White Paper Guide 2022 - Learn to Write, Format, Design, and Promote a White Paper

Introduction

White papers are a blessing for customers who search to consume expert content. For companies, it is a part of content marketing strategy to demonstrate company expertise and strengthen authority in the field. Crafting an influential white paper is not an easy ride for any marketing team, but with our tips, you can succeed.

What Is a White Paper?

A white paper, also stated as a whitepaper, is a lengthy informational document that demonstrates expertise, highlights the problem, and offers a specific solution. 

White papers are well-researched authoritative pieces often used in sales and content marketing to persuade customers to purchase a product, service, or methodology. 

Most whitepapers chase business-to-business (B2B) marketing goals. whitepapers act as a bridge between seller and retailer, client and content agency, etc. 

So, whitepapers are a clever and convenient way of promoting your service. 

What is The purpose of a White Paper?

The purpose of a White Paper is to provide information on your product or services in an engaging and easily-accessible way. It can be released as the first step in a sales funnel, which can be used to increase brand awareness and raise the profile of your company.

A white paper is a document used by businesses to promote their products or services to new customers, stakeholders, and decision-makers. A white paper engages and educates a business's given clientele with in-depth information. A white paper can establish a business as an authority on a specific topic in the public eye.

Who Uses White Papers?

Any organization connected to marketing (NGO, governmental organizations, businesses) uses white paper to generate leads and connect to potential clients.

For example:

• Governmental organizations produce policy documents that outline their future goals. It is an effective way to communicate with different public sectors and customers.
• Startups can receive general knowledge regarding the issues where they lack competency.
• Businesses, just like startups, can get a competent overview of some problems and connect to a solution provider.

What Is the Goal of the White Paper in Content Marketing?

The main goal of the white paper is to generate valuable leads for the organization and nurture them during its marketing campaigns. Companies using the whitepaper not only tell they offer the best solution but also prove by demonstrating their expertise.

We have already discussed the white paper definition and agreed that white papers help readers understand the issues and solve the problem through their company product. So, white papers are a vital part of content marketing strategy and have the ability to attract potential leads and turn them into customers.

So, if you want to generate leads and nurture them through the customer journey, create the white papers.

White Paper vs. Ebook - What is the Difference?

There is a lot of confusion surrounding both marketing materials - white paper and ebook. So, let's clear things up. 

• White papers are related to B2B lead generation campaigns and business-based solutions
• Ebooks operate in the B2C market

• White papers are less ever-green as knowledge of covered topics won't change in a short period.
• Ebooks are more ever-green and push the purchase to cross-sell other products of different companies.

• White papers are driven by text, supported by charts and data-visualizing mediums.
• Ebooks emphasize more on the visual side more, but it does not mean that there is no quality pushed from texts.

• The white paper is a highly authoritative piece produced by experts
• The Ebook is highly researched and not created by experts

White Paper vs. Brochure - What is the Difference?

White papers and brochures are persuasive marketing content types, but they differ in nature:

A Brochure throws emotional punches and arouses feelings of happiness, fear, and envy by using copywriting and advertising techniques. 

White paper appeals to logic and gives readers the feeling of confidence and education. Of course, brochures have factual details but are usually pressed with emotional appeal and unique sales points. 

What Are the Benefits of White Paper Marketing?

Improves Brand Visibility

A well-designed paper can help improve brand visibility. It is a great way to showcase the brand and stand out from the packed competition. The more quality you give, the higher brand awareness you get.

So, you can bring attention to your brand and turn it into higher visits, visibility, and brand exposure.

Gets Inbound Traffic

Once you create an SEO- optimized landing page for your white paper, you will start getting traffic. 

Builds Trust and Establishes Topic Authority

White papers are your field to prove the brand expertise by providing evidence-based arguments. Thus, you will establish yourself as a thought leader in your niche. 

In the white paper, you should emphasize audience pain points to lay the foundation for trust. That's where you should hook the readers and try to gain their faith step-by-step.

Collects Data

After readers consume the content, you will receive white paper enquires, and collect the lead insights. Such data will help you tailor your content marketing efforts to your customers. 

Also, you will be able to nurture them and pave their way to making a purchase.

Converts Sales

Even though the nature of white paper is educative, it can act as a sales generator. You can convince the reader that your company product is an ideal solution to their problem and diversify your customer base. 

How to Format and Structure Your White Paper for Maximum Impact?

Well-planned and scalable white papers keep readers' flow together and make these complicated texts easy to follow. Therefore, you should create a whitepaper oriented on giving a flawless reading experience and delivering texts that do not make readers run away. 

