White Papers

In politics white papers are documents that explain an issue and its solution. In marketing, white papers are well-researched, persuasive reports that highlight technical problems and their solutions. Those solutions can often be achieved by the product or service of the company producing the white paper. However, white papers are a lead generation tool, rather than a hard sales tool. They rely on the expertise of the white paper writer, and on statistics and facts to persuade their audience.

A white paper helps your business generate leads, and ultimately make sales, by helping your target customers get informed about an issue that matters to their business. White papers can help you to establish your authority on particular issues by creating well-researched, informative reports packed with reliable data. White papers present both problems and solutions. Once white paper readers have this information, they're in a better position to understand and resolve a situation, and to make a buying decision.

When comparing a research paper vs. a white paper, there are notable differences. A research paper is a paper that publishes the results of academic research, often in a peer-reviewed journal. There are also working research papers that have not been through a review process. White papers also involve research, but are used for marketing, and there is no peer review process. Also, unlike research papers, most white papers usually present a single specific solution to a particular issue.

A white paper in an organisation is different from a white paper produced by a company. The term "white paper" was first used in 1884 to describe an official report setting out a policy that the government intends to implement. While that type of white paper still exists, companies also produce white papers to share their perspective on particular technical issues. Within an organisation, white papers are pretty detailed. In contrast, marketing white papers may be ten pages or less.

There are several good places to publish white papers. Business white paper writers can submit their papers to sites like ResearchGate and Tech Republic, where you can publish white papers for free. Industry organisations may also be interested, so it's worth letting them know your white paper is available. You can also publish your white paper on your own website, or use it as a lead generation tool, and collect prospects' emails in exchange for sending them the white paper