Whitepaper - What, Purpose, Types, and How to Write It

If you’re a business that relies heavily on content marketing, you may want to consider whitepapers. The whitepaper is an important driver to improve your company’s profile as a thought leader, set your brand apart from your competitors, and generate new leads.

This article will arm you with the knowledge you need to maximize the whitepaper’s benefits. We’ll cover what they are, why you need them, and how to write an effective whitepaper.

What is a Whitepaper?

A whitepaper is an authoritative, comprehensive, and persuasive report that aims to solve a specific problem and offer a solution.

Companies use whitepapers to build trust with casual readers by illustrating their expertise through evidence and facts. Many brands or marketers require an email address or other contact information to download whitepapers to capture leads.

Unlike other marketing methods, the whitepaper isn’t designed to be a product pitch. It’s an information paper created through in-depth research and facts to help readers solve their issues.

Why Should You Write a Whitepaper?

Creating valuable content in the form of facts and data can help readers solve their problems. Here are the primary reasons why you should strongly consider writing a whitepaper:

Whitepapers Generate Leads: Addressing industry-wide problems and including targeted keywords can help you rank higher in search engines and generate leads.
Whitepapers Establish Thought Leadership: Highly technical content that offers an effective solution helps you become an expert in your industry. You can increase newsletter sign-ups by publishing whitepapers, as more people will want to follow industry leaders.
Whitepapers Provide a Competitive Edge: When you’re the only one publishing high-quality whitepapers in your business category, you will get recognition. More customers will want to buy from you.

Let‘s look at some types of whitepapers you can publish to engage your audience.

Different Types of Whitepapers

Numbered List Whitepapers

Consumers love reading numbered lists because they’re easily digestible and allow quick understanding of information.

These whitepapers use numbered points to convey the message and target a more casual audience. Some example use cases are:

Explaining Product Benefits: 10 Reasons to Outsource Your Booking
Listing Practical Tips: 11 Ways to Win Your Customers Back
Answering Common Questions: 8 Mistakes You Make When Running Facebook Ads

When to use: Given the simple format, numbered list whitepapers are perfect for top-of-funnel leads to build brand awareness and trust.

Problem-Solution Whitepapers

The problem-solution whitepaper helps convince readers that they need what you’re selling. This form positions the problem to highlight how your product solves it.

When to use: Typically used to attract and educate prospects in the early and middle stages of the customer journey. Readers already know their problems and are looking for solutions.

Problem-solution whitepapers effectively generate leads. When optimized, they can bring your website to the top of search results. More eyeballs on your site means more leads.

Backgrounder Whitepapers

The backgrounder whitepaper explains how a product works and its context. When showcasing new trends, features, or industry information, a backgrounder helps readers understand your offering.

Characteristics include:

Explanation of how a specific product/service works
Data and studies on product effectiveness
Well-supported claims that prove your business is an industry leader

When to use: Best for the final stage of the customer journey. When comparing solutions, potential buyers need specific information to decide.

If someone is near the bottom of the sales funnel, a backgrounder can reassure them your product is what they need.

How to Write a Whitepaper

Now let‘s look at how to draft an effective whitepaper. Remember that whitepapers are more intensive than standard blog posts.

Step 1: Choose a Topic and Style

Selecting the right topic will significantly impact results. You’ll generate more leads, insights, and shares with a topic of serious interest to your target audience.

Develop a customer profile to identify your audience’s challenges, goals, and needs. Ask yourself:

Do I need to explain how my product solves a problem to generate leads?
Do I need a well-researched report to nurture prospects down the sales funnel?
Is there a complex feature or trend my audience needs to understand before buying?

These questions help determine the whitepaper type and topic.

Step 2: Perform Research

Whitepapers are highly technical and educational, so extensive research is required. You can:

Detail a unique process
Aggregate unique case studies
Run an original study
Find credible data, surveys, and studies
Read other papers on the topic

Pro Tip: Always thoroughly research before writing. Use authoritative industry sources to support your argument and prove your premise.

Step 3: Create an Outline

A long-winded paper without a proper outline will confuse readers. Outline your topic clearly and concisely.

Use a table of contents with clickable links like Google‘s whitepaper example.

Step 4: Write the Whitepaper

Flesh out your outline and write the body. Compile your research and provide valuable takeaways and insights.