1. Abstract

An abstract summarizes the whole paper and provides enough information for customers to understand if they are in the right place. 

From here customer decides whether read the paper or not. So, your writing should hook readers, sound confident, and grab attention. 

2. Title

Just like for any content type, selecting an attention-grabbing title is crucial. You should choose a title that perfectly illustrates what the paper is about and make it impossible to resist clicking on. 

3. Registration Form

The most common technique for generating leads is by using forms. Forms are an essential part of many companies marketing plans because they allow companies to collect valuable contact information from potential customers. 

Gated content includes a landing page with a must-fill opt-in form to grant access. Readers pay the price by providing personal data and e-mail addresses. 

4. Table of Content

Include a table of contents with section headings so readers can quickly find the information they search for. It will help them understand what to expect from your whitepaper in under a minute. 

Additionally, it makes the document more visually appealing, breaking up the text and making it easier on the eyes. We recommend using up to 7 H2s to meet the white paper concept and also make it simpler to follow.

5. Introduction and Problem Statement

The introduction should include a problem/thesis, followed by facts supporting that thesis, and promise to state and discuss solutions through the copy. This part should clearly define the issue, discuss the background and inform readers about upcoming processes.

6. Data Visualization

You can cool off text-heavy material by including visual data. It will improve the readability of the paper. Effective data visualization breaks down the information in an easy way.

Remember, always prioritize scalability whenever possible. It will give you a huge boost in terms of the reading experience.

7. Solution

The boom moment of a white paper occurs when the solution is presented, considering the evidence and expertise gathered by the author.

You can showcase the solution in the initial phase, middle, or end of the document. But do not make readers wait long, as you should persuade them that your content is worth reading. 

Thus, we recommend presenting the solution coordinated with the text. 

8. Summary

Just like the abstract, this part sums up the information from the entire paper and emphasizes the main points to make it memorable. 

9. Call to Action

CTAs are convenient to push people to move through the marketing sales funnel. You can place a call to action through your text strategically. But also make sure that you do not hurt the reading experience. 

Every CTA component is vital - from vocabulary and punctuation to its placement on the page and its color. Colour? Yes, color is a crucial tool in content marketing. Many brand identities link to specific colors, and the color is used to trigger desired actions. Click here for more information on color branding and its importance for your call-to-action success.

How to Write White Paper?

1. Develop Clear Goals

Before writing a white paper draft, you should develop clear goals. Start with your audience in mind and define what they will take away from a paper. Also, think about how you want them to interact with your company. Do you want them to subscribe to your e-mail or book the meeting?

2. Research Your Audience

To write a customer-oriented paper, you or the marketing team should research your audience. You can do it in several ways:

• Conduct internal survey
• Interview clients 
• Check your audience comments - to understand how they talk and act and what are their main problems

When people read a white paper, they want to get the information tailored to their needs. So, try to identify findings and problems that will attract their attention. 

You may already be the subject matter aspect and ready to write a paper, but you should also try to be expertly familiar with your customers. To achieve it, we recommend you create a persona. It will help you walk in your customer's shoes and see the point from their perspective. 

Answer these questions

• Who are your customers? - gender,age,income,etc
• How do they consume the information?
• What are their goals and values?
• What are their main painpoints?
• What type of research analysis suit them?
• What languages resonate with them?

3. Select the Topic and Research It

Selecting the right topic for your white paper is essential to its success. Thus, research the subject and make sure there is an audience for it. Also, ensure that there is little content written on the topic so that you can fill the "content gap." As a writer, you should focus on writing white papers based on your expertise in the field. 

• Check other papers, reports, and in-depth articles. 

Read from different sources to see the broader picture and identify "content gaps" to fill.

• Identify and collect credible sources.

Your paper needs to be backed up by credible sources to look more authoritative and trustworthy. So, try to collect the data, industry-leader opinions, and studies in one place.

• Reach out to other industry experts.

Another way to get a 360 view of your topic is by interviewing other industry professionals. So, you can conduct the interviews with them in a suitable way - a questionnaire, call, or even a meeting.

• Fact-check everything

Make sure everything you include in the paper is accurate. You can also use some online tools to fact-check your research.

4. Create a Mind Map

The white paper is a complex document that requires connecting thousands of dots. So, to simplify the research and planning, we recommend using a mind map. 

A mind map helps you organize your thoughts and better understand the topic. You can use a mind map to brainstorm ideas, track research, or outline your thoughts before starting to write a white paper draft. 

Use Miro to access the mind map template. Once you open the template, add branches radiating from the circle. At the end of a branch, write a white paper concept of the topics and connect them with lines. It will help you realize how different ideas are related and how you should organize them as a cohesive whole.

