A whitepaper is a technical book developed with the aim of providing comprehensive information on a specific topic or product. Unlike other content (such as an infographic or an ebook), a good whitepaper is a dense document that provides very specific data. These will have been extracted from fieldwork or research, which analyze in detail a particular topic or case.
A whitepaper is the result of research data and expert-level knowledge on a topic.
The content of a whitepaper is more technical and focused on a knowledgeable audience on the subject. It contains very detailed data with numbers, surveys, flow charts and graphs. For example, in marketing, white papers are used to capture leads in B2B strategies (Business to business).
The whitepaper is more than just a simple lead magnet or an ebook, since it is a document that requires a lot of previous research work. Its objective is to make the user connect with what the brand or company offers, improving the user’s perception of it and making it be perceived as an expert in a specific sector or subject.
How to create a whitepaper
To create a good whitepaper it will be necessary to follow the following steps:
-Select the topic: The objective of a whitepaper is to position the brand as an expert in the sector, therefore it is necessary to select a topic that is relevant to users and as specific as possible. The ideal is to have some knowledge on this topic, since the content of the whitepaper should offer a solution to the problem that our readers are facing.
-Research: What makes the difference in this type of content is the quality of the information shared. Therefore, research is essential to create a good whitepaper. It is possible to find information in reports, presentations, own and external studies, internal and third party publications. It is also possible to obtain information through interviews with experts, professionals or clients, as well as using comparative data search techniques.
-Be specific: To create a good whitepaper, data should be placed as specifically as possible. The main objective, as we have already explained, is to position the brand or company as a reference, so you should dispense with empty language.
More tips on how to prepare a whitepaper
-Use a professional tone: The language and tone should be appropriate to convey to the reader the quality of the data and information we have collected for the writing of the document. The tone used should be professional, but still colloquial in a way, as too much technical jargon could be difficult to understand. Nor should you use a language focused on sales and marketing, CTAs have no place in a whitepaper, the weight of persuasion falls on the data presented and previous research.
-Use graphic elements: An excellent way to reinforce the information we present are visual elements. Tables and diagrams can be a great help to understand the value of what is being offered. Also, on many occasions, a single image conveys more than two pages of text. Always use visual elements, since these documents are very dense and are focused on professionals who usually do not have time to read.
