how to research for a white paper

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Blog Marketing How To Write & Format a White Paper [Tips & Templates]

How To Write & Format a White Paper [Tips & Templates]

Written by: Chau Nguyen Jun 28, 2023

Okay, so you’re working on a white paper. That’s great! The thing is, attention spans are goldfish-level short these days.

People are busy, and dense text can be hard to get through. Even if your white paper has valuable information, a lot of text might make it difficult for readers to absorb everything.

That’s why I’m here to help! In this article, I will help you craft an engaging white paper using Venngage’s white paper maker . Discover tips for keeping it interesting, using visuals (spoiler alert: they’re key!) and even snag some white paper templates to kickstart your project!

Let’s get started!

Click to jump ahead:

How to write a white paper

How to structure a white paper, how to create a white paper outline, tips for designing an engaging white paper, faqs about white paper writing.

Before making your white paper engaging, you first need to make it informative and credible. After all, it’s an important document to establish you as a thought leader in your industry.

Here are some guidelines to ensure the quality of your white paper:

Research your audience and topic well

Think about who will be reading your white paper. Are they actually experiencing the problem you’re trying to solve? Will your solution work for them? How much information will they need to be persuaded?

White papers are authoritative in nature, so people expect them to come with meaningful data from credible sources. Make sure you research your audience and your topic well to know how much data you need to make your case.

If your data comes from primary research, you can include your methodology as well for transparency and credibility:

Once you’ve nailed your research and solution, time to deliver all that information the best way you can. The language you use here must be the same as your audience’s: think of all the words and phrases they use often and try to incorporate them into your white paper writing.

You should also consider how people will read your paper — on desktop, on tablet or on mobile.

Mobile accounts for about 50% of global website traffic , reaching nearly 60% in Q2 2022. 

Unless you have enough resources to create a responsive white paper ( like this one! ), you should make sure your document is legible on mobile. This means breaking up your paragraphs into smaller chunks of text and adding plenty of visuals so it’s easier on the eye:

I’ll touch on more tips to make your white paper engaging in the next section, so stay tuned!

Make sure people can scan your content

And to do that, you should break up your text with headings and subheadings. This helps keep your white paper organized and allows your reader to scan through the information easily.

You should also add a Table of Contents after the title page to help readers navigate your paper. Or in this case, the Table of Contents sits right on the first page:

Keep it succinct and to the point

There’s no standard length for this type of content, but a good rule of thumb is to write a white paper that’s around six pages. This should be enough space to do justice to your research and data, without overwhelming your readers.

Plus, it’s always good to be mindful of your audience’s time when creating any type of content.

As white papers ‌provide expertise or a solution to a problem, your audience should be willing to devote a good amount of time and attention to your content… but don’t push your luck!

No matter how interested a reader is in a topic, they’ll drop off eventually if you ramble instead of getting to the point. 

Most white papers follow a standard format that includes a:

Introduction

• Proposed solution

You may be wondering why there isn’t a problem statement section. After all, a white paper is supposed to dissect and provide solutions to a problem, yes?

Well, you can include the problem statement in the intro — intros explain what a white paper is about. This section is the perfect place to make a case for your white paper.

But of course, there’s no rigid format you should follow to a T. If it works better with your content, feel free to make your Problem Statement a separate section.

Now, let’s look at what you should write in each section with examples:

The title page is straightforward: it includes the title of your white paper and the name of the organization that produced it (or the author’s name).

This government white paper discusses the problem of illegal tobacco trade and proposes several approaches to address it: 

Just so you know, some of our templates are free to use and some require a small monthly fee.  Sign up  is always free, as is access to Venngage’s online drag-and-drop editor.

You can also include a sub-headline under the title to further explain what it’s about: 

The introduction should explain the purpose of the white paper and why the reader should care. It should be interesting (and informative) enough to hook the reader right away and keep them reading.

As mentioned, the introduction also contains your problem statement. In other words, it should provide an overview of the problem you’re trying to address. You don’t need to include too much information here, as that’s the role of the Background section.

Here’s an example:

The author introduces an overview of the problem — phishing scams — which is backed with visualized data that allows readers to grasp its impact at a glance:

Related :  How to Visualize Data In Your White Papers

Here’s where you provide background information about the problem you’re discussing. This section tends to be research- and data-heavy.

Let’s revisit our “Approaches to Battling the Illegal Tobacco Trade” white paper. Here’s what the Background section looks like:

The author provides a table that lists the countries where illegal tobacco trading is present, from the least problematic (less than 10% of the industry) to the most (40% and above).

The author also includes some background information on illicit tobacco products, all backed by data:

“Cigarettes account for over 90% by value of tobacco product sales. They are also the most illicitly traded form. Numerous bodies of research indicate that the illicit cigarette trades represents approximately 10%–12% of the total cigarette market — although this varies by country.”

And why illegal tobacco trade is problematic:

“Each year this translates to a loss of government revenues from US$40 to US$50 billion.”

Now, onto the proposed solution.

This could be a product, a service or a course of action. 

This government white paper addresses the sugar consumption crisis among children and proposes a policy to ban the sale of added-sugar products in schools:

Let’s look at another example. This technology white paper proposes a product as a solution: new technology that helps prevent falls in tilted chairs:

No matter what solution you propose, it should be well-supported with evidence. In the white paper above, the author presents elements that make their new technology the solution to fall prevention: 

Stuck for ideas on your tech white paper? Check out our awesome tech white paper templates to get your creative juices flowing.

The conclusion should summarize the main points of the paper and provide recommendations for next steps:

You can also add a call to action here, like “contact the author for more information”. Or if you’re writing a white paper to gather more leads, you can add some information about your business too: 

Note : white papers are academic in nature, so you should use reliable sources to back up your argument and include citations/references as needed.

You can follow these ten useful pointers when creating your white paper outline:

• Define your purpose : Clearly identify the objective of your white paper. Determine what problem you’re addressing or what information you’re providing to your audience.
• Research and gather information : Conduct thorough research on the topic to gather relevant data, statistics, case studies, or expert opinions. This will help you support your key points and strengthen your arguments.
• Develop an introduction : Begin your white paper with a compelling introduction that grabs the reader’s attention and provides an overview of the topic. Clearly state the problem or opportunity you’re addressing and briefly outline your proposed solution.
• Organize main sections and subtopics : Identify the main sections that will structure your white paper. These sections should correspond to the key aspects or steps of your proposed solution. Break each section into subtopics that will be discussed in more detail.
• Provide supporting evidence : Within each section, present evidence, examples, and data to support your claims and validate your solution. Use clear and concise language to convey your points effectively.
• Include visuals and graphics : Visual elements such as charts, graphs, diagrams, or infographics can enhance the readability and understanding of your white paper. Incorporate relevant visuals where appropriate to illustrate complex concepts or data.
• Craft a conclusion : Summarize the main points discussed in the white paper and reiterate the proposed solution. Emphasize the benefits or value that readers can gain from implementing your recommendations.
• Add an executive summary : Write a concise executive summary at the beginning of your white paper, providing a brief overview of the entire document. This allows readers to quickly grasp the key points and decide if they want to read the full paper.
• Review and revise : After completing the initial draft, review and revise your white paper for clarity, coherence, and overall effectiveness. Ensure that the information flows logically, the language is concise and engaging, and there are no grammatical or spelling errors.
• Format and finalize : Format your white paper to make it visually appealing and reader-friendly. Use appropriate headings, subheadings, fonts, and spacing. Consider adding a table of contents for easy navigation. Finally, proofread your document one last time before publishing or sharing it.

Let’s say you’re looking for a white paper on sugar consumption in children. Would you read this:

Needless to say, applying visuals and data visualizations to your white paper makes a big difference. And you don’t need to be a professional designer to do so. Let’s look at some tips for creating an engaging white paper design:

1. Use a white paper template

If you don’t have the design skills to organize your draft into a well-designed document full of visuals, using a template is the way to go.

Venngage offers dozens of  white paper templates  you can edit for your business.

To get started, simply  sign up for a free account , search for a white paper template and edit away.

To make it even easier for you, we’ve made a video walking you through editing a white paper template in Venngage. Check it out here:

2. Add data visualizations to your white papers

If you’ve got yourself some good data, don’t bury it under heaps of text. 

While everyone on your team is busy creating boring Word documents, you can be the creative genius that uses charts and pictograms to craft a visually engaging white paper.

The type of charts you use will depend on the type of data you’re visualizing. We have  a guide to picking what types of charts to use  that can help you there. 

You could use a line graph to show revenue  growth over time . Or you could use  pie charts  to show parts of a whole, like in this policy white paper example:

Pro tip: with our  online graph maker,  you can create better charts and graphs than the standard Excel charts. A plain old bar graph won’t do much to inspire anyone, but a creative chart that tells a story can. 

Pictograms  are also a creative and effective way to visualize statistical data. Take a look at the white paper example below. Pictograms act as visual aids to showcase key statistics and changes in the IT sector:

Don’t be afraid to mix it up. They say variety is the spice of life — and this saying applies to white papers, too! This business white paper design, for example, combines both bar graphs and pie charts:

For more tips on visualizing data for your white paper, check out our post:  How to Visualize Data In Your White Papers

3. Emphasize key points and takeaways with tables and text boxes

Visualizing information or data doesn’t mean just using graphs. When writing a white paper, you can also section off important pieces of information using tables and boxes.

In the white paper template below, the designers used a table to organize key points and takeaways from each main section:

Here’s another example of a white paper layout that uses a table to highlight some key statistics:

Breaking up lengths of text with boxes will help make your white paper easier to read, like in this example:

Which brings us to our next point…

4. Break up chunks of text with visuals

Visuals are perfect for illustrating ideas and emphasizing points.

Don’t be afraid to break up your text with visuals and create some breathing room in your white paper. You can even dedicate a whole page to pictures. Images give the eyes a rest and help reinforce information.

Take this white paper example — it dedicates a whole page to an evocative quote and photo:

Visual headers are also a great way to break up expanses of text while still having the visuals serve a purpose. You can create your own illustrations using icons — this can make for some fun and quirky headers, like in this workplace tech white paper:

5. Allow for plenty of white space on your pages

Speaking of giving your text some room to breathe, make sure you don’t crowd your pages with too much text or images.

Adding white space (or negative space) can help ensure your design isn’t too cluttered. 

Check out how this example uses plenty of white space on nearly every page. The result? An organized and modern white paper design:

6. Use a consistent design that reflects your white paper topic

When you’re designing a multi-page document like a white paper or a report, your pages should have a cohesive look and feel.

(Note: by using a consistent design for your white paper, you’ll achieve  unity  — one of the 13 basic  design principles .)

First, think of the themes reflected in your white paper. Is your white paper about social media engagement? Then using illustrations of birds (“tweeting”) or speech bubbles could work.

A white paper topic focused on establishing a sprint process could use race track visuals instead.

The hiring strategy white paper below uses greenery as the main design theme. Plants reflect the concept of growth associated with recruitment:

7. Incorporate your branding into your white paper design

To improve brand recognition, you need to have  consistent branding  across all marketing collateral. This not only helps your  marketing efforts  but also helps you maintain consistency in your internal and external comms.

Be sure to incorporate your  logo , brand color palettes and fonts into your white paper design.

For business users, Venngage’s  My Brand Kit  makes it easy to save your logos, brand color palettes and brand fonts for later. Then, you can easily apply them to your designs with one click. 

For example, you could change the colors of this white paper template… 

…to this: 

Try thinking of creative ways to incorporate your  branding . 

This white paper design, for instance, extends the use of its signature color beyond standard headers and icons. It actually applies a transparent color overlay to the images, adding a punch of color and reinforcing its brand palette in an unexpected way:

We have plenty more white paper design tips in our post on the top 20+ white paper examples you can use for your business. Or you could browse our business white paper templates selection to get started right away!

What is a white paper?

A white paper is a well-researched, in-depth report that discusses a problem and proposes a solution to that problem. Here’s an example:

Typically backed up with lots of data and persuasive, factual evidence, quality white papers address complex concepts or problems, making them essential for any content marketing strategy.

For more information on the origin of white papers (including why they’re called “white papers” in the first place!), read our post:  What is a White Paper? 15 White Paper Examples to Get Started .

What is the purpose of a white paper?

White papers often have original research to back them up, and take a strong stance on what needs to be done to solve a problem.

In other words, white papers advocate for the best solution to a particular problem, making them authoritative by nature. This makes sense given that they’re often used by the government, like in this example:

White papers are everywhere these days, and businesses use them for all sorts of things. But if you’re tackling a government white paper, these government white paper templates might be just what you need.

They’re still an authoritative source of information, but rather than just to inform or educate, white papers can also influence an audience’s decision-making process.

This marketing white paper , for example, aims to persuade businesses to market themselves effectively in order to attract talent:

Companies can also use white papers to show that their product or service can best solve their customers’ problems. Of course, they still need to back their claims with research and evidence.

A cyber security company could use this white paper to showcase their expertise and offerings in order to drum up more business.

Make sure your white paper is not only informative but also engaging!

Remember how the average human attention span has dropped to below that of a goldfish?

Even when a reader is interested in the topic of your white paper and plans to devote a good chunk of their time reading it, they may still bounce if your content is too dense (read: walls of text).

So make sure you think of your audience when you write your white paper and follow our design tips to keep them engaged.

And remember, you can create a professional, well-designed white paper using one of Venngage’s white paper templates. It’s free to get started!

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How to Write a Compelling White Paper: Step-by-Step Guide

A white paper is an authoritative document designed to inform and persuade stakeholders by providing in-depth research and solutions to specific problems. Key elements include the title, abstract, introduction, problem statement, solution, conclusion, and references. Creating a detailed outline is essential for organization and effectiveness. Writing and formatting tips include using clear language, supporting claims with data, and incorporating visuals. Templates and examples can guide the structure and design. The time required to write a white paper varies based on complexity and research needs. Understanding how to write a white paper ensures the creation of a professional and impactful document.

White papers are authoritative documents designed to inform and persuade stakeholders by providing in-depth research and insights on specific issues. They play a crucial role in business and technical fields, helping companies establish thought leadership, generate leads, and drive decision-making.

Understanding how to write a white paper is essential for businesses looking to present comprehensive analyses and propose solutions to complex problems. This guide covers every aspect of writing a white paper, from defining its purpose to finalizing its format. You’ll learn how to create a white paper document, including the essential steps and key elements involved.

We’ll also explore how to format a white paper to ensure it is professional and engaging. Whether you’re wondering how to write a white paper outline or seeking a how to write a white paper example or template, this guide provides detailed instructions and tips. Finally, we’ll discuss how long does it take to write a white paper, offering time estimates based on various factors. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to write a technical white paper and be equipped with the tools to create an impactful document.

What is a White Paper?

1. Detailed Definition

A white paper is an authoritative document that addresses a specific issue, provides comprehensive analysis, and proposes a well-supported solution. Originating from governmental use, white papers are now a staple in various industries, including technology, finance, and healthcare. They serve multiple purposes, such as educating stakeholders, influencing decision-making, and establishing thought leadership.

White papers are distinct from other forms of reports due to their depth and detail. They are typically targeted at a professional audience looking for detailed information and insights on a particular topic. Understanding how to write a white paper involves structuring the document to communicate complex ideas and data effectively.

2. Historical Context and Evolution

White papers have their roots in early 20th-century Britain, where they were used by the government to present policy proposals and legislative intentions. The term “white paper” was introduced to distinguish these concise reports from the more detailed “blue books” and preliminary “green papers.” One of the earliest examples is the 1922 Churchill White Paper, which outlined Britain’s policy in Palestine.

