White papers are in-depth reports on industry-specific topics. Usually, they are educational in tone, but also explain the approach the author or organization takes to the issue. For example, a drug rehabilitation center might produce a white paper about the factors that influence addiction; the report would also likely include their philosophy of treatment. Historically, government authorities and nonprofit organizations were the main publishers of white papers, but as content marketing has become more popular, it’s become very common for for-profit businesses to produce them as well. If you’re thinking of creating a white paper, here are some tips on how to make it successful:
- Define your goal. The goal of your white paper should be tied to your overall marketing and business goals. Does your business rely on B2B sales, consumer sales, finding clients, growing an audience, or something else altogether? Is your main goal solely to educate the public? Do you want to position yourself as an expert and build trust with potential customers? Will you require contact information in exchange for downloading your white paper in order to generate leads or build your audience and mailing list? Figuring this out in advance will save you a lot of work later.
- Define your audience. Everything in marketing always comes down to the audience. Your white paper needs to engage them by being interesting and helpful. Therefore, it’s important to know what they already know, what problems they need to solve, and how they consume content.
- Choose your topic. Once you know what your audience needs, you can choose a topic they’ll appreciate. Choose something you’re qualified to write about, something that’s useful to your audience, and something that isn’t flooding the internet already. Try to approach the topic with a fresh angle.
- Do your research. While you should be an expert in the topic of your white paper, yours should not be the only viewpoint you seek. A white paper requires some research. See what other people have said. Look for credible sources and fact-check everything. Find hard data if it’s available and/or consider running your own study. You have a responsibility to learn as much as you can before asking the public to take you at your word.
- Write (and edit) well. Write clearly and hold attention with an active voice. Your tone should be professional and serious. Make sure you’re educating people and not making a sales pitch. Use compelling headings and sub-headings that make your content easier to understand. Write an outline in advance so you don’t accidentally skip over anything important. Write your introduction and conclusion last so they make sense with the body of your work and have the most possible impact. Don’t undermine your own authority by producing a document that has distracting errors. Set aside your white paper for a few days and proofread thoroughly before putting it out to the public. If possible, have a colleague look it over as well.
- Follow a traditional white paper structure. While you don’t have to do everything the way everyone before you has done it, it’s a good idea to follow the basic established structure of a white paper so people understand what they’re reading and know what to expect. Have a well designed cover page, a summary or abstract, an introduction, the body of the white paper (the information you want to share), a conclusion, and footnotes or source citations. Make sure the body also follows an easily understood structure with sub-headings that help the reader.
- Design it well. Make sure the design supports and does not distract from the information. Aim for readability and accessibility. Use fonts that are easy to read and include a lot of white space. Use infographics to explain complex data. Use a color scheme that does not distract or make reading harder. Use information hierarchy to guide the reader’s eyes. Make the design consistent with your branding. Finally, consider making alternate versions available for people using mobile devices. White papers are typically letter-sized pdfs, which work well on computer screens but are extremely frustrating on phones.
Substance and Style 