5. Make an Outline

Once you have your mind map created, use it as a guide for creating an outline for your paper. Here is what you should include in it:

• Title
• Abstract or Summary - define the key terms and summarize what you will discuss. 
• Introduction - emphasize the importance of the issue
• Section Subheadings - readers will understand what they are getting themselves into
• Footnotes/Sources - support the white paper with relevant data charts and information.
• Conclusion - recaps main takeaways. 

6. First, Write Only Then Edit

Most people think that the first step in writing is to start with the introduction. However, this couldn't be further from the truth! The first step is to produce a white paper draft without stopping. Only then should you edit and perfect your work.

This method gives you the ability to get all your thoughts down on paper without worrying about grammar or style. Once you have a complete draft, you can then polish it up.

By following this process, you'll be able to produce quality content that your readers will love.

7. Keep the Writing Tone Formal

When writing a white paper, maintain a formal tone. It will ensure that your readers take your content seriously. Some tips for keeping your writing tone formal include:

• Consider the audience you are addressing and use language suitable for them.
• Use proper sentence structure and grammar.
• Avoid slang words and informal language. 
• Stay away from using words and phrases not found in academic or professional writing.

8. Pack it with Value

When writing a white paper, it's important to remember that the goal is to provide valuable information to the reader, even if they don't become customers. 

Highlighting major takeaways can be as important as the information itself, so make sure you leave readers with something memorable. Lastly, highlighting key points or what they will get from reading your paper is a great strategy to keep people interested in your content - after all, nobody wants to read through an entire document to find out what it's about!

9. Include Visuals

When writing a white paper, it is crucial to include visuals to reinforce the ideas you want people to remember. Images can help capture people's attention and make your argument more persuasive. In addition, using visual headers break up text passages and makes your document easier to read. 

How to Design a White Paper?

No matter how valuable and persuasive your text is, if the paper design is poor your readers will quickly search for other alternatives and move on. 

Effective white paper designs are essential for keeping your customers on the content for a while. Every aspect of the design is crucial, as it affects the overall readability and scalability of the document.

1. Design a Cover Page

The cover page makes or breaks the first impression. 

The designs should be consistent with the theme of your paper and should use diverse icons or images to capture your readers' attention. 

Here is an example of a cover page from our All-In-One SEO Content White Paper

2. Focus on Readability

Initially, you may select the layout that looks and the color scheme that gives your paper a clean look. But, after adding the content you may get an overcrowded look.

So, when formatting a white paper, it is important to strike a balance between emphasizing important information and minimizing clutter. Good design makes bold choices and prioritizes the most important information. This way, readers can quickly scan the document and find the most relevant information. White papers should focus on important information and make bold choices. Use design elements and layouts to emphasize key points and make the paper easy to read.

When formatting a white paper, it is important to prioritize important information while minimizing clutter. Good design makes bold choices and prioritizes important information. White papers should focus on important information and make bold choices. Use design elements to emphasize key points and make the paper easy to read.

Focus on readability to make the text easy to read and follow. Prioritize scalability to keep readability on top quality:

• Include headings
• Write up to dozen words per horizontal line
• Use graphs and data charts
• Listings
• Numberings
• Sidebars
• Include white spaces

3. Include Interactive Elements

When creating white paper designs, consider how you can make the content more engaging for readers. One way to do this is by including interactive elements. 

So, you should include clickable elements that will help readers scroll through pages. Then, you will have engaged readers who are much more likely to read your white paper. 

• Include the table of contents that follows readers through the entire text
• Insert relevant links in articles

4. Leave White Spaces

White space is an integral part of the design to give the content scannable and legible. Using white space helps ease the usability of the page. 

5. Colors Scheme to Use in White Paper

As a study says, 60‐90% of a product evaluation derives from colors alone. People make up their minds within 90 seconds of their initial interactions with either people or products. About 62‐90 percent of the impression refers to colors alone. So, colors can contribute to influencing moods and feelings.

There are plenty of color palette templates you can use to avoid over-thinking design elements. For example, you can use this color palette generator to pick the color schemes that suit aesthetically each other.

So, try to make the best design decisions when working on white papers, as it is one of the most crucial components of developing a positive reading experience.

6. Choose Fonts

When it comes to fonts, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:

First and foremost, fonts are crucial for creating content text hierarchy. They will help you make long-form content consumption easier. 