Over the years, white papers evolved beyond government use to become essential tools in business and technology sectors. Companies use white papers to present detailed analyses, propose solutions, and establish authority on specific subjects. For example, in the technology industry, white papers often detail new technologies, such as AI algorithms or blockchain platforms, providing comprehensive overviews for investors, users, and regulators​.

3. Common Uses in Different Industries

White papers serve multiple purposes across industries. In technology, they explain complex products and innovations. In finance, they analyze market trends and investment strategies. In healthcare, they discuss medical advancements and regulatory changes. Understanding how to write a technical white paper can help you tailor the document to your industry’s needs.

Mastering how to write a white paper outline ensures your document is organized and effective. Whether you’re creating a how-to-write, a white paper example for internal use or a public how-to-create white paper document, the principles remain the same. Use clear language, support your claims with data, and structure your content logically.

By following these guidelines, you can produce white papers that establish your authority and engage your audience. This foundation will help you understand how to format a white paper and make it compelling and informative.

How to Create a White Paper Outline

1. Importance of an Outline

Creating a detailed outline is crucial for the success of your white paper. It helps organize your thoughts and ensures a logical flow of information. An effective outline acts as a roadmap, guiding you through the writing process and keeping your content focused. This is an essential step in mastering how to write a white paper. A well-structured outline allows you to break down complex information into manageable sections, making the writing process smoother and more efficient.

2. Step-by-Step Process to Create an Outline

Define the purpose and audience.

Start by identifying the purpose of your white paper and understanding your target audience. Knowing how to create a white paper involves tailoring your content to meet the specific needs and interests of your readers. Ask yourself what problem your white paper aims to solve and who will benefit from it. This clarity helps you to craft the content that resonates with your audience and achieves your objectives.

Research and Gather Information

Thorough research is the backbone of any effective white paper. Collect data, case studies, and expert opinions that are relevant to your topic. This is a key aspect of how to write a technical white paper, as it provides the necessary evidence to support your arguments. Use credible sources and ensure your information is up-to-date. Organize your research material into categories to make it easier to reference during the writing process.

Organize Sections Logically

Structuring your white paper logically is essential for readability. Begin with a strong introduction that outlines the topic and its significance. Follow with a detailed problem statement explaining the issue at hand. The main body should present the proposed solution, supported by data and examples. Conclude with a summary of key points and actionable recommendations. This logical flow is vital in formatting a white paper effectively.

Detail Each Section with Key Points

Break down each section into key points or sub-sections. For example, in the problem statement, list the specific challenges your audience faces. In the solution section, outline the steps or strategies you recommend. This detailed approach is crucial in how to write a white paper outline as it helps maintain focus and ensures that all relevant aspects are covered comprehensively.

Introduction:

• Define the topic.
• State the purpose.
• Outline the main points.

Problem Statement:

• Describe the problem.
• Explain why it matters.
• Provide context and background.

Solution/Approach:

• Present the proposed solution.
• Support with data and case studies.
• Explain the benefits and advantages.

Conclusion:

• Summarize key points.
• Offer actionable recommendations.
• Highlight the importance of the solution.

References and Appendices:

• List all sources.
• Include additional data or documents.

Creating a detailed outline is a fundamental step in writing a white paper. It ensures that your document is well-organized and easy to follow. Whether you are developing a white paper example or using a white paper template, a comprehensive outline helps structure your content effectively. By following these steps, you can produce a white paper that is clear, persuasive, and impactful, meeting the needs of your target audience and achieving your communication goals.

Writing and Formatting Tips for a White Paper

1. Writing Tips

A) use clear and concise language.

Effective white papers are easy to read. Use simple language and avoid jargon. This is essential when learning how to write a white paper.

b) Adopt an Engaging and Persuasive Tone

Engage your readers with a compelling narrative. Use a tone that persuades and keeps them interested. This is particularly important in writing a technical white paper, where maintaining reader interest can be challenging.

c) Support Claims with Data and Evidence

Back up your arguments with solid data, statistics, and credible sources. This adds credibility and supports your conclusions. Knowing how to create a white paper document involves extensive research to gather this supporting information.

2. Formatting Tips

A) consistent style and structure.

Maintain a uniform style throughout your white paper. Consistent formatting makes your document look professional. Understanding how to format a white paper is crucial to achieving this consistency.

b) Use Headings, Subheadings, and Bullet Points

Break up text with headings, subheadings, and bullet points. This improves readability and helps readers quickly find the information they need. When considering how to write a white paper outline, plan these elements carefully to enhance the document’s structure.

c) Incorporate Visual Elements

Use charts, graphs, and images to illustrate key points. Visual aids make complex information more digestible and can enhance engagement. Examples of how to write a white paper example often include these elements to demonstrate best practices.

3. Additional Writing Tips

A) draft and revise.

Write multiple drafts and revise them. Editing improves clarity and ensures your message is communicated effectively. This step is essential in how to write a white paper and ensures the final product is polished.

b) Use a Professional Tone

Maintain a formal and professional tone throughout your white paper. This will enhance your credibility and appeal to your target audience.

c) Cite Sources Properly

Always cite your sources. This not only gives credit where it’s due but also strengthens your arguments by showing the depth of your research. Proper citations are a key part of how to create a white paper document that is authoritative and reliable.

4. Additional Formatting Tips

A) create a table of contents.

For longer white papers, include a table of contents. This helps readers navigate the document easily and find sections of interest quickly.

b) Ensure Visual Consistency

Make sure that all visual elements are consistent in style and format. This uniformity contributes to a professional appearance and enhances readability.

c) Proofread Thoroughly

Check your white paper for grammatical errors and typos. A well-proofread document reflects attention to detail and professionalism. This is an important aspect of how to write a white paper template that will be used as a model for future documents.

By following these writing and formatting tips, you can create a compelling and professional white paper. Whether you’re seeking a white paper example or developing your own template, these guidelines will help ensure your white paper is effective and well-received. Additionally, considering how long does it take to write a white paper depends on the thoroughness of your writing and formatting efforts. Proper planning and attention to detail can streamline the process and enhance the quality of your final document.

Examples and Templates for White Papers

1. Overview of Useful Templates

Using a template can significantly streamline the process of writing a white paper. Templates provide a pre-designed structure, ensuring that your document is organized and professional. Many resources offer how to write a white paper template that includes essential sections like the introduction, problem statement, solution, and conclusion. These templates can be customized to fit the specific needs of your project, helping you learn how to format a white paper effectively.

2. Analysis of Successful White Paper Examples

Examining successful white papers can provide valuable insights into what works well. For instance, looking at how to write a white paper example from leading companies can show you how to present data, structure your arguments, and use visual elements. Effective white papers often feature clear problem statements, well-supported solutions, and concise conclusions. By studying these examples, you can learn how to create a white paper document that engages and persuades your audience.

Here are some key elements found in successful white papers:

• Clear and Compelling Titles: Titles that grab attention and reflect the content.
• Structured Content: Logical flow with clear headings and subheadings.
• Visual Elements: Charts, graphs, and images to illustrate key points.
• Credible Data: Well-researched and sourced information to support claims.
• Professional Formatting: Consistent style and clean layout.

3. Links to Downloadable Templates

Several platforms offer downloadable templates to help you get started. Websites like Visme , HubSpot , and Piktochart provide a variety of templates tailored to different industries and purposes. These templates serve as a white paper outline, guiding you through each section and ensuring nothing is overlooked.

• Visme: Offers customizable templates with a focus on visual elements.
• HubSpot: Provides comprehensive templates that include tips for each section.
• Piktochart : Features visually appealing templates that can be easily modified.

Using these resources, you can find a template for writing a white paper that fits your needs, making the process of writing and formatting your white paper more manageable.

4. Practical Tips for Using Templates

When using a template, customize it to match your brand’s voice and style. Ensure that all sections are relevant to your topic and audience. Templates are a starting point; your unique insights and detailed research make the white paper valuable.

Remember, templates can guide the writing of a technical white paper by providing a structure that highlights technical details clearly and concisely. This ensures that even complex information is presented understandably.

In conclusion, leveraging templates and examples is an effective way to learn how to write a white paper. They provide a solid foundation, ensuring your document is well-organized and professional. By customizing these tools to fit your specific needs, you can create a compelling and persuasive white paper that stands out.

How Long Does it Take to Write a White Paper?

1. Complexity of the Topic

The complexity of your topic plays a significant role in determining the length of a white paper. Technical subjects or those requiring deep analysis take more time. Understanding how to write a technical white paper often involves extensive research and detailed explanations, which can lengthen the process.

2. Amount of Research Required

The more research is needed, the longer it will take. High-quality white papers rely on credible data and thorough analysis. When considering how to create a white paper document, factor in the time required to gather and verify information from reliable sources. This step is crucial in how to write a white paper that is both informative and persuasive.

3. Writer’s Experience

Experienced writers may complete a white paper more quickly than novices. They know how to format a white paper and can efficiently structure their content. Familiarity with how to write a white paper outline also speeds up the process. Conversely, less experienced writers might need additional time to learn these aspects.

4. Average Time Estimates

Writing a white paper typically takes between a week and several months. Here’s a breakdown of what influences this timeline:

• Simple Topics: Can be completed in 1-2 weeks. These require less research and have straightforward solutions.
• Moderately Complex Topics: Usually take 3-6 weeks. These involve more detailed research and data analysis.
• Highly Complex Topics: This may take 2-3 months or longer. These require extensive research, multiple drafts, and reviews.

For example, if you’re writing a white paper on a new technology, you’ll need to account for the time needed to gather data, analyze trends, and consult with experts. Similarly, using a white paper template can help streamline some processes but won’t eliminate the need for thorough research and review.

5. Efficient Writing Tips

To manage your time effectively, follow these tips:

• Set Clear Deadlines: Break down the project into smaller tasks with specific deadlines.
• Use Templates: Leverage how to write a white paper template to structure your document efficiently.
• Conduct Parallel Tasks: Research while outlining to streamline the process.
• Seek Feedback Early: Get input from stakeholders during the drafting phase to avoid major revisions later.

Understanding how to write a white paper involves recognizing the time investment required for each phase of the project. By planning and using available resources wisely, you can produce a high-quality white paper within a reasonable timeframe. Whether you’re crafting a white paper outline or detailing how to create a white paper document, managing your time effectively is key to success.

Writing a compelling white paper involves several crucial steps. First, understanding how to write a white paper requires defining its purpose and audience. Thorough research and a structured outline are essential. The key elements of a white paper include a clear title, an engaging introduction, a detailed problem statement, a well-supported solution, and a concise conclusion.

To create an impactful white paper, maintain clear and concise language throughout. Use a professional and persuasive tone to engage your readers. Support your arguments with credible data and sources. Ensure proper formatting with consistent styles and use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to improve readability. Visual aids like charts and graphs can enhance understanding and retention of information.

Understanding how to format a white paper and how to write an outline is crucial. These steps help organize your content logically and make it easier for readers to follow. Whether you’re using a white paper template or creating one from scratch, these guidelines will ensure your document is professional and effective.

Armed with these insights and tips, you are now ready to start writing your white paper. Remember, the process may take time, especially depending on how long it takes to write a white paper based on its complexity and the amount of research required. However, with a well-defined outline and thorough research, you can produce a white paper that effectively communicates your message and establishes your authority in the field.

If you’re ever unsure about how to write a white paper, refer back to this guide. By following these structured steps and tips, you can confidently create a white paper document that is both informative and persuasive. 

Ready to craft your own white paper but need expert assistance? Check out Content Whale , one of the top content writing services in the US , for professional writing help that can create impactful and persuasive documents. Let their expertise elevate your content and drive your business success.

What is the Primary Purpose of a White Paper?

The main goal of a white paper is to inform and persuade. It addresses a specific problem and presents a well-researched solution. Knowing how to write a white paper helps establish authority and credibility in your industry. White papers are often used to influence decision-makers and generate leads.

How Detailed Should the Problem Statement Be in a White Paper?

The problem statement should be clear and detailed. It sets the stage for the rest of the document. A thorough problem statement includes background information, context, and the significance of the issue. This is a crucial step in creating a white paper that effectively communicates the importance of the topic.

Can I Use Images and Charts in a White Paper?

Yes, incorporating images and charts enhances understanding and engagement. Visual aids help illustrate complex data and support your arguments. When learning how to format a white paper, make sure to use high-quality visuals that are relevant to your content.

How Often Should I Update My White Paper?

Updating your white paper regularly ensures it remains relevant and accurate. The frequency of updates depends on the topic. For rapidly changing fields, consider reviewing and updating the document every 6 to 12 months. This practice is part of maintaining a high-quality white paper.

Is it Necessary to Hire a Professional to Write a White Paper?

Hiring a professional can be beneficial, especially if the topic is complex or if you lack writing experience. Professionals know how to write a white paper outline, conduct thorough research, and present information clearly. They can also ensure the document is formatted correctly. However, with the right resources and dedication, you can learn how to write a white paper example and create a high-quality document yourself.

Understanding these FAQs can help you navigate the process of how to write a white paper effectively. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking for a how to write a white paper template, these insights will guide you in creating a compelling and professional document.

I am currently pursuing my Masters in Communication and Journalism from University of Mumbai. I am the author of four self published books. I am interested inv writing for films and TV. I run a blog where I write about film reviews.

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Writing a White Paper (Format, Tips, Examples & Templates)

Get white paper examples by leading companies. Learn how to write & format a white paper for business and marketing. Create, write & design white papers A-Z.

8 minute read

helped business professionals at:

Short answer

What is the best white paper format?

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Problem Statement
• Solution Overview
• Benefits and Advantages
• Case Studies or Examples
• Technical Details or Methodology
• Recommendations
• References or Sources

What makes an effective business white paper?

An effective business white paper format is concise, well-researched, and addresses a specific audience's pain points. It offers actionable solutions, incorporates compelling visuals, and establishes the author's authority on the subject.

Key considerations when creating a business white paper

Audience Understanding : Know your target audience's needs and preferences.

Clear Objective: Define the purpose of the white paper.

Visual Appeal: Incorporate relevant charts, graphs, and images.

Credibility : Cite reliable sources and provide evidence.

Engaging Narrative: Craft a compelling story in content and design that guides the reader.

How to write a white paper (step-by-step guide)

Writing a white paper is no small feat. It requires research, understanding, and a knack for presenting information engagingly.

But with the right approach, your white paper can position your brand as an industry leader, driving leads and fostering trust. Remember, it's all about offering value and meeting the needs of your audience.

Step 1: Grasp the white paper's core

Recognize that a white paper is more than just a long article. It's a detailed report on a specific topic, designed to educate and address issues.

Understand its origins from government documents and its evolution into a tool for thought leadership.

Step 2: Define your target audience

Identify who you're writing for: industry professionals, novices, or another group.

Tailor your language, tone, and content depth to their needs and interests.

Step 3: Prioritize value over promotion

Keep the content educational and avoid overtly promotional language.

Aim to establish trust and position your brand as a reliable information source.

Step 4: Embrace the drafting process

Don't aim for perfection in the first go.

Write multiple drafts, take breaks, and seek feedback for refinement.

Step 5: Build your content around a narrative (not facts)

Use storytelling techniques to maintain reader interest.

Introduce problems, provide solutions, and share success stories for context.

Step 6: Dodge common mistakes

Avoid a salesy tone; keep it educational.

Base your content on thorough research.

Invest in good design for readability and engagement.

Ground your content in real-world examples and actionable insights.

Step 7: pay attention to format and design

Use design elements to highlight key information when formatting your white paper.

Stay updated with design trends, but ensure they align with your topic and audience.

Step 8: conclude and review

Summarize the main points and insights.

