) shared white papers (more than other marketing tools) with their coworkers and colleagues. This same study found that the main reasons prospects read white papers were:
- To understand new and emerging markets and technology (64 percent)
- To acquire information about products/services and vendors (60 percent)
- To locate solutions for solving problems (54 percent)
The best marketing white papers focus on the issues faced by readers, instead of trying to sell to them on specific products and services. This creates trust and can lead to the ultimate goal of marketing: turning prospects into customers.
Marketing Tips
Use these suggestions to create white papers your prospects will want to read:
- Educate and inform instead of using a self-promoting approach.
- Share cutting edge ideas, emerging trends and industry expertise.
- Use figures and other graphics to support the topic and make the paper visually appealing. In the Eccola Media survey, 77 percent of respondents said that visuals are “extremely” to “moderately important” to incorporate into white papers.
- Write the paper in an engaging, easy to read style. Papers consisting of mostly technological jargon, complex research or statistical data may confuse, or worse, bore the reader.
- The best person to write a white paper is not always the one who understands the topic the most. Instead, pair the subject matter expert with a professional writer who understands marketing to produce interest-generating content.
- Keep the content brief and succinct. Create additional white papers to cover more ground.
- Use the content to support sales and other outreach efforts.
- Consider embedding a video or audio file into a white paper posted on the company’s website.
Quarterly Quote
“The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be.”
David Ogilvy, advertising executive, known as “The Father of Advertising.”
Business Resources
According to Wikipedia, content marketing is “any marketing format that involves the creation and sharing of media and publishing content in order to acquire customers.” This includes white papers as well as other marketing pieces designed to deliver information to prospective customers. Rebecca Lieb, a digital advertising and media analyst, said in Advertising Age, “Content marketing is a pull, rather than a push, strategy. Content doesn’t interrupt, it attracts.” To learn more about content marketing, visit www.contentmarketinginstitute.com. The Content Marketing Institute provides news, information, insight and advice about content marketing.
Recommended Reading
- White Paper Marketing; More Sales Leads, Less Effort, Lawrence Harte, Carolyn Luck and Michele Chandler
- The White Paper Marketing Handbook, Robert W. Bly
The Last Word
White papers are written and posted on the company’s website. Now what? Here are a few suggestions for using high quality and engaging white papers as part of a marketing plan.
- Optimize the white paper for reading on mobile devices.
- Adapt white papers for trade magazine articles to reach a wider audience.
- Promote the paper via social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook updates.
- Break the white paper into smaller chunks and discuss in a series of blog posts.
- Encourage readers to share the white paper by adding social share buttons on the white paper webpage. This will help reach a larger audience, plus new visitors to the web site will see that the white paper has been shared, enticing them to read it.
- Initiate discussions about the white paper topic on social media sites.
- Advertise the white paper through online press release distribution services.
Trade Press Services has written dozens of white papers for clients during the last eighteen years. Call us today at 805 396-8850 to discuss how we work together to produce compelling, interesting, and timely white papers that support your marketing and business development initiatives.