WHAT MAKES A GREAT WHITE PAPER & ITS ROLE IN MARKETING

The term ‘white paper’ originated in the British government in the early 20th century, when Government reports were often presented in the form of official documents with white covers. These documents contained authoritative information, research findings or proposals on various issues of public interest.

Since the 1990s, white papers have become extremely popular in business, technology and academic contexts – as authors look to raise their profile by sharing their expertise. But what is a white paper in marketing?

Thought leadership is a key performance pillar in most marketing strategies these days, and white papers are the perfect way to prove you’re a leader in your field. When it comes to B2B content marketing strategies in particular, white papers play a particularly vital role, as businesses utilize them to establish authority, build trust and generate leads with those who are looking for more in-depth information beyond a witty tweet.

And here’s the best bit – thanks to advances in digital white paper software, marketers no longer have to condemn their hard work to a yawn-inducing PDF. Now, digesting hefty white paper content is made that much easier by serving it up in a beautifully immersive and interactive way – as the Environmental Defense Fund did with their “Rulers of the Arctic” white paper.

• Establishing authority and thought leadership. By presenting well-researched insights, analysis, and recommendations, businesses (and individuals) establish credibility by positioning themselves as a thought leader. The result? Enhanced reputation that grabs the attention of prospects, investors and industry peers.

• Building trust and credibility. By offering valuable and in-depth information, businesses establish themselves as reliable sources of knowledge. This trust can lead to increased brand reputation, customer loyalty and a competitive advantage.

• Educating your audience. White papers go beyond promotional content and provide detailed analysis and information on complex topics. They educate the audience about industry trends, challenges and potential solutions. White papers help readers understand a subject matter better to make informed decisions.

• Lead generation and nurturing. Marketing white papers often require readers to provide their contact information to access the content. By gating content, businesses can capture leads, expand their customer database and initiate further engagement. By nurturing these leads through targeted follow-up communications, businesses can guide prospects through the sales funnel and convert them into paying customers.

• Differentiation and competitive advantage. Well-crafted white papers can help differentiate a business from its competitors. By offering unique perspectives, innovative solutions or industry-leading research, businesses can stand out in a crowded marketplace.

• Supporting decision-making. White papers offer insights into industry trends, emerging technologies, best practices and potential risks. Decision-makers can refer to white papers to gain a comprehensive understanding of a topic and evaluate various options or solutions.

• Longevity and evergreen content. White papers have a longer shelf life compared to other marketing materials. They can continue to attract readers and generate leads even months or years after their initial release. By optimizing white papers for search engines and sharing them through various channels, businesses can ensure long-term visibility and value.

• Industry Influence and networking. Sharing valuable insights, innovative ideas and thought-provoking research, businesses can gain recognition from industry peers, experts and stakeholders. This can lead to networking opportunities, speaking engagements, collaborations and partnerships.

• Media and press coverage. Well-written white papers that address important industry issues or propose groundbreaking solutions have the potential to attract media attention. Journalists, bloggers and industry publications may cite or reference popular marketing white papers in their articles, providing additional exposure for the business and its key messages.

• Boosting brand reputation. White papers contribute to enhancing a business’s brand reputation by showcasing expertise, credibility and a commitment to thought leadership.

• Content repurposing and distribution. White papers can serve as a foundation for repurposing content into other formats. Businesses can extract key insights, statistics, or case studies from marketing white papers to create blog posts, social media content, infographics, webinars, etc. This enables businesses to reach a broader audience across various platforms and cater to different content consumption preferences.
• Investor and stakeholder engagement. White papers can play a crucial role in engaging investors, stakeholders and decision-makers. By presenting well-researched information, market insights and growth potential, white papers can help attract investment, support strategic partnerships and facilitate discussions with key stakeholders.

Can’t you achieve the same benefits via a blog post series? Or an ebook?

The content, purpose, structure and intended audience differentiate white papers, blog posts and ebooks quite significantly.

For example, white papers have a structured format and are rooted in research, data, statistics, case studies and other forms of evidence, while blog posts tend to have a more informal and conversational tone, are less rigid in structure and are usually more trend-focused.

Marketing white papers are also renowned for providing objective information, insights and analysis – and for being less promotional in nature. Blog posts are more focused on encouraging reader engagement through comments, social media shares and discussions.

Ebooks often target a wider audience, while white papers target a specific audience interested in a subject matter (often professionals, industry experts, decision-makers or those involved in research and development). White papers are also more concise and authoritative, focusing more on a specific problem, technology or solution. E-books often cover a broader topic.

Our research-based white paper example focuses on B2B content marketing – from successes and trends to budget considerations. If you’re interested in content marketing, you might want to give it a read.

Click to read The voice of the content marketer | Report (Gated Version)

There are many ways you can turn your white paper into a lead magnet.

As a busy marketer, it’s natural to look for alternative options to creating time-consuming, research-based white papers. However, the reality is that the business benefits of a well-written marketing white paper are really worth your time and effort.

B2B customers want more from businesses than a speedy one-minute video or 280-character tweet. They require substantive content and engagement that helps them see why they need you, why now – and why they shouldn’t consider your competitors.

With so many options available to customers, it’s no surprise that it feels a bit like a digital talent show, as businesses compete to steal the spotlight and retain it. However, in order to hold their attention, it’s not about the speed, but the engagement. The more engagement, the more likely they’ll trust and buy from you.

And that’s where interactive white papers come in. Thanks to technological advancements in white paper software, there is an interactive alternative to PDF boredom that can significantly boost reader engagement by 90% and drive results. Not only can marketers present and share their white papers in a more dynamic and eye-catching way, they provide a range of interactive features to encourage engagement – such as polls and videos. Crucially, digital white papers can also track reader engagement, helping marketers steer the content of future white papers (or even edit the existing one in real time).

So there you have it – you can still produce well-researched, detailed documents that form the backbone to your B2B content marketing strategy, and present it in a way that doesn’t intimidate and repel readers (many of whom will likely be viewing it on a small mobile device).

When it comes to selecting white paper software, always invest in quality. Just like a Swiss Army knife – it’ll stand the test of time.