Review the entire content for coherence, clarity, and value.

16 impactful white paper examples for business and marketing

Discover exemplary business white paper formats from industry leaders to refine your approach. Draw inspiration from best practices and elevate your corporate documentation standards, and learn est practicess based on our in-depth analysis of each example.

Microsoft white paper

The white paper from MSA discusses the future of operational development, emphasizing changes in the operational landscape. It targets professionals in the operational and business development sectors.

Good Points:

Forward-Looking: The document does an excellent job of forecasting future trends and aligning them with current industry practices, making it highly valuable for strategic planning.

Cohesive Structure: The white paper is organized logically, allowing for easy navigation and comprehension of the content.

Inclusion of Data: The use of data, charts, and figures strengthens the arguments and offers readers empirical evidence to support the presented information.

Engaging Imagery: The inclusion of relevant images and diagrams aids in visualizing the concepts discussed. The visuals are not only explanatory but also break the monotony of continuous text, making the reading experience more engaging.

Bad Points:

Generalized Statements: At times, the document can be a bit broad in its statements, lacking specific details that might be beneficial to the reader.

Heavy Text: The document leans heavily on text, with fewer visual elements like charts or infographics, which might make it denser for some readers.

Lack of Actionable Insights: While the paper provides a broad overview of the future landscape, it could benefit from more actionable recommendations for businesses to apply immediately.

Lack of Summaries: While the content is well-structured, there's a missing element of concise summaries or key takeaways at the end of major sections. Providing these could aid readers in recapping the essential points discussed.

Missing Call to Action: The document provides valuable information but lacks a clear call to action, guiding the reader on the next steps or how to further engage with the topic or the organization.

Google Cloud white paper

Google Cloud's white paper emphasizes its commitment to privacy in Generative AI. Targeted at enterprise customers, it belongs to the cloud computing and artificial intelligence industry.

Detailed Explanations: The document provides thorough explanations of how user data is treated, ensuring transparency.

Relevance to Current Trends: Addressing privacy in AI is timely and crucial, making this paper highly relevant to current industry concerns.

Repetitiveness: Some points, especially around data ownership and privacy, are reiterated multiple times, which might make the content feel redundant.

Lack of Practical Examples: While the commitments are clear, real-world examples or case studies would help readers understand the practical implications better.

Visual Enhancements: While the design is clear, it could benefit from more engaging visuals or infographics to highlight key points or statistics, adding an extra layer of engagement.

Interactive Elements: Given the digital nature of the topic and the platform (Google Cloud), the integration of interactive elements or links to online demos, tutorials, or related resources could further enrich the reader's experience.

Amazon AWS white paper

This document from AWS provides a framework for designing and operating machine learning workloads using best practices. It's intended for solution architects and ML practitioners in the tech industry.

Depth and Breadth: AWS dives deep into each of the five pillars of the Well-Architected Framework. It provides thorough explanations, ensuring that readers understand each concept.

Use of Case Studies: Real-world examples and case studies are included, which offer readers practical insights and relatable scenarios.

Relevance: The document clearly understands its target audience. By providing specific AWS service recommendations for different ML scenarios, it offers actionable insights.

Technical Jargon: While it's aimed at professionals, the language can sometimes be overly technical, which might make it less accessible to newcomers.

Length: The document is quite lengthy. While it covers a lot, it might be overwhelming for some readers, especially those looking for quick solutions.

Assumed Prior Knowledge: The document sometimes assumes the reader has prior knowledge of AWS services, which might not always be the case.

Engaging Design Elements: While the document is informative, it could benefit from more design elements, such as infographics or pull quotes, to break up the monotony and highlight key points.

Apple white paper

This document by Apple introduces ProRes RAW, a new video codec, detailing its features and benefits. It's crafted for video professionals, filmmakers, and content creators in the multimedia sector.

Technical Mastery: Apple showcases its technical prowess, diving deep into the intricacies of the codec, which will be appreciated by professionals in the field.

Benefits Highlighted: The document effectively underscores the advantages of using ProRes RAW, making it clear why it stands out from other codecs.

Practical Use Cases: Apple includes scenarios and cases where ProRes RAW can be best utilized, providing context and clarity to readers.

Assumed Knowledge: The white paper assumes a certain level of technical expertise from the reader. While this is okay for its target audience, it might alienate novices.

Limited Comparisons: Although the document does a great job explaining ProRes RAW, it could benefit from direct comparisons with other existing codecs.

Dense Terminology: There's a heavy use of technical jargon without sufficient explanations, which could be challenging for those not deeply versed in video codecs.

Lack of Interactive Elements: Given the brand and the nature of the topic, incorporating interactive elements like QR codes leading to video demonstrations or tutorials could have added significant value.

Missing Call to Action: While the document provides a plethora of information, it doesn't guide the reader on the next steps, whether that's purchasing a product, joining a workshop, or any other related action.

IBM white paper

Market Connections' white paper focuses on enhancing data utility and management. It caters to business leaders, data analysts, and professionals in the data-driven decision-making realm.

Engaging Visual Design: The document uses a vibrant color palette, dynamic shapes, and appealing graphics, which make the content pop. This design approach draws the reader in and keeps them engaged.

Relevance to Current Trends: In today's data-centric world, the paper's focus on supercharging data is timely and resonates with the needs of modern businesses.

Concrete Recommendations: The document provides specific strategies and tools for improving data utility, making it actionable for readers.

Case Studies & Testimonials: The inclusion of real-world examples and testimonials lends credibility and offers a practical perspective on the discussed topics.

Lack of Technical Depth: While the paper is informative, it doesn't delve deep into the technical aspects of data management, which might leave some tech-savvy readers wanting more.

Generic Advice: Some sections offer generalized advice that can be found in many other resources, making them less unique.

Potential Bias: The paper occasionally comes across as promotional for Market Connections' services, which might detract from its objectivity.

Oracle White Paper

This document from Oracle delves into the integration of Oracle Content and Experience with Oracle WebCenter Portal. Targeted at IT professionals, it belongs to the tech and software industry.

Clear Structure: The paper is well-organized with distinct sections, making it easy for readers to navigate and find specific information.

Visual Aids: The use of diagrams and flowcharts helps in understanding complex processes and integrations.

Technical Depth: The paper provides in-depth technical details, ensuring that IT professionals can grasp the intricacies of the integration.

Jargon-Heavy: While it's intended for IT professionals, the heavy use of jargon might alienate readers who are not deeply familiar with Oracle's suite of products.

Lack of Real-World Examples: The paper could benefit from real-world use cases to illustrate the benefits of the integration.

Aesthetic Appeal: The design is quite basic, and a more modern and engaging layout might make the content more appealing to a wider audience.

SAP white paper

SAP's white paper delves into digital manufacturing within regulated environments, emphasizing quality and compliance. It's designed for manufacturing professionals, quality assurance teams, and regulatory compliance officers.

Industry-Specific Insights: SAP offers valuable insights tailored to regulated manufacturing environments, ensuring the content is highly relevant to its target audience.

Holistic View: The document covers a wide range of topics, from digital transformation to compliance challenges, offering a comprehensive overview.

Expertise on Display: SAP's deep industry knowledge is evident, lending credibility to the information and recommendations provided.

Complexity: The document, at times, delves into intricate details which, while valuable, might make it challenging for readers unfamiliar with the topic.

Promotional Tone: There's a noticeable push towards SAP's solutions, which, while understandable, might come off as less objective to some readers.

Lack of Practical Examples: While the paper is rich in information, it could benefit from more real-world examples or case studies to illustrate the discussed concepts.

Lack of Visual Summaries: While the document is rich in content, it misses out on visual summaries (like infographics) that can quickly convey complex information. Given the technical nature of the topic, such visuals would be beneficial for comprehension.

Pfizer white paper

This white paper by Pfizer delves into the significance of community engagement in diversifying clinical trials, particularly focusing on the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine trial.

It aims to address the healthcare disparities highlighted by the pandemic and the urgent need for diverse representation in clinical trials.

The target audience includes healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

Comprehensive Structure: The document is well-structured with clear headings, subheadings, and a table of contents, making it easy for readers to navigate and understand the content.

Relevant Data and Citations: The white paper provides relevant statistics, data, and references to support its claims, enhancing its credibility.

Clear Objective: The paper's goal is evident from the beginning, ensuring that readers understand its purpose and the importance of the topic.

Lengthy Content: Some sections are quite detailed, which might be overwhelming for readers looking for quick insights.

Lack of Visuals: The document could benefit from more graphs, charts, or infographics to break the monotony and present data in a more engaging manner.

Repetitive Emphasis: While the importance of diversity in clinical trials is a crucial topic, the paper occasionally reiterates the same points, which could be condensed for brevity.

AT&T white paper

This white paper delves into the importance of mobility in the modern collaboration era. It's intended for business leaders, IT professionals, and teams looking to enhance collaborative efforts in the digital age.

Well-Structured: The document is organized in a logical manner, with clear sections and subheadings, facilitating easy navigation.

Actionable Advice: It provides concrete strategies and recommendations on enhancing mobility for collaboration, ensuring readers can take immediate action.

Potential Overemphasis: While mobility is essential, the document occasionally seems to overstate its importance, which might come across as a bit unbalanced.

Lack of Diverse Case Studies: While there are some examples, the paper could benefit from a broader range of case studies across different industries.

Assumed Context: The paper sometimes assumes readers are fully aware of the current collaboration landscape, which might not be true for everyone.

Tesla white paper

Dell Technologies' ESG report showcases their commitment to driving human progress through sustainable technology, emphasizing their efforts in advancing sustainability, cultivating inclusion, transforming lives, and upholding trust.

Highly Specialized Content: The paper zeroes in on a niche topic within the energy sector, providing deep insights that are valuable to a specific audience.

Clear Explanations: Complex concepts related to net billing tariffs are broken down and explained in a comprehensible manner.

Data-Driven Arguments: The use of charts, figures, and empirical data adds weight to the points being made and supports the document's claims.

Narrow Focus: While the specialized content is a strength, it also means the paper might be too narrow for a general audience or those looking for a broader overview of the energy sector.

Stylized Language: At times, the document uses language that's a bit too stylized or technical, which might make it less accessible to some readers.

Potential Bias: The paper seems to advocate for specific tariff structures, which might come off as less objective to some reader mmunities.

CitiBank white paper

This white paper delves into the transformation and disruption in financial market infrastructures, focusing on the evolution of securities services. Intended for financial professionals and industry leaders, it belongs to the banking and financial services sector.

Comprehensive Coverage: The document provides a holistic view of the securities services landscape, touching upon various aspects like settlement transformation, digital assets, and the role of Central Securities Depositories (CSDs).

Data-Driven Insights: The paper is backed by quantitative data, with surveys involving 483 individuals globally, offering credibility to its findings.

Complex Jargon: The document uses industry-specific terms that might be challenging for readers unfamiliar with the financial sector.

Lengthy: While comprehensive, its extensive coverage might be overwhelming for someone looking for quick insights.

Lack of Visual Aids: More charts, graphs, or infographics could have made the data more digestible and engaging.

General Electric white paper

GE's white paper discusses the evolving landscape of global power markets. Intended for energy industry decision-makers. The document provides a holistic view of the energy market, touching on various aspects from production to consumption

Comprehensive Overview: The document provides an in-depth exploration of power markets, encompassing historical data, current trends, and future projections. This thorough approach offers readers a holistic perspective on the subject.

Effective Data Visualization: The use of charts, graphs, and tables is commendable. They present intricate data in a digestible format, allowing readers to quickly grasp key trends and insights.

Segmented Content Approach: The content is divided into distinct sections, each addressing specific facets of power markets. This segmentation aids in navigation and allows readers to delve into areas of specific interest.

Dense Text: Some sections are text-heavy, which might be overwhelming for some readers. Breaking up the content with more visuals or bullet points could improve readability.

Design Uniformity: While the document is rich in content, there's room for improvement in terms of design consistency, particularly in the color schemes and visual elements used.

Static Design: Given the technical and extensive nature of the topic, integrating interactive elements or links to supplementary multimedia resources could enhance the reader's engagement and understanding.

Clarification of Technical Aspects: The document occasionally uses industry-specific terms and concepts. Including a glossary or providing side notes with explanations would ensure accessibility for readers not deeply familiar with power markets.

ExxonMobil white paper

A comprehensive exploration of ExxonMobil's commitment to the energy transition, focusing on innovative solutions for lower-emission marine fuels. Targeted at stakeholders in the marine industry and those invested in sustainable energy solutions.

Relevant Data: The white paper provides specific data points, such as projected energy consumption and emission reduction targets, which lend credibility to the content.

Engaging Visuals: While I couldn't directly view the visuals, the structure suggests the inclusion of charts or images, which can help break up the text and provide visual context.

Lengthy Content: Some sections could benefit from concise writing to ensure the reader remains engaged throughout.

Call to Action: While the document provides valuable information, it could benefit from a clearer call to action, guiding readers on the next steps or how to get involved.

World Economic Forum (WEF) white paper

The World Economic Forum's white paper delves into the emerging concept of the industrial metaverse. It's crafted for industry leaders, technologists, and policymakers keen on understanding the future intersection of industry and virtual realms.

Cutting-Edge Topic: The WEF addresses a novel and emerging trend, making the paper a valuable resource for those looking to stay ahead in the tech and industrial sectors.

Expert Contributions: The document includes insights from industry experts and thought leaders, lending credibility and depth to the content.

Global Perspective: As expected from the WEF, the paper provides a global view, considering the implications and developments of the industrial metaverse across different regions and cultures.

Infographics and Visual Aids: The use of charts, graphs, and other visual aids complements the text and provides a break from long passages. This not only makes the content more engaging but also aids in quicker comprehension of complex data.

Conceptual Density: The topic, being new, is also complex. The paper sometimes delves into highly conceptual discussions which might be challenging for some readers.

Potential Overhype: While the industrial metaverse is undoubtedly exciting, the paper occasionally might come across as too optimistic, without sufficiently addressing potential pitfalls or challenges.

Lack of Practical Guidance: The document is rich in forecasting and analysis but could benefit from more actionable insights or steps for businesses to start their metaverse journey.

Lack of Interactive Elements : For a topic like the metaverse, which is inherently interactive and dynamic, the inclusion of QR codes or links to interactive demos, videos, or web pages might have enhanced the reader's experience.

Siemens white paper

Siemens explores the transformation towards smart manufacturing, emphasizing the integration of digital and physical realms. Aimed at manufacturers, it belongs to the industrial automation and digitalization sector.

Holistic Approach: The paper offers a comprehensive view of the smart manufacturing journey, from challenges to outcomes, ensuring readers get a full picture.

Use of Models: The introduction of concepts like the Digital OODA Loop provides readers with actionable frameworks to apply in their operations.

Human-Centric Focus: Beyond just machinery and processes, the paper emphasizes the importance of human-centric outcomes, highlighting the balance between technology and worker well-being.

Assumed Familiarity: The paper dives deep into specific Siemens solutions without always providing sufficient background, which might be challenging for those unfamiliar with Siemens' offerings.

Limited External Perspectives: The paper heavily focuses on Siemens' solutions. Incorporating third-party testimonials or case studies might have added more credibility and a broader perspective.

Verizon white paper

This white paper emphasizes the importance of network resilience in the face of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Targeted at C-level executives, it belongs to the telecommunications and cybersecurity industry .

Verizon thought-leadership white paper

Practical Recommendations: The document offers actionable steps for C-level leaders to enhance network resilience, making it a hands-on guide.

Relevance to Current Threat Landscape: By focusing on DDoS attacks, which are prevalent today, the paper addresses a pressing concern for many businesses.

