White Paper

White Paper

How to Write a White Paper

 30 January, 2019 in academic

The white paper is a brochure containing non-promotional information that is valuable to its target audience. A white paper is most often found in PDF format, it is from 5 to 30 pages in volume, and is placed on the site for downloading. As a rule, such a book is created to find a specific way to solve a pressing customer problem. A white paper helps to establish an acquaintance with a new visitor to your site; it attracts his or her attention with valuable information and makes the foundation for the future dialogue. The main purpose of writing a white paper is to get the contact details of potential clients, build trust in your company and make them want to start cooperating with you.

The Essence of the White Paper

The white paper is an informational, high-quality document that, on the one hand, carries data, which is really useful to the reader, and on the other hand, it unobtrusively advertises a product (service). Simply put, the white paper combines an informational article and an advertising brochure. The main principle of this document is in receiving a detailed response to solve a complex problem. White paper topics can be very different. This document can be written in the form of instruction, checklist, infographic, report, interview, and so on. In the era of the rapid development of content marketing, it is important to use all possible tools, so do not ignore white paper and its opportunities. Learn the following tips to understand how to write white papers properly.

White Paper Efficiency

Readers are attracted by free educational information. Therefore, customers value companies that share such information. Many people are ready to register on the site and leave their contacts to get an answer to an interesting question. If you want the client to work with you, the content of the materials, which you are distributing, must be really useful for a potential client. How to find out the value of the materials? First, it is necessary to make a portrait of a potential client. Knowing your buyer, you can easily determine which issues concern him or her. Your task is to create material that is guaranteed to be helpful to your potential clients and will form an opinion of you as of an expert. Create a white paper outline with the most relevant questions.

Secrets of Creating a Good Paper

Creating an optimized text for a white paper seems like a simple process. However, you have to spend a lot of time and effort to get good material. To facilitate the work, it is recommended to consider the following rules. The ideal text is directed to the interests of the reader. Be prepared for the fact that you will spend a lot of time for this work (10-20 hours). The structure of the text is as follows. The main part of the document contains useful facts, and information dedicated to your company (or service) takes no more than 15% of the total material. Use charts, tables, illustrations, and other graphic images to increase the attention of a potential client. Buyers always trust the opinion of experts, so use surveys, studies, and interviews. Unlike a blog article, the white paper carries great value. Therefore, it should look professionally done. The white paper may contain illustrations, graphics, schemes, photos, etc. All information should be divided into logical blocks and be convenient for visual perception. A proper white paper must be created by a professional, who understands all the details. Even the most experienced copywriters are unlikely to be able to write a deep narrow-profile document without your participation (for example, on legal or medical topics). If you know what to say, then they know for sure how to present your ideas. Where can you use white papers? Such documents are usually distributed:

• Through partners, as a gift.
• In social networks and communities.
• As bonuses for customers.
• On profile message boards.
• Through media that show interest in your company.
• On the corporate website.

White Paper Formats

One of the most common formats is the guideline. It is an ideal variant for companies selling complex or expensive services. The task of the management is to explain to the client all the benefits of using the service in simple language and show its use step by step. Another option is a collection of cases. They show how your company solved the difficulties of its customers. Thus, you demonstrate that you know how to deal with the problems of potential clients and can guarantee a certain result. If your potential customers have a lot of questions, you need to create an FAQ section on your website. However, you can place only the answers to the most common questions (usually no more than 10) on the site. You have to create white papers to answer the other questions.