Use a fact-based tone so the content doesn’t seem promotional. Break up large sections with subheadings for skimming. Cite sources along the way.

Step 5: Edit and Refine

Let the draft sit, then review it with fresh eyes. Read it aloud to check flow and grammar. Have trusted colleagues review it if needed.

Step 6: Add Graphics and Design

Work with a designer to add visually appealing charts, graphs, tables, and illustrations. Many templates and software options simplify creating visuals.

Step 7: Consider Hiring a Writer from Fiverr

If you need help writing your whitepaper, hire a freelancer from Fiverr. There are many talented writers who can clearly convey your message.

Simply sign up for Fiverr and search for "Whitepapers" under Writing & Translation or in the search bar.

Browse writers based on experience, budget, delivery time, and other factors. Search by industry keywords like "crypto whitepaper" or "marketing whitepaper" to find relevant experience.

Once you’ve found a qualified writer, book a gig based on their service offerings.

How to Format a Whitepaper

Carefully organize the whitepaper to catch the reader‘s attention and make the experience enjoyable.

Use this format to help organize the content and make it easy to understand:

Title: Engaging title to pique curiosity
Abstract: Brief overview of what to expect
Problem Statement: Clearly states why the paper exists
Background: Explains the problem, effects, and prominence
Solution: Clearly communicated and resolves outlined problems
Conclusion: Overview of major findings and recommendations
References: Sources for fact-checking claims

Best Whitepaper Examples

Well-executed whitepapers boost authority. Here are excellent examples to model after for the best chances of success:

Google Cloud‘s AI Adoption Framework

Google created a whitepaper to help readers understand how to adopt AI in business.

It covers AI in-depth to establish thought leadership. It‘s organized by laying out the problem and solution.

Zendesk‘s Customer Experience Benchmark

Zendesk‘s whitepaper outlines customer service patterns and insights from thorough research.

It‘s effective because it uses lots of visuals and data to showcase trends and help readers benchmark.

Cisco‘s Networking and Your Competitive Edge

Cisco‘s whitepaper shares data about marketing and competitive edge.

It builds brand awareness by using graphics and statistics to highlight the need for security.

Distributing Your Whitepaper

Gathering information and writing the whitepaper is only half the battle. You must distribute it effectively for maximum reach.

Many distribution methods exist, and your strategy depends on what makes sense. For B2B executives, consider LinkedIn.

Here are 10 tips to distribute your whitepaper no matter the target audience:

Create landing pages and drive traffic through content marketing or ads.
Add pop-ups on relevant website pages.
Place internal links in your blog posts.
Include it in email newsletters.
Add it to your email signature.
Post it on social networks.
Post it to industry-related groups.
Re-publish a portion on social platforms.
Run paid ads to your whitepaper landing page.
Submit guest posts linking to your whitepaper.

Mistakes to Avoid

B2B buyers read whitepapers to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, many are sales pitches that bore readers. Avoid these mistakes:

Using as a Sales Tool: Educate readers on the problem/solution rather than selling.
Poor Structure: Have a clear format for ease of reading and understanding.
No Distribution Plan: Getting it to the right audience is as important as writing it.
Wrong Topic: Address customers‘ biggest challenges with major impact.
Not Aligning to Buyer‘s Journey: Ensure your whitepaper answers buyers‘ key questions.

Promoting Your Whitepaper

Whitepapers are one of the most effective content marketing assets for attracting interest online. Here are some tips for driving more downloads:

Create a High-Converting Landing Page

Your landing page copy must explain why readers should hand over their details and download. Discuss the value the whitepaper provides to get them excited to receive it.

For example, Human Made created a landing page highlighting their WordPress Gutenberg whitepaper:

Use Banners or Pop-ups on Blog Posts

Have a banner or non-invasive pop-up on your blog directing readers to your whitepaper. This improves experience by taking them where they want to go.

Google Ads

You likely incorporated many keywords into your whitepaper. This makes Google Ads effective since you can pay to rank your landing page.

Promote on LinkedIn

LinkedIn offers advanced targeting to place ads in front of the right audience, such as by job role, company size, location, and more.

Conclusion

While underutilized, whitepapers are one of the most effective content marketing assets.

Once you determine your goals, create whitepapers for each part of the funnel. Whether you want to intrigue customers with a digestible list or explain highly technical benefits, whitepapers build trust and generate leads.