Promotional Content: The inclusion of Verizon's own solution (DDoS Shield) might come off as promotional, potentially detracting from the paper's objective tone.

Lack of Case Studies: Real-world examples or case studies could have added more weight to the paper's arguments and made it more relatable.

How to design a white paper for engagement

White papers are essential tools for businesses, especially in the B2B sector, to establish authority, inform potential customers, and influence their decisions.

But beyond the content, the design of a white paper plays a pivotal role in capturing the reader's attention and ensuring the message is effectively conveyed.

Best practices for white paper design

Readability is Key: Ensure that the text is easy to read. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings to break up the content. The choice of font and its size also plays a crucial role in readability.

White Space: Don't clutter the design. Proper use of white space can make the content more breathable and aesthetically pleasing.

Mobile Optimization: With many users accessing content on mobile devices, ensure that your white paper design is responsive and looks good on all screen sizes.

Interactive white paper design

Engage with Multimedia: Modern digital platforms allow for the integration of videos, GIFs, and animations in white papers. These multimedia elements can make the content more dynamic and engaging.

Clickable Elements: Incorporate hyperlinks, clickable infographics, and call-to-action buttons. This not only provides additional resources to the reader but also encourages them to explore related content or take desired actions.

Feedback Loops: Allow readers to leave comments, ask questions, or even participate in polls within the white paper. This interactivity can provide valuable insights into what your audience thinks and feels about the content.

Here is what a static white paper looks like compared with an interactive white paper:

Designing White Papers for Storytelling

Narrative Flow: Just like a compelling story, a white paper should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Start with an introduction that outlines the problem or challenge, delve into the details in the main content, and conclude with a solution or call to action.

Visual Elements: Use graphics, charts, and images to break the monotony of text and illustrate complex ideas. These visual elements not only make the content more engaging but also help in explaining intricate concepts in a digestible manner.

Consistent Branding: While the white paper should be informative, it's also an opportunity to subtly reinforce your brand. Use consistent colors, fonts, and logos that align with your brand identity.

Here's an example of storytelling white paper design:

Business white paper interactive storytelling templates

With traditional PowerPoint slides, your content may blend into the crowd. Storydoc's interactive white paper templates elevate your content, making it dynamic and memorable.

Unlike static slides, Storydoc's animated, annotated, and narrated templates engage readers, making them twice as captivating as standard reports.

Moreover, they're cost-effective and let you quickly produce your white paper.

I am a Marketing Specialist at Storydoc, I research, analyze and write on our core topics of business presentations, sales, and fundraising. I love talking to clients about their successes and failures so I can get a rounded understanding of their world.

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How to Write and Format a White Paper: The Definitive Guide

Table of Contents

What is a white paper, use and value, how to select a white paper topic:, white paper preparation, white paper format, final thoughts.

You’re ready to compile and share your company’s deep knowledge of your industry. A white paper seems like the perfect format. It’s a useful product that highlights your company’s expertise and a valuable marketing tool.

But how do you transform your knowledge into white paper content?

White papers are similar but distinct from business reports . In order to write a successful one, you need to understand the difference and include key elements. This article will help you decide if a white paper is right for you and how to prepare and produce one.

To write a white paper, thoroughly research a topic and propose a comprehensive solution in a well-structured, factual, and persuasive document.

A white paper should include: 1. Title (accurate but enticing) 2. Abstract (including the Problem Statement) 3. Background (may be detailed and technical or broad and high-level, depending on audience) 4. Solution (the ‘ta-da’ moment of the white paper) 5. Conclusion (the summary of findings) 6. References (using the correct industry format)

A white paper is an authoritative document intended to fully inform the reader about a particular topic. It combines expert knowledge and research into a document that argues for a specific solution or recommendation.

The white paper allows the reader to understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.

White papers are data-centric, text-heavy business documents. Due to a large amount of data and research, white papers are deep reads and tend to have a formal tone.

Businesses write white papers both to record expertise and to market themselves to prospective customers.

White papers are generally written for an audience outside of the business. Therefore, they are a tool to attract readers to the company by offering top-quality industry knowledge.

However, a white paper is not a sales pitch. It sells the company by highlighting the internal expertise and valuable recommendations, not by bidding for business.

Sales Pitch: 8 Ways ABC Marketing will save money on your social media budget

White paper: Social Media Advertising: Matching marketing needs and platforms

Write an actual white paper with individual instructor guidance.

Our Report Writing Course includes written and live instructor feedback.

Choosing the right topic is essential to have your white paper read. There are three major factors:

1. Audience

As with any business writing, your audience is your first consideration. The white paper must be written with a target reader in mind. The audience may be long-time customers familiar with the industry or new prospective buyers who are entirely new to the field.

Reflect on the reader’s pain points or major questions. Within these topics, look for ones that have not been fully investigated or the available information is out-of-date.

2. Expertise

Your white paper should match and highlight your company’s expertise.

The entire document should provide a complete investigation, including external research and internal knowledge. The business’s own know-how informs the content that is included and how it is compiled.

3. Problem-based and solution-focused

White papers should identify and address a particular problem. The problem should be relevant and timely in your field. The document may focus on issues such as common dilemmas, new trends, changing techniques, and industry comparison.

The white paper must have a proposed solution or recommendation to answer the problem. This solution is based on thoroughly examining the problem and potential solutions.

The selected topic must be thoroughly researched. Information should be pulled from online references, industry resources, and internal documents. White papers are data-focused, so they should be supported by significant research.

There’s no hard and fast rule on citations, but you need to cite any information that is not public knowledge and that you didn’t know before beginning your research. However, understand that the reader’s confidence will likely increase with an increasing number of cited references.

Of course, all resources must come from authoritative sites. To write a valuable document, all research materials must be from credible, reliable sources.

Read other white papers

Are there white papers covering your topic or area already? Read them to determine the knowledge gaps and the opportunities to build on existing content. This review will also ensure that your white paper is novel instead of redundant.

Use a mind-map

It can be overwhelming to keep track of the many sources, ideas, and content involved in preparing a white paper. A helpful organizational tool is the mind map. A mind map lets the writer catalog and connect the many pieces into one visual overview.

We suggest using the free tool MindMeister to organize your content. It’s simple to use and free.

FreeMind is another alternative, but some organizations don't allow it to be used since it must be downloaded.

Don't forget visual elements

When designing a white paper, the written content is most important. However, taking the time to create an aesthetically pleasing design cannot be ignored. It should be remembered that the visuals used can greatly contribute to the overall impact of your white paper. Using visual elements such as images, animations, videos, charts, and graphs that reinforce and illustrate arguments can greatly increase clarity for the reader while making key points stand out.

White papers generally follow a standard document format. The content order may seem similar to other business reports, but there is one major difference:

A white paper places the conclusion at the end.

Many business communications, such as technical reports or proposals, include the main conclusion at the beginning of the document. This order responds to the reader's desires and preference for receiving the information.

In a white paper, the content and research inform the reader and increase their understanding of the problem throughout the document. The final section provides the ‘ta-da!’ moment when the reader receives the solution, which is supported by the evidence in the document.

The reader’s journey and preferences in a white paper and business report differ, and the major findings follow suit.

If you’re unsure of these distinctions or want to improve your business writing skills, consider enrolling in our online self-paced Technical Report Writing Course (see all of our courses here ).

And, no matter the journey, the document must be easy to understand and include informative headings for easy navigation.

Choose an accurate title

A good title is essential. It should clearly indicate what the reader will learn from the white paper and be enticing.

Bland title example: White paper on Law 123.4 Referencing Environmental Impact Assessments.

Enticing title example: The Rules are Changing: White Paper on the Environmental Impact Assessment Legislation Proposals in 2018

The phrase ‘white paper’ does not necessarily need to be in the title. Some audiences are seeking that authoritative indicator, while others may be scared off from valuable content because of the term. As always, think of what your audience would prefer.

The abstract offers a brief overview of the white paper’s main points. It allows the reader to ensure they have found a document relevant to their needs. After reading, the reader should be able to know if they are ‘in the right place.’

Problem statement

The problem statement specifies the issue the white paper will address. It needs to be defined and placed in a context to ensure the reader understands it.

This section provides the background information required for the audience to grasp the problem and, ultimately, the solution. The content may be detailed and technical or broad and high-level. The content depends on the reader and the problem.

The methods should be communicated if original research is completed for the white paper.

The ‘ta-da’ moment of the white paper.

The solution is now presented based on the preceding information. It is developed and argued for using the evidence gathered and the expertise of the author and their company.

This section summarizes the white paper’s major findings. Recommendations based on the solution are provided.

This section must include all sources used to develop the white paper. Citing sources adds validity to the document and gives the reader content for further research. Depending on your industry, follow MLA or APA citation formats. 

Write any complex document and get feedback on your actual business writing.

Writing a good white paper is not a simple task. However, investing time and skill can produce a valuable document that shares your company’s knowledge, contributing to overall education and progress in your industry. A good white paper also increases business opportunities.

As you develop an informational document such as a white paper, it's helpful to strengthen your writing process with our Report Writing Course . 

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How to Write a White Paper in 10 Steps [Plus 4 Examples]

Updated June 2024: Learning how to write a white paper is a crucial skill for SaaS marketers. Why? Because a white paper is one of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise while providing useful information to prospective clients. It’s also a great marketing tool for generating leads and nurturing them into customers. 

That’s why 59% of B2B marketers created white papers in the last 12 months. And white papers also ranked fourth in terms of content that gave content marketers the best results, after in-person events, virtual events and webinars, and research reports. 

Because white papers are so important for lead generation , it’s important to understand how to write a white paper that gets results. In this post, we cover every step of the white paper writing process—from identifying your audience to writing and distributing the white paper for maximum leads. 

What is a white paper?

White paper vs. ebook: which one should you choose, white paper vs. case study: which one should you create, importance of white papers for saas, 8 types of white papers, how to structure a white paper, how to write a white paper for saas in 10 steps.

• 6 mistakes to avoid when writing a white paper

White paper examples

Frequently asked questions (faqs), need a hand with your saas white paper.

Check out 5 white paper writers and agencies Take a peek at our list of the top 5 white paper writers and agencies .

A white paper is a lead magnet that covers a particular topic in depth. The goal is to create a content asset that educates your target audience and helps them understand and solve an issue that they’re having. The content needs to be valuable enough that your target audience is willing to trade you their email address for the information. 

Some people are confused about what a white paper is. If you look up “white paper definition,” here’s the general flavor of what you’ll see: 

Hubspot says, “A white paper is a persuasive, authoritative, in-depth report on a specific topic that presents a problem and provides a solution.” CoSchedule adds to the white paper definition with, “It’s a document that helps you establish topical authority and share original insights, data and expertise.” 

If lead generation is a priority for your SaaS company, then it’s likely that white papers are already part of your content strategy . They go beyond surface-level content, offering valuable solutions to specific industry challenges backed by independent research.

And because white papers tend to have a higher perceived value than other content assets, they can be powerful lead magnets , incentivizing potential customers to share their contact details. 

When learning how to write a white paper that drives leads, you first need to be clear on your goals. And while the goal of white papers is often to nudge your target audience towards your product, they’re NOT a sales pitch. Instead, they focus on solving the reader’s problem by providing clear and useful information, unique insights and perspectives, and measurable data. 

Ultimately, a good white paper should: 

• Identify and validate the problem that needs to be solved 
• Impartially highlight ways to solve the problem 
• Pitch your SaaS product as a way to solve the problem 

Before you figure out how to write a white paper that drives sales, do you know if a white paper is the right choice? Maybe you’re debating whether you should write a white paper vs ebook .

White papers are research-heavy reports that position your company as a thought leader in the industry. They provide new or unique information on a specific problem and solution. 

White papers also tend to dive deep into a narrowly defined topic and use evidence-based research to support the ideas and arguments. Most white papers are led by text and supplemented by diagrams or graphs for greater comprehension. 

eBooks also have the goal of educating their audience, except that they’re often written in a more casual tone and include more design elements and white space. This delivers more digestible chunks of content for a lighter read. 

eBooks are created with both eye-catching graphics and easy-to-read text so prospects can read and understand them easily. 

So which is right for you? 

Whether you choose a white paper or an ebook depends on your specific goals. eBooks may be better for providing general “how-to” information or getting people excited about the topic with a brief intro, while white papers are better suited for providing technical and detailed analysis on a specific topic. 

Read our post: White Paper vs eBook: Which One Should You Create?

It’s a good idea to consider whether your content goals would be better supported by a white paper or case study before creating either type of asset. Both formats can be very effective, but there are a few key distinctions.

White papers offer new insights or suggestions about a particular topic in your industry. They are data-driven and research heavy.

White papers are meant to position your company as a thought leader and industry expert. Most white papers are gated, so they help you gather leads.

Case studies provide an in-depth look at why and how a customer implemented your solution. They offer success metrics to show the impact of your solution and may discuss the implementation process to demonstrate ease.

Case studies help alleviate concerns that might be keeping potential customers from signing up for your solution. They are rarely gated, as they can play a significant role in encouraging would-be customers to sign up.

To learn more about these content formats and figure out which is best for your content goals, check out our post on the differences between case studies and white papers.

Read our post: White Paper vs Case Study: What’s the Difference?

Rarely are B2B buyers ready to purchase after reading a single blog post or watching a product explainer video. This is especially true for enterprise clients. They need to build trust with your brand and understand how your solution will help solve their particular pain point. 

White papers rank among the top content formats for B2B buyers, especially in the early and middle stages of the funnel, according to the 2023 Demand Gen Report .

When researching a solution, buyers gravitate to white papers because they want to validate the legitimacy of a solution through use cases and analytical data. White papers help develop thought leadership and move prospects through the sales funnel. 

White papers are also highly shareable. Content packed with quick-hitting facts and shareable stats are the number one driver for sharing content . When passed along to the C-suite, white papers can help influence stakeholders on the purchasing team. 

In SaaS marketing, 8 types of white papers exist. Some serve as how-to guides providing step-by-step instructions, while others function as industry reports that deliver valuable insights and in-depth analysis. When learning how to write a white paper that drives leads, choose which type of white paper to use based on your goals and objectives for the asset.

1. How-to or problem/solution white paper 

How-to or problem/solution white papers call out a nagging business problem and provide a new and improved solution. Use this type of white paper to attract and educate prospects, usually in the consideration stage of the buyer’s journey. Your audience knows they have a problem and is researching solutions to overcome it. 

2. Technical white paper 

Technical white papers explain the technical aspects of a product and how it solves a problem. They’re tailored to tech-savvy audiences and feature elements such as technical specifications, flowcharts, tables and diagrams. 

3. Business benefits white paper 

Business benefits white papers focus on showcasing the specific advantages of a product. Unlike technical white papers that explore the working details of a solution, business benefits white papers focus on the big-picture business outcomes. They’re geared toward decision-makers and non-technical audiences. Sometimes, they provide a cost-benefit analysis and potential ROI to justify the value of the solution. 

4. Market research white paper 

You may have seen white papers titled “The State of…,” which offer big-picture insights into specific industries. For instance, an IT security company might create a market research paper called “The State of Cybersecurity: Threats, Challenges and Best Practices.” These papers delve deep into the industry’s latest trends, showcase what’s effective and address current challenges.

5. Visionary white paper 

Unlike market research white papers which focus on the current state of an industry, visionary white papers project out into the future. Visionary white papers are typically titled “The Future of…” These white papers are best for top-of-funnel prospects that want to learn more about the industry, or high-level professionals who want to stay up-to-date on predictions and trends. 