Their several things you should keep in your mind:

• Use the same fonts in the text.
• Differentiate sections with different font sizes.
• The smaller the font size, the less important topic is

7. Break the Beginning of a New Chapter with Pictures

Reading long-form content requires so much effort, and you should try your best to make the content as scalable as possible. We recommend you include pictures in new chapter beginnings just like we did in our All-In-One SEO Content White Paper

8. Include Graphs and Statistics as Images

Companies offer tons of information and data to your readers in white papers. You can present this data simply by writing the text or going the extra to improve the reading experience and illustrate it with pictures.

10. Search the Trends

When designing a white paper, consider popular graphic design trends. Other designers can be a great source of inspiration for your work. You can find examples of well-designed white papers on the home of graphic design portfolios - Dribbble and Behance.

11. Keep the Mobile Visitors in Mind

As we all know, an increasing number of people are using their mobile devices to surf the web. In fact, more than 58% of internet traffic is now mobile. This trend has forced web designers to adapt by creating responsive designs.

Responsive design allows elements on a page to be rearranged, resized, or hidden to fit the size of the screen. This is a great way for web designers to make websites that are both readable and navigable on smaller devices. However, PDFs are not mobile-friendly and can be quite difficult to read on smaller screens.

White papers and eBooks should be designed with mobile-friendly layouts, devices, and screens in mind. The fixed layout of many white papers is not mobile-friendly and can exclude a large segment of the population. So, if you ignore this ever-growing trend, you will potentially lose views and conversions.

White Paper Marketing - How to Promote White Paper? (Distribution Tactics)

Create Optimized-Landing Page

A landing page is one of the most crucial parts of the white paper distribution campaign. Remember to optimize the page for related keywords and implement the minimalistic approach - write fewer words and do not overload with extra elements. 

Update the Resource Page on Your Website

Maximize the opportunity to improve the visibility of white paper on your website. Make sure to update the resource section and include gated content in them.

Add Popups on Relevant Pages

Add popups on relevant pages to connect and interact with your audience by delivering a valuable message for them. You might include a popup window that offers access to the white paper when someone visits a blog post or example page related to the topic of the white paper. 

• Theme-related blogs
• Industry-specific pages
• Related use cases

Also, keep in mind that user experience matters the most, and do not annoy customers with overused popups. 

Use Social Media to Share the White Paper

Social media has the ability to reach valuable leads and make the post go viral. All you have to do is identify the most relevant social media channel to distribute the white paper and call people to contact you to send the white paper or make them fill out the registration form.

We decided to handle the promotion of our All-In-One SEO Content White Paper on LinkedIn like this

Add White Paper to Your Email Signature

Email signatures are underrated in white paper marketing campaigns. But you can use this powerful tool to improve the visibility of your white paper and get extra traffic on your landing page. 

Thus, you should include a link to the white paper in your signature and make it attractive so people will click on it. 

You can also ask employees to add links to their email signatures. It will help promote the white paper and increase its visibility.

Overall, this step is worth including in your white paper distribution strategy.

Start an Email Marketing Campaign

Inform your existing prospects, customers, and partners about your white paper. These people are more likely to get interested in it as they are already interested in your company's services. 

Put White Paper Links in Your Articles

When writing articles, don't forget to add links to your white paper. It is a great way to get people to read it. 

Share Your White Paper in Niche Social Media Groups

Publishing a post is a go-to option for white paper marketing, but also you can utilize other options like - sharing the post in niche-related groups. That way, you can connect with the valuable target audience and generate new leads.

Guest Posting & Backlinks

Guest posts and backlinks generation helps you to gain exposure and improve the domain authority of your webpage.

Initially, you have to develop a list of relevant blogs and companies that maybe be happy to collaborate with you. Message them and offer something in exchange to get a win-win situation for both sides.

What to Avoid In White Paper?

Sounding Sales Pitch

When writing a white paper, avoid giving them sales pitch vibes. White papers should be unbiased and educational, not a sales pitch. To achieve this, it is vital to write in short passages that are easy to read and have a complete focus on overviewing the topic and giving value to readers.

Failing to Understand Your Target Audience

You should resonate with your readers and discuss the most relevant topics that will help your readers find the way to fix their painpoints. If not, you will miss the ability to attract potential leads.

Ignoring Readability and Structure

One way to make a white paper more interesting is to break it up into sections with plenty of white space. It makes it easier for readers to follow the document structure and find their place. It's also important to avoid starting new sections at the bottom of a page or cramming them too close to footnotes or endnotes. A well-written and well-structured white paper will be much more engaging than one poorly organized.

Conducting Poor Research

When researching for a white paper, use reliable and authoritative sources to ensure the validity of your work. Additionally, ensuring that your research is unbiased and well-rounded will give your white paper more credibility.

Lacking Effective Promotion

Put just as much time and effort into promotion as you do in producing the paper.