6. Product comparison white paper 

Product comparison white papers compare multiple products in a specific industry. Marketers use them strategically for the Decision Stage of the buyer’s journey when the prospects know they need a solution, but need help deciding between a few vendors. 

7. Educational white paper 

Educational white papers are designed to teach your audience something new. Since these white papers are grounded in factual evidence, you should dig into industry reports when doing your research. 

8. Thought leadership white paper 

Thought leadership white papers present original viewpoints that often go against conventional wisdom. The goal is to demonstrate expertise, establish credibility and gain influence, particularly among decision-makers or executives. You can put a spin on current issues or take a new approach to address your audience’s pain points. 

When crafting a white paper, it’s helpful to adhere to a white paper structure that sets the stage for the proposed solution. Here are the 9 elements you’ll want to include when formatting a white paper: 

1. Title page

Create an attention-grabbing title that highlights the problem you’ll solve or the topic covered in the white paper. Make it intriguing enough to entice readers to share their email addresses. 

2. Introduction and problem statement

Explain the purpose of your white paper and why your target audience should read it. The introduction describes the business problem your technology solves from the perspective of your target audience. It should be interesting enough to hook readers right away and keep them reading. 

3. Background 

Here’s where you can provide in-depth background information on the specific problem you’re discussing. This section is usually data and research-heavy. Dig into why the problem is a growing concern in the industry and what detrimental effects it may be having on the readers’ businesses. 

4. Proposed solution

This is the meat of your white paper. This section should propose a solution to the stated problem, typically a course of action, product or service. For SaaS companies, that means describing your technology and how it solves your audience’s pain point. It may also compare your solution with competing technologies. 

5. Graphics and other visual elements

Nobody enjoys reading a wall of text. White paper design is important because white papers are much more engaging when you add visual elements like charts, tables and infographics. People retain information with visuals better than text, so using graphics is a great way to summarize your points in a digestible manner. 

6. Fact-based evidence 

Facts help to support your argument and reinforce why you believe something is true. Statistics, metrics and quotes can add context to your points, highlighting the importance of a problem or the effectiveness of your solution. Sprinkle in facts to help bolster your position. 

7. Conclusion

Wrap up with the most important points that you want your readers to remember. It should summarize the white paper’s findings and recommendations. Also, emphasize the benefits of your solutions and the risks to readers who don’t take action on resolving the issue. Conclude with the most important points that you want your readers to remember. 

8. Call to action

Add a call to action (CTA) to encourage readers to take the next step, whether that be booking a demo or signing up for a free trial. Frame it as a way to start solving their problems. Even the most fact-based research white paper should include some form of CTA to help readers take the next step. 

9. About the vendor 

The About section is where you can openly sell your solution. Clearly state what your technology does, who it helps and how. You can add another CTA at the end of this section.  While there’s no rigid white paper format you need to follow, these guidelines will provide a good starting point.

Now that you know the white paper structure to aim for, let’s get into the step-by-step process of how to create a white paper for your SaaS company. 

• Know your audience
• Strategize and plan
• Narrow your white paper topic
• Offer a unique point of view
• Do your research
• Create a white paper outline
• Write and edit your white paper
• Coordinate reviews and approvals
• Draft supporting content
• Design the white paper
• Promote your white paper

1. Know your audience

When thinking about how to write a white paper, the most important step is making sure you know who you’re writing for.  

You can define your ideal customer profile (ICP) by asking a few questions: 

• What’s their role in the organization? Decision-makers wear multiple hats. Know their job title and company size and tailor your white paper content accordingly. 
• What stage are they at in the buying process? Prospects in the Awareness Stage know they have a problem but don’t yet have a solution. Prospects in the Consideration Stage are looking at different solutions. Lastly, prospects in the Decision Stage are ready to buy and looking for reasons to choose your product. 
• What are their primary pain points and challenges? Really knowing your prospects’ pain points and challenges enables you to write a white paper that is valuable to them—and one that they’re willing to give you their email address for.

2. Strategize and plan

Figuring out how to write a white paper is all about landing on a great white paper topic . Sit down and brainstorm ideas for your white paper. What is it that your ideal customers want to know? What will help them solve a burning problem?

If you’re stuck for topic ideas, you can turn to a ready source—anyone in your company who speaks directly to customers or prospects. For you, that may be any employee from: 

• Marketing 
• Partnerships 
• Customer service
• Technical support 

Your sales department is having targeted conversations with prospects every day. Common questions and pain points come up on these calls every day. 

And the conversations don’t have to be a one-way street, either. Run some white paper topics by a focus group panel or your customer advisory board and see which topics intrigue them the most. 

3. Narrow your white paper topic

Prospective clients generally prefer topics that are more specific. Topics that are too broad dilute the overall effectiveness of the information. And don’t try to cram everything into one white paper. Instead, focus on the most important and relevant points.

If you know exactly who you’re writing the white paper for and how it fits into your content strategy , it should be easy to narrow your topic. If you want to generate leads in a specific vertical, you may focus on the topic of a new approach to a common industry challenge. However, if you want to support a new product launch, you may decide to discuss the technologies underlying your new solution.

Read our blog post: White Paper Topics: How to Choose the Right One to Generate More Leads

4. Offer a unique point of view

You want to avoid rehashing the same tired information as everyone else. Nobody gets excited about a white paper that covers the same topic as your competitors. This might seem like a no-brainer, but when thinking about how to write a white paper, you need to provide a fresh perspective. 

With so much content vying for your prospects’ attention, many companies struggle to stand out. Taking a stance that goes against conventional wisdom can help you win raving fans. Specifically, taking a stance that aligns with the buyer’s values can help to establish credibility and trust.

Even SaaS companies can create a brand identity around their values and causes. For example, Square and Stripe turned the payments industry upside down by creating online payment software tailored towards small businesses. Previously, small businesses relied on traditional merchant accounts that involved high fees, lengthy contracts and complex setups. 

Consider what your brand stands for and how it’s different from competitors. For example, how do you solve a problem differently than anybody else? 

Think about how to demonstrate your expertise in a way that encourages conversation. Often this unique point of view can come from the subject matter experts you chose to interview. Be sure to create a fully fleshed-out content brief so everyone is on the same page.

5. Do your research

The best white papers come from extensive research. If you want to establish your company as an authority and gain the trust of your target audience, you’ll want to base the claims you share on credible sources.  

First, determine where you might find the information you’ll need for the white paper. That will determine the research methods you’ll use. If you’re doing interviews, schedule them at least a day apart so you have time to prepare, as well as digest the information afterward.

You likely have an in-house SME that you can interview, such as a product developer, data analyst or CEO. However, sometimes you may want to find external industry experts or advisors to contribute their knowledge. 

When performing secondary research, read industry reports and other white papers on your topic. See what influencers have written about on the topic. Reading will help you discover content gaps and unique approaches your white paper can take. Keep all research material in a single folder. 

Be sure to find credible sources for your white paper. Using industry reports, journal articles and publications are great sources. 

You can also perform surveys with your customers, which allow you to collect opinions and data on specific topics related to your industry. For example, a project management company can collect specific data from its B2B clients to prove its effectiveness and success rates of completion. 

Once you’ve completed your research, be sure to create an outline. Don’t skip this step—it will help you stay more focused and save you time in the long run. Allow your manager and an SME to check that your outline is on track to meeting everyone’s expectations for the white paper.

6. Create a white paper outline

A detailed white paper outline is key to producing a white paper that is compelling and cohesive. Since this type of asset contains so many points, you’ll want to create your white paper outline in several steps to ensure that each section is well-organized and adequately supported by research.

A. Land on a working title or two

You have two primary opportunities to convince your prospects to download your B2B SaaS white paper: the title and the cover. It’s crucial that these elements make a powerful impact. Use your white paper outline to capture a few ideas for persuasive, benefit-driven titles.

B. Brainstorm insights and actionable takeaways 

Ask yourself what you want your readers to gain from your white paper, then write down everything that pops into your mind. This section of your white paper outline doesn’t have to reflect your final draft. Rather, this exercise will help ensure that your content covers all the information you want to share with your audience, including educational insights and tips they can put into action immediately.

C. Lump ideas into sections

Your next step is to structure your brain dump into sections. This will help you identify a few major themes for your B2B SaaS white paper. Once you’re finished, if you feel like your topic is too broad, cut any themes that don’t support the main focus of your white paper.

D. Fill the gaps in each section

Review each section in your white paper outline to see what’s missing. Think about this from your prospect’s perspective. Include statistics to help illustrate the points you’re trying to make. Ensure that every question your reader might be wondering has an answer.

E. Edit and organize each section

Now that you’ve put all of the details around your major themes into your white paper outline, it’s time to edit your outline. Step away from your white paper for a while and return to it with fresh eyes to see if you can tighten up the content and ensure it flows as logically as possible without any redundancy.

F. Add links to source material such as data

Statistics help make your white paper as compelling as possible, and they support your credibility by showing that you use research from reputable sources. Add links to these sources to your white paper outline. Stats make great graphic design elements later down the road in the white paper production process.

G. Get feedback from subject matter experts 

Get a few sets of eyes on your white paper outline. Subject matter experts and other key stakeholders will likely have valuable feedback to offer that can improve your content. They can help you spot any gaps in information or point out confusing sections that require explanation. They can also provide feedback on the flow of your white paper outline.

6. Write and edit your white paper

Once your colleagues approve the outline, you’re ready to flesh out your SaaS white paper. Here are 3 quick tips to consider: 

• Valuable content: Pack your document with high-value content such as research, survey reports and recent statistics. 
• Examples: Share your case studies and real-world examples to make your white paper more relatable. 
• Quotes: Use quotes from industry experts and industry influencers to better engage your readers. 

Once you’ve completed the first draft, you should step away from your computer for at least 24 hours. Fresh eyes can help you rethink, rewrite and polish your work. Do this a few times until you’ve nailed it.

Edit the white paper for logic, key messages, grammar and style. Often, you’ll need to eliminate buzzwords and hype, improve readability with simpler language or make the text more crisp and compelling. Make every word count—avoid padding it with flabby writing or lazy thinking.  

Even the best writers need editors. Get a co-worker or editor to provide a fresh pair of eyes on your work. This can help you catch mistakes you didn’t see or provide a different perspective to strengthen your writing. 

7. Coordinate reviews and approvals

Reviews and approvals always take longer than you might think, so make sure you set aside enough time in the project timeline. Before the project even starts, you should determine exactly who will be reviewing and approving the SaaS white paper. 

Review by committee is tedious and tough. Conflicting opinions and personal preferences can dilute the original message and cause the review process to go on for far longer than it should. Aim for no more than 3 stakeholders to be involved in the review process. Set firm deadlines for review and approval cycles. 

You’ll have a smoother content approval process if you set up the following in advance of starting the white paper: 

• Brand guidelines: Brand guidelines ensure your white paper aligns with your brand identity, maintaining consistency across all marketing collateral. This is especially important to pass along to a SaaS content marketing agency if you decide to outsource the white paper writing. 
• Content brief: Your content brief should state the content goals, audience and a rough outline for the white paper. Be sure to create a fully fleshed-out content brief so everyone is on the same page.
• Editorial style guide: This is one of the most important documents during the writing and editing phase. It includes standards for tone, grammar, images and vocabulary. 
• Workflow: Use a project management tool to easily assign tasks, set deadlines and move the white paper through each stage to completion. The tool allows all team members to see where the project is at and ensures that the white paper gets completed on time. 

Once your white paper gets final approval, you’re ready for publishing. 

8. Draft supporting content

Opt-in pages are the entry point to gated content like white papers. However, so much can go wrong with the opt-in page that you may never collect your prospect’s email address. If you want to increase downloads, make sure you include 6 crucial elements in your opt-in page . 

When designing your opt-in page, make sure to place the unique value proposition, form and call to action above the fold. This helps readers take the desired action without having to scroll. 

Hook readers by driving curiosity with a compelling headline that explains the main benefit of downloading the white paper. In the body of the opt-in page, you can add short bullet points to tell them what they’ll learn in the white paper. 

The thank you email and thank you page should include a link to the downloadable white paper, along with the next step you’d like prospects to take, such as booking a demo call or signing up for a free trial.

9. Design the white paper

Appearances matter. Get your designer to create a memorable white paper design that is professional and easy to read—and plays into your branding.

If you’ve got some interesting data, don’t bury it in dense paragraphs. Instead, present it using visually engaging charts, graphs and infographics to captivate your audience and make the information more digestible.

Read our blog post: 5 White Paper Design Best Practices to Strengthen Your Credibility

When designing the graphics, you’ll need to know what types of graphics will best highlight your research. Start by defining your visualization goal for each graphic: 

• Inform: Convey an important data point or message that doesn’t require much context to understand
• Compare: Show differences or similarities 
• Show change: Visualize trends over time
• Organize: Categorize data to show trends
• Reveal relationships: Show correlations among variables

The types of visuals you use depends on the purpose. For example, horizontal bar charts are great for charting survey results. Or you can use infographics as a way to tell a story using facts and statistics. Even adding icons with corresponding text is a great way to make the information easier to read.  

If you don’t know how to design a white paper, we recommend reviewing the white paper examples below for inspiration. 

Read our blog post: White Paper Templates: 5 Tools to Create Engaging Designs

10. Promote your white paper

Now you know how to prepare a white paper, but do you know how to promote it? A SaaS white paper isn’t valuable unless the right people see it, download it and read it.

Think about how you will use owned channels (like your website, social media and email) and external channels (like conferences, advertising and public relations) to get your white paper in front of people.

Here are some tips to promote and distribute a white paper : 

• Strategically promote your white paper on your website: You should place the white paper in spots on your website where it makes sense as part of the buyer’s journey. Ask yourself when your target audience would be ready for this information. Consider adding it to the Resource section of your website or as a CTA at the end of related blog posts. 
• Post it on social channels: Your audience is probably scattered across various social media channels. Create a series of posts focused on key ideas from your white paper. Remember, white papers can be repurposed into different formats—blogs, tweets, social posts, slide decks and even sales material. 
• Send it out to your email list: Email marketing has stood the test of time and shows no signs of slowing down. Send a teaser email to your mailing list to build anticipation of the white paper before it’s published. Once published, you can include it in your newsletter or  email nurture sequences. You can even have customer-facing team members include it in their email signatures to get it in front of your target audience. 
• Develop partnerships: Leverage relationships with content marketers and journalists in your network to include links to your paper from their content. Perhaps, you’ve got original research that would fit perfectly to their content. Send them an email to see if they’ll include a link to your research into their blog content or an article. 

Never forget to promote and distribute a white paper. Content that gets lost in the shuffle results in lost opportunities and time that could’ve been spent elsewhere. 

Read our blog post: How to Promote a White Paper for B2B SaaS [8 Ideas]

6 mistakes you should avoid when writing a white paper

Many SaaS companies fall victim to common mistakes when writing a white paper, which can derail a stellar piece of content and turn off your readers. The good news is you can write valuable white papers by avoiding these costly mistakes.

Mistake #1: Being overly ‘salesy’

White papers use facts and logic-based evidence to prove a point. If the white paper is too salesy, readers will tune out once they realize it’s a marketing pitch. They’ll question the objectivity and credibility of the content, leading to a loss of trust. Instead, present a vendor-agnostic view of the problem and solution, and support claims with factual evidence. 

Mistake #2: Cutting corners with research 

The worst thing to do when writing a white paper is to slap in a few stats you find on Google and call it a day. A bunch of Google searches aren’t going to bring you any new insights on the topic. Not only that, repurposed statistics are blatantly obvious and can instantly undermine your credibility. 

Use a combination of primary and secondary research instead. Industry reports are trustworthy sources that add credibility. Primary research brings life to your white paper. Consider leveraging interviews, surveys and focus groups to gather unique and original data points. 

Mistake #3: Failing to consider your target audience  

White papers are meant to address specific industry challenges, provide solutions and offer valuable insights. If you don’t understand your target audience, you may miss the mark on addressing their needs. 

You can make your white paper more relevant by keeping your ideal customer profile (ICP) front and center when choosing a topic, figuring out what subtopics to cover, doing your research and writing the white paper.

Mistake #4: Not prioritizing design and readability 

Most people won’t read your entire white paper word for word. The key is to make your white paper scannable so that readers can still get the gist of your complex ideas without reading the entire document. 

Visual elements can help you tell a story with only a few words. Line graphs are great for showing comparisons, trends or patterns, while infographics help to summarize key ideas.  

Also, use headings, different size fonts and graphics to break up your white paper. This makes your document more easily digestible. With plenty of white paper templates out there, there’s no reason not to have a visually appealing white paper design . 

Mistake #5: Not focusing on the ‘how’

Placing too much emphasis on research findings is another mistake. Many white papers will stay in the realm of theory without covering how to use those findings on a practical level. 

For example, there are endless white papers discussing the importance of employee engagement. But very few give concrete strategies and examples in specific verticals to help the reader solve their problem.

Mistake #6: Forgetting to fact-check 

For your white paper to have its intended effect, it’s important to establish your content as a credible source of information. Spreading false or misleading information will cause you to lose trust and could have legal ramifications. 

You can verify statistics and quotes by ensuring you cite the original sources and that they’re accurately represented. Also, check that they’re cited from reputable sources and not just a random blog post from the internet. 

The best way to write exceptional white papers is to learn from successful ones. Pay close attention to their structure, design and how they infuse storytelling to persuasively argue their points. 

Here are 4 white paper examples to learn from: 

1. Databricks – Getting started with unstructured data

This white paper from Databricks gives B2B tech professionals plenty of real-world examples of how a structured data strategy can be used in businesses. 

Many tech solutions aren’t so “obvious” to new users. But by giving concrete examples of how customers can use your solution in a non-salesly way, you can nudge readers down the sales funnel toward a purchase.

2. Snowflake – Design patterns for building multi-tenant applications

This Snowflake white paper compares 3 ways to organize data for customers using one of the Snowflake products. 

The white paper provides clear recommendations to solve a specific problem. Giving clear recommendations can help tech buyers in the buying process because they often highlight the functionalities or features most relevant to the buyer’s use case. 

The white paper also uses workflows and charts to visually demonstrate the solution.

3. ActivTrack – Manager’s guide to productivity measurement

This ActivTrack white paper takes an educational approach by focusing entirely on giving value and only subtly promoting its product at the end. 

The white paper includes plenty of visual elements with minimal text to summarize the key points of the section. This allows readers to quickly scan the document and get the gist of what is said. 

4. AeroSpike – Streamlining data architectures for IoT analytics

AeroSpike sets the stage in this white paper by describing the importance of scalable and reliable data structures. It uses practical examples, such as connected healthcare for diabetes management and smart city initiatives, to showcase real-world applications of IoT and data architectures.

At the end of the white paper, AeroSpike presents its product and its benefits. It talks about how AeroSpike is a high-performance database that can handle the issues described in the paper. 

Want more white paper examples?

Check out our white paper examples post for 9 more examples, plus quick descriptions of their strengths. We’ve even organized the white paper examples by target audience, making it easier to identify patterns and determine which elements your target audience is looking for.

Read our blog post: 9 White Paper Examples to Inspire Your Next White Paper

Should you gate your white paper?

Gating your white paper is great if you want leads, but there are some drawbacks as well. If your target audience has to provide their email address to access your white paper, fewer people will see it since not everyone is willing to give up their email addresses for a piece of content. 

If you don’t gate your white paper, you’re making the white paper barrier-free so more people are likely to read it. And by creating the white paper in HTML, rather than as a PDF, you can optimize the white paper for search and get traffic organically. 

When making the decision of whether or not to gate your white paper, it’s important to get really clear on your primary goal for the content asset. Are you trying to generate leads? Or are you trying to get the information in front of as many prospects as possible and grow your brand awareness?

How long should a white paper be? 

Based on our research, white papers are typically 2,000 to 4,000 words in length, but the range can vary significantly by target audience. After all, a chief operations officer (COO) will typically need a different breadth of information than a marketing manager.

To learn more about the different types of white paper audiences and their content needs, check out our post on white paper length.

Read our blog post: How Long Is a White Paper?

How many pages is a white paper?

White papers should at least be 6 pages long, but on average are between 10 to 12 pages. Gone are the days of lengthy 30- to 50-page documents. Today’s time-pressed tech buyers and executives want shorter white pages. This is just enough content to cover a specific topic in-depth without losing readers’ interest. 

What does it mean to write a white paper?

Writing a white paper means crafting an authoritative document that uses logic and facts to promote a recommended solution to a problem. Technology buyers want to educate themselves on their problems and potential solutions before they can evaluate or justify a purchasing decision. Businesses offer white papers as downloadable content on their websites to generate leads. 

Can anyone write a white paper?

No, not anyone can write a white paper. To write a white paper, you need to be a strong writer and have experience in a particular topic or consult with subject matter experts. White papers are perceived as highly authoritative documents supported by research and data. As a writer, you need to understand the target audience’s pain points and possess the expertise to present information convincingly. 

How many hours does it take to write a white paper? 

Generally, it takes 20 to 40 hours, spaced out over 6 to 8 weeks, to complete a white paper. Writing a white paper is an extensive process that requires conducting thorough research, interviewing SMEs, writing the draft and collaborating with other stakeholders for input. Hiring experienced SaaS content writers can expedite the process since they can produce better quality work in less time, minimizing the need for extensive revisions. 

If you’re anything like our other SaaS customers, you’re probably slammed. We’re here to help. Check out our white paper writing service .

6 Elements of a High-Converting Opt-In Page Learn how to craft an opt-in page that drives downloads of your B2B SaaS lead magnet.

As the founder of Uplift Content, Emily leads her team in creating done-for-you case studies, ebooks and blog posts for high-growth SaaS companies like ClickUp, Calendly and WalkMe. Connect with Emily on Linkedin

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A 2024 Guide to White Papers (with Templates and Examples)

White papers are an essential tool for establishing thought leadership, educating audiences, and generating leads. They offer a unique opportunity for companies to showcase their expertise and establish themselves as industry leaders. Plus, they’re not too difficult to create, especially with the right tools.

In this article, we’re going to look at what exactly white papers are and why they matter. We’re also going to give you white paper examples to inspire your next project, and what types of data visuals and designs you can include in your white paper to provide the most value.

If you want a hassle-free way to create these visuals, sign up for a free Piktochart account and use our platform to create professional-looking white papers in minutes.

Table of Contents

What is a white paper, types of white papers, elements of an effective white paper, compelling title and cover page, table of contents and executive summary, logical flow and organization, skimmable format, thought leadership and expertise, design and branding, call-to-action, white paper best practices and tips, inspiring white paper examples, conclusion and next steps, frequently asked questions.

A white paper presents information, research, or findings on a specific topic comprehensively and authoritatively. It presents research findings, incorporates expert opinions, and offers evidence-based recommendations. White papers are written in a clear, authoritative, and unbiased tone to establish the writer’s knowledge as respectable.

White papers are often used as marketing tools by businesses to show off their expertise and inform the target audience about a specific issue or solutions to a problem.

Because they provide valuable insight and solutions to problems that might be encountered by prospective customers, white papers are also a highly effective way of generating leads.

White papers are known for their in-depth analysis and research-based approach. They provide readers with a thorough understanding of the subject, supported by credible sources of information.

White papers can fit into four main categories, each with its own focus and purpose.

• Backgrounder/Product – Provides an in-depth look at a specific product/service.  Highlights key features, benefits, and successful use cases.
• Numbered List/How-to – Written in a step-by-step format and contains instructions for readers for solving a problem or achieving an objective.
• Problem/Solution – The most common type of white paper, they identify a specific issue or challenge faced by the target audience and present a solution offered by the company, often to promote a product or service.
• Survey Findings/Market Research – Presents data and information from surveys or market research carried out by the organization used to showcase industry trends and consumer preferences, or to promote a product or service.

The elements you should include in a well-drafted white paper are:

Your white paper’s title and cover design form readers’ vital first impression. Craft a compelling title that clearly conveys the value readers will get. Use meaningful keywords to help it get found.

An eye-catching cover image can also help hook readers and set your white paper apart. But keep it professional – avoid cheesy stock photos.

A table of contents makes it easy for readers to navigate through the document and allows them to jump quickly to sections of interest.

Follow this with a concise executive summary. An executive summary presents a short overview of key points covered by the white paper. Call out the key problem, main takeaways, and a teaser of the solution. This sets expectations and motivates readers to dive in.

A well-crafted white paper follows a logical flow and is organized in a way that makes it easy for the reader to follow. By flow, we mean it should have a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion. The main body should be divided into sections with catchy headings to keep the reader engaged. Then, these sections should “flow” into one another with transition words and sentences.

Having a logical flow not only improves readability but also adds credibility to your white paper. It shows that you have put thought and effort into creating the document, which reflects positively on your brand.

Not all readers will have the time or patience to read through your entire white paper. Use a skimmable format to make it easier to navigate and digest, no matter who your reader is.

Make an effort to include:

• Short paragraphs, centered around one idea at a time
• Bullet points, to emphasize lists that might get lost in paragraphs
• Headings and subheadings, to break up and organize your content
• Call outs and quotations, to highlight key points
• White space, to give your readers’ eyes a rest
• Visuals, to convey information quickly and make it easy to understand

White papers aren’t just about promoting your products or services – they should be well-researched and provide valuable insights and information. This is where thought leadership comes in. By showcasing your expertise, you establish credibility and trust with your readers.

For example, if you’re a software company specializing in data analytics, you can create a white paper discussing the latest trends and best practices in the industry. By referencing your data, you demonstrate that you have unique and valuable knowledge from the field.

It’s important to design and brand your white paper to draw attention and build credibility. Maintain consistency with the company image by following brand guidelines on color, font, and images. A professional and polished appearance will build trust with your audience and give your paper an authoritative feel.

In view of the growing popularity of digital formats, it is important to create interactive white papers that allow readers to engage with them through features like clickable links, videos, and animations. As a result, the reading experience is enhanced and sharing on social media platforms is made easier.

Ending your white paper with a clear call to action (CTA) is key. After reading, what are the next steps your reader should take? Prompt them to schedule a consultation, sign up for a newsletter, buy a product, or check out a resource. Whatever your paper hints at, this is the moment to bring it to the surface to make it easy for your reader to try.

White papers may also be gated, meaning that readers have to provide contact information before they can access the content. Businesses can use this to generate leads and build their email list.

Let’s take a look at some good practices and tips to create an efficient white paper.

You need to know the target audience and their pain points if you’re going to make it through your white papers.

What’s the challenge they’re facing? What’s the information they need to solve this problem? Use these insights to shape your white paper’s focus, structure, and language. The more relevant it is to readers’ needs, the more impact it will have.

A common mistake marketers make is to use white papers as a thinly veiled sales pitch. Instead, focus on educating the reader and providing them with valuable information. In this way, you build trust and demonstrate your credibility in your space.

Remember: you’re the authority, and you want to prove that, but your readers can’t always match that. Write clearly and simply without too much jargon or technical terminology to make your white paper accessible.

Don’t just post your white paper and pray. Actively promote it across multiple channels, such as:

• your websites
• email marketing
• social media platforms
• advertisements

The more touchpoints you create, the more likely it is that potential customers will read your white paper.

White papers are a valuable source of content because they are great for repurposing . You can, for example, turn key points from your white paper into blog posts, infographics, or even video content. This enables you to reach a variety of people and maximize the impact of your white paper.

Looking for inspiration for your next white paper? These examples from various industries showcase the diverse possibilities of the format.

Source: Infigo

1. “The State of Marketing Automation” by Ascend2

This paper highlights research on the current state of marketing automation and its implications for businesses. You’ll notice Ascend2 utilizes stacked bar charts to visualize the data they include, making it more accessible. Stacked bar charts are available with Piktochart’s functions.

2. “The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Advertising” by Mayple

This is an in-depth analysis of the trends, strategies, and best practices for businesses advertising on social media, made into an article. They know what they’re doing by posting this white paper as an article, using pre-written content to boost engagement on their blog. Piktochart has tons of templates that can help you do this for any format.

3. “The Future of Work” by ILR CAHRS

The future of work and how technology will shape it in the years to come is explored in this Cornell white paper. While it may not be the most dynamic of our examples, they use branding that carries through at the top and bottom of every page to keep things consistent.

4. “The Power of Personalisation” by Infigo

This white paper looks at how web-to-print software can help your printing business grow through personalization. It illustrates this point perfectly with stunning visuals and dynamic colors throughout that keep you engaged while reading, hence why they are our example above. Piktochart can help you create something just as visually beautiful that will keep your audience looking.

5. “The State of Cybersecurity 2023” by Sophos

This white paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of cybersecurity, its challenges, and emerging threats. Based on a survey of 3,000 IT professionals in 14 countries, it’s a report with lots of hype around it, but Sophos utilizes the paywall method to keep this valuable information to only those who give them more valuable information.

6. “The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing” by AWeber

A step-by-step guide on creating effective email marketing campaigns is presented in this white paper. It’s a lengthy document, so AWeber breaks it up using headers and a table of contents so you can navigate to the info you need quickly.

7. “The State of Virtual Events 2023” by Kaltura

The results of a survey that asked over 500 marketing professionals about event planning in the face of worldwide uncertainty can be found in this paper. This is another whitepaper that uses a pay/information wall, which positions their white paper as a method for gettting capital.

8. “Your Ultimate Guide to eCommerce SEO” by Pimberly

This white paper provides an in-depth analysis of search engine optimization (SEO) and its importance of online businesses. Pimberly does a great job of gauging interest up front, not only by asking for an email, but also by providing a summary and an expected read time, 15 minutes.

9. “Challenging the Modern Myths of Remote Working” by IBM

This white paper explores the rise of remote work and its potential benefits for businesses. IBM uses plenty of white space and visuals to keep their paper interesting, formatting you can recreate easily with Piktochart’s dynamic templates.

10. “The Power of Video Marketing” by Craig Charters

The benefits of video marketing for businesses, including the impact on customer engagement and brand awareness, are dealt with in this white paper. While video is hard to capture in a physical document, Charters uses links and tons of photos to get physical examples in his work, making it accessible and fun as well as informative.

White papers are a vital tool for businesses who seek to establish themselves as though leaders and draw up leads. Through research and a clear tone of voice, they provide useful information and solutions to audiences. If you take the advice given above, you’ll be well on your way to producing a persuasive and visually stunning white paper.

If you’d like some extra help, Piktochart provides any white paper template you might need to start your business, including the following:

• Simple white paper
• Government white paper
• Social media white paper
• One page white paper

Here’s an example of what your white paper could look like with our help:

Source: Piktochart

Our easy-to-use platform makes it simple for non-designers to create professional-looking white papers in minutes. And if you need additional assistance or guidance, our team is always available to help.

A white paper shouldn’t be hard to make or read. Sign up with Piktochart today and start making next-level content that pushes your business further than ever before!

How to Write a Whitepaper?