Gating Your White Paper

What is the Definition of Gated Content?

Gated content is any content that a reader cannot access until they input personal information. White papers and eBooks are one of the most popular types of content used for this purpose. A company will create a landing page including a description - and perhaps a preview - of what readers can expect to find inside the gated content.

Gated content is used to generate leads by giving readers access to the content after they enter their personal information. By requiring readers to provide their contact information, companies can generate leads that they can then follow up with. Gated content can be an effective way to generate leads.

Why Should You Gate Your Content?

Content gating is a way of restricting access to content so that only certain people or groups can see it. There are benefits and drawbacks to using content gating, so it's necessary to consider the pros and cons before implementing it in your organization.

One benefit of content gating is that it gives you the ability to control who knows your content and how it's used. This can be helpful if you want to make sure that only qualified prospects have access to your content. Another benefit is that it can help you reach a wider audience by making your content available to more people.

However, there are also some drawbacks to using content gating. One downside is that it can cause friction for potential customers trying to access your content. This friction can lead to lower conversion rates and make it less likely for people to read your content. Additionally, content gating can make it more difficult for people to share your content with others.

Overall, whether or not you should use content gating depends on your specific goals and needs. If you search for a way to control who has access to your content or reach a wider audience, then content gating may be a good option for you. However, if you are concerned about conversion rates or making it easy for people to share your content, you may want to consider other options.

Semi-Gating Option

Semi-gating is a way of making forms easier to complete, while still requiring some personal information. The goal is to make the conversion process easy and noninvasive. Landing pages should optimize conversions by making forms simpler and navigation more intuitive.

Semi-gating offers a way to reduce the number of form fields on a page, which helps increase engagement and improve conversion rates. Semi-gating also helps ensure that the reader gets immediate value from the content.

How to Handle White Paper Leads?

A white paper can be an excellent way to generate leads for your business. By gating the paper and requiring contact information from readers, you can create a database of potential customers that you can then follow up with. To maximize the opportunity created by your white paper, it's important to track and nurture your leads, and to follow up with them in a timely manner.

When someone downloads your white paper, they are interested in what you have to offer. However, you can't just leave them hanging- you need to follow up with them to increase the chances of converting them into customers. This means that you need to have a process in place for handling leads so that you can stay organized and make sure that everyone who is interested in your product or service has a chance to learn more about it.

Understand the Buyers Journey

The buyer's journey is the order in which a customer views and uses products or services to get them from point A (initial interest) to point B (final purchase).

The buyer's journey refers to the steps a customer goes through when considering whether or they will buy a product. The stages of the buyer's journey are awareness, consideration, purchase, post-purchase, and advocacy.

Once you've created a white paper, it's important to track the leads that come in as a result. This will help you determine which stage of the buyer's journey most of your leads are in. You can then tailor your marketing efforts specifically to those buyers who are closest to making a purchase.

For example, you may notice someone read a blog post on your site about what is copywriting, then visit your website again to get an all-in-one SEO white paper, and then finally sign up for a free blog sample. After that, they will decide whether to make a purchase or not. As patterns appear around your customer's journey, you'll learn what actions on your part can help them to advance.

So, as we have already mentioned, you should strategically align follow-up actions with it. 

Follow Up the Leads

Let’s discuss several options.

1. If your white paper marks the awareness stage and attracts the leads unfamiliar with your goods and services, you’d better enroll them in e-mail marketing campaigns. That way, you will be able to offer them the to read the value-charged blogs connected to the topic they showed curiosity
2. For the consideration stage, your leads know your business well and understand what the company can offer to them. So, here you may send them exclusive offers related to their sphere of interest.
3. Also, you may produce a white paper for leads who are super close to converting. Therefore, it’s better for your lead generation strategist to contact them directly through e-mail or phone and discuss personally how your service will solve their painpoints. 

White Paper Templates to Use

Adobe Express - you can choose multiple white paper templates and follow the simple steps to design you.

Visme - offers fine white paper templates and offers customization options that satisfy the design experience.

Venngage - you can browse some free white paper templates that will save you a ton of designing time.

White Paper Examples

greatcontent - All-In-One SEO Content White Paper

Cisco - Networking And Your Competitive Edge

UBER – Fast-Forwarding to a Future of On-Demand Urban Air Transportation

F.A.Q

Conclusion

Writing, formatting, and designing a white paper is a lengthy task, but if you take heed of the above tips, you will be well on your way to completing a high-quality white paper that generates leads and demonstrates company expertise.

But, if you want to handle the white paper creation for professionals, we will be happy to help. At greatcontent, we can assist with all areas of white paper production.