Writing a white paper can be tough, but it can be an effective lead generation tool by providing valuable in-demand content to your target audience. We have a few steps to follow to help you start:

• Choose a Topic: Select an appropriate and efficient topic based on your business/industry experience.
• Research: Conduct extensive research on the selected topic so that you have solid data, statistics, and insights for your white paper.
• Outline: Create an outline that includes key points you want to cover in each section of the white paper.
• Introduction: There’s a reason you’re writing this white paper and why your audience is reading it, so start with an attractive introduction that clearly sets out the purpose.
• Body: Present your findings, data, and analysis in a logical order with supporting evidence and examples.
• Conclusion: Summarize your main points and come up with recommendations/solutions based on the information you provided.
• Design: Use graphics like graphs, charts, and illustrations to make your white paper more interactive and easier to read.
• Proofread: Prior to publication, make sure all grammatical and spelling errors have been rectified.

What is a White Paper Template?

A white paper template is a pre-planned document which can be used as a starting point to draw up a paper. It’s composed of sections like:

• introduction
• problem statement
• research and analysis
• recommendations

The time needed to complete the white paper can be reduced by using templates, with a view to ensuring that its structure is consistent. It is also a good way to ensure that you don’t miss anything of importance in each section.

What is the Difference Between a White Paper and a Report?

While both white papers and reports present information, there are some important differences.

Reports are often more factual and objective than white papers, while white papers usually use a more persuasive tone to convince readers of a specific point or solution. Compared to reports, white papers tend to be more detailed and complex.

They can also be used at different times. Reports are generally drawn up after a project is completed, while white papers are often used at the beginning of projects or for proposing solutions.

What are White Papers Examples?

White papers can cover a wide range of topics and industries. While we have some specific examples listed above, here is what they would generally look like in some of the most prominent industries:

• Technology – A white paper that discusses the benefits fo using cloud computing for businesses.
• Healthcare – A white paper that examines the impact of telemedicine on patient care.
• Finance – A white paper that analyzes the use of blockchain technology in financial transactions.

Why is it Called a White Paper?

The term “white paper” originated in the United Kingdom’s government as a way to present policy proposals. They were called white papers because they were typically printed on white paper and presented factual information without any bias or opinion, making them pure or “white”.

Who Writes White Papers?

White papers are usually written by experts in a specific field, such as industry professionals or academics. They have the knowledge and expertise to provide valuable insights and analysis on complex topics.

Within a company, white papers can be written by various departments, such as marketing, research and development, or product teams. It is important to have a strong understanding of the topic and access to relevant data when writing a white paper, so think about who in your company would be best qualified to talk about the task at hand authoritatively when deciding who will write your white paper.

How Long Should a Whitepaper be?

Typically, white papers range from 6 to 20 pages. However, the length can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the amount of research and data presented. For simpler topics, or those that they plan to repurpose as a social media post, some companies prefer to use a one page white paper .

What are Good White Paper Topics?

White papers are usually focused on a specific industry or problem that your business addresses. Some examples of topics for white papers could be:

• The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Behavior
• Sustainable Solutions for Environmental Conservation

It is essential to choose a topic that aligns with your business and can provide valuable insights to your target audience.

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A guide to white papers: What is a white paper and how to write one step-by-step

White papers are an effective tool to show your knowledge and expertise as a company. This builds trust among your readers and could eventually help you generate leads. Interested in creating an interactive white paper ? We’ll walk you through the process in steps.

What is a white paper?

To create a successful white paper, we need to understand what it is. A white paper is an in-depth document that presents information or insights on a specific topic. They are based on research and provide extensive analysis. Typically, the tone of voice of a white paper is objective and educational.

What is the purpose of a white paper?

Most of the marketing communications are about business operations and aim to promote services and products. A white paper does not necessarily have a direct relation to your organisation. It can have several purposes , for example:

• educating readers
• establishing thought leadership
• generating and nurturing leads
• demonstrating expertise
• standing out from competitors
• building trust

The key to writing a good white paper is to not make it overly promotional. Your aim should be to provide facts and not to sell. Naturally, it may play a supporting role in generating and converting leads eventually.

For more information on how to convert leads with white papers (including examples), be sure to check out our blog 7 ways to increase your conversions with online white papers .

How to write and format a white paper in 2024

The typical structure includes a title page, an introduction with a problem statement, background research, a proposed solution, and a conclusion. While that sounds straightforward, you may ask what the exact steps are for writing and formatting. Not to worry, we have put together a guide that takes you through the process of creating your white paper step-by-step.

1. Determine your audience and goal

You can’t create a white paper if you don’t know who it is for. Therefore, you must determine what your goal is (for example: generating leads) and who you are targeting. Your target audience is often a group outside the industry that is looking for more in-depth information .

To attract leads within your selected group, you must make your white paper appealing to read. The best way to do so is to address a challenge within the industry and present a compelling solution. If you are unsure which topic to address, this is a sign that you may need to do more research about the problems that your target group faces. Once you have selected your topic, identify clear goals to tailor your content to.

2. Choose your medium

When publishing a white paper, you will need to pick a medium. Nowadays, everyone prefers to consume and share content online. However, many organisations choose a PDF format while there are better options available. Read here why the (interactive) PDF is dead and why digital publishing is the new solution.

Digital publishing is more engaging and allows the incorporation of dynamic elements, for example, multimedia, data visualisation and animations. Above all, a digital publication is highly suitable for gating content to generate leads. Whichever medium you pick, make sure it is shareable on the channels your target audience resides at, such as via email or social media.

3. Outlining and writing your white paper

You now know whom your white paper is for, its goal and on which medium to publish and share it. Great. Let’s get to one of the most important steps: writing. When writing your copy, there are several areas to consider, for example, content, tone of voice, outline, and length of the document.

Outline & length

Since a white paper is a professional document based on research, you should use a clear structure. Although there are no rules to writing, it typically includes a/an:

• Introduction/Abstract
• Problem statement
• Background information
• Proposed solution
• Supporting evidence

Using an outline like the above ensures that you explain your industry problem and solution clearly. Try to put enough time into researching and explaining your supporting evidence. However, don’t go overboard. A white paper is usually between 6 to 12 pages long. That should give you enough space to go into detail while still keeping it concise.

Content & tone of voice

You should have finalised your research before starting your copy. Typically, a white paper addresses an industry problem and a solution. To make your reader understand the problem that you address, it is recommended to support your claims with examples of real-world case studies .

Moreover, the tone of voice should be formal and authoritative. Take the time to explain complex concepts and offer a well-researched solution. Remember that your white paper is not a sales pitch but rather a demonstration of your knowledge and expertise.

4. Design your white paper

The design defines your white paper’s look and feel. It should be professional and matching to your tone of voice. You want to let your readers know that this piece comes from your organisation. Try to incorporate some of your brand’s styles without losing the sleek look. If you are unsure of what colours to use, consider using a colour palette generator. Moreover, choose a professional layout with consistent formatting.

Above all, the design must support your content. Using a lot of evidence may mean there is a lot of data to unpack. To make this data more readable, you can look into methods for data visualisation. It often reduces complex data to bite-sized charts, which are easier to understand for your reader. Besides, they are eye-catching and retain reader interest.

If you are unsure of where to start, have a look at white paper examples to find inspiration.

5. Implement a content gate for lead generation

Your white paper’s goal likely is to generate leads. We could just put our document out in the world and hope prospects find their way to your organisation, though the chances are low. An effective way to gather leads is to use a content gate. Gated content is when your content is secured behind (most often) a form. Upon submitting the form’s data, the content becomes available to the reader.

A content gate is a great idea, but should not work discouragingly. Our advice is to keep your form short and only ask for essential information. Most likely, you would want to know the person’s name, email, phone number and occupation. A form that is too long may scare off prospects.

To make sure people will fill out the form, you will need to persuade them. The content of your white paper must spark interest. Therefore, an effective method is to provide your readers with a snippet of its content before presenting them with the form. This way, they will notice if your research provides unique insights that are worth exchanging contact details for. Most digital publishing platforms allow you to choose on which page to make your content gate appear.

6. Ensure responsiveness and accessibility

There are many advantages to publishing digitally, one of which being that your white paper is available to everyone with access to a computer or phone. However, to make sure your white paper can be comfortably read by all groups, you need to ensure your publication is responsive and accessible.

To make your white paper readable to anyone on any device we advise to (at least) implement the following:

• Prioritise content: ensure your content is in logical order with the most important sections displayed prominently, especially on smaller screens.
• Alt-text for images: providing alternative text for images is a low-effort way to make your publication more accessible and it works well for SEO optimisation too!
• Good colour contrast : certain text colours are hard to read against a coloured background that does not provide enough contrast. Make sure to use colours that are compatible and readable for the visually impaired.
• Test on multiple devices: the best way to know if your white paper performs well is to thoroughly test it on multiple devices. That means computers and smartphones, though also consider devices for visually impaired people, such as screen readers.

7. Share on the right channels

Your white paper is done and ready for publication. The next step is to share it on the right channels. In the first step, you have done research into who your target group is. That demographic may have a certain preference as to where they are online - which websites and platforms they use. Sending your white paper through email will only reach your current contacts. Try finding channels outside of your direct circle that allow for easy sharing, such as social media. Which platforms do they use? At what time of the day? Are they in any groups, forums or online collectives? Sharing is (often) free, so choosing multiple channels expands your chances of reaching your goal.

Write, format, design and publish your white paper in Maglr

By leveraging Maglr's intuitive tools and interactive features, you can create white papers that stand out, engage your audience, and generate high-quality leads more efficiently. The platform's publishing and analytics capabilities further enhance the effectiveness of your white paper content. Our expertise extends far beyond white papers into digital magazines , interactive annual reports , brochures and more. Talk to us or get a 14-day free trial.

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What is a White Paper? (Definition, Templates + Formatting Tips)

Written by: Masooma Memon

Most people assume that white papers are promotional documents written to convince readers to buy their product or service.

Others think they’re the in-depth version of ebooks — same as ebooks are the detailed versions of blog posts.

Except, a white paper isn’t all that. So, what is a white paper exactly?

Briefly, it’s the academic paper of the content world, designed to provide authoritative content on a particular topic backed by facts and evidence.

In this guide, we'll help you learn what a white paper is, its different types and how to write a white paper of your own. We’ve also got white paper templates to help you get off on the right foot.

Let’s get started.

Ready to create your white paper? Use our professional document creator to access ready-made white paper templates and drag-and-drop design tools, and build a white paper online in minutes.

What is a White Paper?

A white paper is an in-depth, authoritative document explaining or promoting a concept, idea or methodology in a formal, research-backed manner.

Below is an example of a white paper template you can customize:

Since it proposes a new idea or concept as a solution to a problem based on evidence, you can write a whitepaper using the classic copywriting formula: problem, agitate and solve (PAS).

What you need to keep in mind, though, are two things:

• White papers aren’t a place to share your opinions or light-hearted humor
• White papers aren’t overly promotional — all persuasion that you do has to be based on facts, research and real-life stories (think: customer case studies)

Note that the definition also says that a white paper presents a solution in a “formal” way. This means a chatty tone of voice is not appropriate for this type of content. No wonder white papers are known as the academic reports of the content industry.

Similarly, the definition also points out that white papers are “in-depth.”

This means you can’t take an over-the-top or superficial approach with your white paper content. Instead, you go deep into research on the topic to provide a detailed piece.

You can also enlist a subject matter expert’s help to write a white paper.

Or, you can talk to various industry-leading authorities on the topic to present a well-researched paper. In that case, be sure to give credit to the folks you talked to in your references or footnotes.

How long should a white paper be?

All the information noted above takes a lot of space. So, if you’re wondering how long should a white paper be, know that 6-8 pages are the minimum they take. Some white papers can even go up to 50 pages if the topic requires.

Want an example before we dig any deeper?

The Sprout Social Index Index™, Edition XVII: Accelerate presenting research on social data is a good example of a lead-generating white paper.

It’s gated content, of course.

But that leaves us with another important takeaway: if you're writing a white paper for lead generation purposes, you need to create a high-converting landing page for your white paper that gets people to share their information and get your content.

Here are more white paper examples and templates for inspiration.

Types of White Papers

Now that you have the answer to what is a white paper, let’s look at its types.

Keep in mind, the goal is always the same: to present a problem and offer a solution — you’ll find it prevalent in different ways in all three types of white papers.

This makes it clear: a white paper isn’t a user manual or a document enlisting your product features and why people should buy your product.

If you want to do that, again, go back to the main idea of a white paper: present your target reader’s problem. Then present a solution that showcases your product features and how it helps backed by research and case studies.

With that, let’s look at the three types of white papers:

1. Problem/Solution White Papers

These types of white papers come toward the top and middle of the marketing funnel — serving as useful lead magnets to educate your target audience.

Since this type of a white paper works toward spreading awareness, it’s best you understand the problem thoroughly.

To this end, interview customers or target buyers to understand the exact problems they face. This is essential for correctly capturing the readers’ pain points in your content.

After all, it’s only when you can explain the problem correctly that you can connect with your readers. Readers, on the other hand, feel understood and continue reading.

Then, present the solution.

This white paper template from Visme is a great example of a problem/solution white paper that discusses both at length.

Use this white paper template for driving awareness and educating readers in a visually-engaging manner. Make sure you back both the problem and solution with extensive research though.

Since your aim in this type of white paper is to propose and make a winning case for your solution (read: product feature or service), make sure you highlight other industry-leading solutions and their drawbacks too.

This way, readers can understand the solutions they can avail as well as why they should choose what you’re specifically suggesting.

As you share the solution, you can share a case study of another business (similar to the reader) achieving results with your proposed solution. This is the best way to convince readers based on social proof without coming across as overly promotional.

2. Backgrounders

Backgrounders cover technical aspects of your product features for solving business problems.

As this type of white paper goes into product features, it has less to do with awareness and education and more to do with persuading those who are aware of your product.

Meaning: backgrounders are helpful for capturing middle to bottom of the funnel leads — those who are on the verge of buying and want to educate themselves on why they should choose you.

Here's an example of a backgrounder white paper for a travel app:

Recall that white papers aren’t user manuals. This means you won’t sell product features. Instead, you’ll take a convincing approach — sharing a product feature, outlining the problem it solves and how it helps or what makes it different.

As you cover a handful of product features, you’ll make a solid case for why your product or service is the right choice for readers.

Use backgrounders when launching a product and when you want to take steps to establish yourself as the industry authority on the solution you offer.

3. Listicle White Papers

Finally, listicle white papers present a numbered list of questions, tips or points you make on a topic.

Use them to nurture readers through a long and complex sales cycle by presenting a roundup of points or questions on a topic.

Case in point — this white paper template presents roundup information in a well-formatted and easy-to-read fashion:

To reiterate, white papers provide in-depth content. So don’t expect to make a listicle white paper of extensive tips. Such a ‘101 tips on X topic’ type of content is best suitable for blog posts.

With white papers, you can dive between 3-9 pointers at a time. Why? Because it’s only then that you can cover them thoroughly — making a persuasive case in favor of your main idea.

How to Format a White Paper

White papers take a formal and informative tone of voice. But that doesn’t mean they’ve to be boring. Or, hard to read for that matter.

Similarly, white paper readers know that the document presents technical content and they’re ready to read them to educate themselves for making informed decisions.

Again, just because readers expect the paper to be tough to consume doesn’t mean that you make reading challenging for them.

So, what can you do to help? Improve your white paper’s formatting.

Follow these tips to boost your content’s quality by making it readable:

1. Insert a table of contents at the start.

A table of contents (TOC) makes it easy for readers to navigate through the content.

These help with navigation not only when the audience starts reading but also after they’ve read and want to revisit specific sections.

Here’s an example:

Want to make the TOC uber-useful for readers? Make it interactive.

This means when readers click on a particular section, the table should carry them straight to it.

2. Add an executive summary.

With backgrounders and problem/solution white papers, always include a short summary at the start.

It’s best to keep your summary to a few paragraphs or one page long, depending on how long the document itself is.

Here's an example:

Add an executive summary at the start of your white paper to set readers’ expectations — giving them a taste of what’s to come so they can jump in with the right mindset.

3. Organize your content with subheadings and bullet points.

Take on this task when outlining your white paper before writing it.

Subheadings break the text and explain what’s to come in a section — making reading simple.

Simply make sure all your subheadings are direct, to the point and convey benefits to the reader without giving too much info. This is essential to encourage readers to continue consuming your white paper.

While you are at it, make sure each section builds on the other. This is crucial for creating a flow that’s easy to follow.

If you’ve outlined the content beforehand, this shouldn’t be a problem. If not, you’ll want to reorganize the structure for a better narrative.

Also, where you can, use bullet points to deliver your points.

You can leverage them before presenting an argument too. This way, readers will know that the succeeding paragraphs will elaborate on the bullet points.

But bullet points don’t need to be the traditional kind. A visually attractive idea is to use design icons before your text as this white paper template does to introduce product features:

For listicles, you can add design call-out boxes or summary boxes that package what was covered under each point. This is the same as providing chapter takeaways — only more readable.

Here’s an example template using call-out boxes to share the white paper’s highlights at the start:

4. Review your sentences.

Once you’ve written your white paper, edit it for brevity. For this, first, review the entire document for identifying fluff and repetition.

Find a sentence not adding enough value to the paper? Erase it. Make every sentence earn its keep. Second, review each sentence for its structure.

If it’s written in passive voice, change it to active voice. This makes content more authoritative and clear and shortens the sentence too.

If there’s an unnecessarily long sentence, rewrite it to make it clearer and easy to consume.

5. Keep your paragraphs to 3-4 sentences long.

While this is something you should keep in mind as you write your white paper, you can always work on it later on.

But never gloss over it since long paragraphs can be difficult to read.

Shortening paragraphs will not only boost readability but it’ll also make your overall content design breathable and visually engaging.

6. Add supplementary visuals.

Visuals, such as images, do more than just break up the text.

In fact, you need visual content in your white paper for several reasons:

• Supplement and explain your message. This is why you’ll find charts, infographics, concept maps, geographic maps and other such visuals useful.
• Visually to engage readers. This keeps them on the page, cheering them to read on.
• Help readers retain your message. People remember 65% of the information they see in a visual so it makes sense to add more of them in your content.

This template from Visme, for example, uses not only supplementary visuals such as charts but also design icons throughout the paper to make the white paper enticing to read:

7. Choose a readable font type and size.

Fail here and you increase the odds of all the formatting you’ve done so far going to waste. Why? Because small-sized, difficult-to-understand fonts repel readers — no matter how good the content or its organization.

This doesn’t mean you need to invest in a paid font. Instead, free fonts such as Verdana, Times New Roman and Arial can help.

Also, stay away from cursive or fancy fonts as they’re difficult to understand. And keep the font size to at least 12 points.

8. Add enough whitespace to your design.

Whitespace, also known as negative space, is the empty space you add to the page. It’s the space you see between lines of text and around the pages that makes the overall content easy to consume.

Not sure how much is enough whitespace? Use a white paper template to create your document.

This way, you wouldn’t need to worry about the right spacing and can focus on the rest of the formatting.

On that note, let’s walk you through the best white paper templates you can use from Visme’s bank.

Looking to create a stand-out, visual white paper?

• Choose from dozens of professionally designed templates
• Create animated charts and creatively visualize stats and figures
• Customize anything to fit your brand image and content needs

11 White Paper Templates

In this section, you’ll find our handpicked white paper templates to help you create your own document in minutes.

Simply choose the template you like, customize it online in Visme's drag-and-drop editor, and then download it in high-quality or share it online.

Let’s roll:

1. Workplace Design White Paper Template

This is a visually engaging white paper template design with minimalism in mind.

There’s a simple yet effective TOC and attractive visuals such as a map to share locations where your business serves or where your headquarters are — whatever you find it useful for.

2. Travel Guide White Paper Template

This one is the perfect example of a well-structured white paper template.

Look at how it uses sub-sections, bullet points and visuals to divide text — making it a highly readable template.

3. Social Media Privacy White Paper Template

This template makes use of visuals and design icons strategically, improving the white paper’s formatting significantly.

For instance, there are design icons used for bullet points and for sharing feature updates. Numbers are also highlighted to grab readers’ attention.

4. Technology White Paper Template

This template is an excellent example of using call-out boxes to package key takeaways.

It also introduces subject matter experts in an engaging manner at the start. If you’ve talked to experts yourself, use this template to spotlight them and boost your content’s credibility.

5. Digital Marketing White Paper Template

This template is the best fit for a problem/solution white paper.

The reason: it has a handy chart outlining the drawbacks of other available solutions to make a strong case for its solution. It also has a page for showcasing customer success stories.

6. Security White Paper Template

This template is great for a roundup or listicle white paper.

It’s also a good pick for white papers sharing multiple solutions, tips or best practices. That's because it uses design icons for the pointers are shared — making them easier to digest.

7. Real Estate White Paper Template

This property analysis white paper is another clutter-free template to try.

It uses visuals and readable takeaways to improve the white paper’s formatting further. Not to forget, there’s an executive summary page already built into it.

8. Electronic Media White Paper Template

This is another template fit for the problem/solution type of white paper.

What makes it unique and worth using it is that it clearly highlights the reader's problem under a specified heading. And, offers a solution under a particular heading too.

Plus, it highlights quotes from experts — boosting the content’s authority instantly.

9. Business White Paper Template

This template does an effective job at showcasing the research you’ve done by using numbers-based design icons featuring stats from the study.

Additionally, this template is also packed with supplementary images that help make your message memorable.

10. Government White Paper Template

Have research insights to share but don’t need design icons to do so? Use this template that leverages a chart to feature research findings.

11. Cryptocurrency White Paper Template

This is another problem/solution white paper template design — complete with a key takeaways section.

That said, it’s best to use this template if you’re pitching your solution, idea or concept against one another solution.

If you need to introduce and compare your solution or idea against a third solution or concept, feel free to add more pages to the template.

Create a High-Performing White Paper Today

We hope you now have a clear understanding of what is a white paper and the different types of white papers you can leverage.

Always remember: white paper content is references-backed, well-researched technical content covering a topic of your audience’s interest in depth.

And while it’s written using a formal tone, you can make it easy to read with a clutter-free design and thoughtful formatting.

Ready to create your white paper? Head over to Visme's professional document creator and use it to create a breathable, easy-to-read white paper for free.

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About the Author

Masooma Memon is a pizza-loving freelance writer by day and a novel nerd by night. She crafts research-backed, actionable blog posts for SaaS and marketing brands who aim to employ quality content to educate and engage with their audience.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

White Paper: Purpose and Audience

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What is a White Paper?

Originally, the term white paper was used as shorthand to refer to an official government report, indicating that the document is authoritative and informative in nature. Writers typically use this genre when they argue a specific position or propose a solution to a problem, addressing the audience outside of their organization. Today, white papers have become popular marketing tools for corporations especially on the Internet since many potential customers search for information on the Web. Corporations use white papers to sell information or new products as solutions that would serve their customers' needs.

The Purpose of a White Paper

Typically, the purpose of a white paper is to advocate that a certain position is the best way to go or that a certain solution is best for a particular problem. When it is used for commercial purposes, it could influence the decision-making processes of current and prospective customers.

What Kind of Problems Do Readers Want to Solve?

The audience for a white paper can be the general public or multiple companies that seek solutions to their problems or needs. Typically, you will not know your audience personally, unlike when you write a recommendation report for your client. And yet, in order to persuade your audience, you need to focus on their needs. If you can address the problems that your readers want to solve, they will read your white paper for a solution. Otherwise, your white paper may not be read. It is important to emphasize your readers' interests rather than your interests, as shown in the example below:

Business growth

Marketing tips

What is a whitepaper?

How to write a whitepaper—and what you can expect it to do for your business..

Whenever I say the word whitepaper, I often get glazed-over looks, weird nodding motions, and get-me-out-of-here body language. And sure, a whitepaper isn't as glamorous as a data report or as relatable as a blog post, but don't knock it till you've tried it.

I've written several whitepapers (also known as special reports or research reports) over the years, and they're actually pretty interesting to research and write, especially if you love doing deep dives into topics.

And when done properly, whitepapers generate quality leads that will advance through the sales process. Here's everything you need to know about whitepapers.

Benefits of a whitepaper

A customer will read a whitepaper because it educates them on something they want to know more about. But in the process, whitepapers help potential customers learn more about your product, service, or solution and persuade them to take the next step in their buying journey. 

Here are the primary benefits for your business:

It positions you as an authority in your industry, demonstrating that you understand your customers' problems and how to solve them.

It increases awareness of your solution to those problems.

It builds brand trust by helping prospects make an informed buying decision.

When should you use a whitepaper?

Let's say you have a coffee shop. Coffee is a product that speaks for itself—anyone walking by can smell what you're brewing and decide if it's enticing or not. But if your offering is less tangible and more knowledge-based, then you'll need a different way to draw in customers and display your expertise. Whitepapers are a great solution.

Whitepaper examples

Here are two whitepaper examples, to give you a sense of what they look like.

Whitepaper example: Jiminny

Whitepaper example: Highspot

Whitepaper vs. eBook vs. blog post: What's the difference?

You have a bunch of options for written content—a whitepaper is only one of them. 

A blog post is lighter in tone, shorter in length, and never gated. While blog posts vary in length, they're generally shorter than eBooks or whitepapers—and they tend to be hyper-focused on a specific topic.

An eBook can also be light in tone, but it's longer and usually gated. It digs deeper into a topic or might present information on a broader collection of topics. It also often has a lot of visuals to support the text.

A whitepaper is often more authoritative in tone, is longer, and cites research from start to finish. 

The 3 main types of whitepaper

Once you've decided you need a whitepaper, you'll need to figure out which type of whitepaper you want to develop. You can map it to the stage of the customer journey you're targeting.

Numbered list whitepaper

This type of whitepaper presents a set of points about a specific topic of interest to your audience, often leaning heavily on industry trends.

Funnel stage: Awareness . This roundup style is often used to nurture prospects in the early stages of the customer journey—folks who are looking for general industry information and want to be better informed.

Problem/solution whitepaper

This type of whitepaper recommends a new or better solution for a challenging business or technical problem. 

Funnel stage: Consideration . This type of whitepaper is often used to attract and educate prospects in the middle stages of the buying journey: they know they have a problem, and they're researching ways to meet their challenges and goals. 

Backgrounder  

This type of whitepaper explains the technical features of a product or service and its related benefits. 

Funnel stage: Decision . This is useful for prospects comparing a shortlist of solutions near the end of the customer journey: they want more information about your specific product or service.

There are also loads of business-savvy chimeras that combine aspects of each of these types. Don't feel pigeon-holed, but use these three types as guidance for how to think about developing your whitepaper.

How to write a whitepaper

Now it's time to sit down and write the thing. But how exactly do you do that? First, keep in mind that writing a whitepaper takes longer and is much more intense than writing a blog post. You're not going to bang it out in one sitting, so before you begin the process, it's best to have a roadmap to keep you on track.

1. Select a topic and style

Choosing the right topic for your whitepaper directly influences the results. If you select a topic of serious interest to your ideal audience, you'll generate lots of leads and insights. Otherwise, you'll have wasted your time on a long piece of content.

Ask yourself:

Do I need something to explain how my product solves a problem for a specific audience to attract new leads? 

Do I need a well-researched report to nurture prospects until they're ready to buy? 

Is there a complex feature that prospects need to understand thoroughly before making their final buying decision? 

These questions will help you identify which type of whitepaper to write and what topic to write about.

2. Do your research

To write about a topic well, you'll need to understand it through and through. Complete thorough research before diving into any actual writing: read other papers on the topic, interview subject matter experts, or conduct a survey. Search for data, surveys, and research studies from authoritative industry sources to help build your argument and prove your whitepaper's premise. 

If your whitepaper reads like a blog post, with minimal citations and a lack of authoritative sources, readers won't see you as a valuable source of information.

3. Create an outline

Here's a standard whitepaper format:

Introduction

Executive summary

Various sections (and subsections) throughout the body, guided by your research

Somewhere in your whitepaper (usually at the beginning or end), you'll also want a section about your company. How prominent this description is will depend on the type of whitepaper you're writing, but you want people to know who's providing this valuable resource.

Also in your outline, indicate where you'll want graphics and what you think those graphics should demonstrate or represent. This will help you kick off the design aspect earlier, so there isn't a design bottleneck once you've completed the whitepaper.

4. Get feedback

Always run your outline by other stakeholders before moving forward. (If you have a sales or customer support team, they're great resources because they have their finger on the pulse of customer pain points.) Now's your chance to get everyone on the same page, brainstorm any gaps in the content, or see a different perspective on a given topic.

If you do this before writing, it'll save you a lot of time and effort down the line.

5. Write your whitepaper

With that feedback in hand, flesh out your outline and write the body of your whitepaper report. Dig into that research, and give your readers keen insights and valuable takeaways. A few specific notes:

Add subheadings to break up large sections for readers who prefer to skim—they'll also make the document easier to read for everyone. 

Add comments to note when something should be placed in a callout box or otherwise highlighted in the final version.

Indicate where different visuals will be placed.

Cite your sources. I know this goes without saying, but it's a non-negotiable.

Once you've finished the body copy, write your introduction, executive summary, and conclusion. Readers get the gist of the report by reading these sections before deciding if reading the whole whitepaper is worthwhile.

6. Edit and refine

Once you have what you think is a final draft of your whitepaper, have a trusted colleague or an editor do a final proofread. (Or they might give you bigger picture feedback, in which case, back to the drawing board!)

7. Add formatting, graphics, and design

You've done it—you have a final draft. Now, make it visually pleasing. Work with a designer to add those graphs, charts, or illustrations to help your audience literally see your points. Lean into aesthetics and dress up your whitepaper with a dynamic layout and design aspects. Just be sure your design choices aren't interfering with readability.

8. Create a landing page with a lead gen form

And remember, the landing page is only one way to get people to download your whitepaper. You should also get your sales team involved, and advise them to share your whitepaper with prospects they've been nurturing. Use your whitepaper cross-functionally, and reap the benefits of your well-researched, well-crafted document.

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Margot Howard

Margot is a freelance content marketing writer with many years of corporate sales experience. She writes for B2B SaaS, software, and service companies, especially Sales Technology companies. When she isn't writing, you can find Margot cooking, hiking, or walking her dog. Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3gCGDL2.

• Sales & business development
• Lead management
• Content marketing

Lead management is the process of collecting and managing leads with the goal of turning them into customers through targeted marketing content.

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How to write a white paper

By Corinna Keefe

By Corinna Keefe — Contributing Writer

White papers are one of the most powerful and persuasive formats available for content marketing. They can show off your expertise, position your business as an industry leader, and convince new customers that you’re the solution to all their worries.

But creating good white papers is an art. And if you want to share a successful white paper, then you’ll need clear goals, new insights to share, and the right publishing platform. 

In this guide, we’re going to take a closer look at white papers. We’ll discuss exactly what a white paper is, how content marketers use white papers , and how the format is evolving – plus review some case studies and white papers examples to inspire you.

What are white papers for?

What are the different types of white paper, white papers for content marketers.

• How to share white papers

How white papers are changing

What makes a good white paper, examples of white papers for content marketing, white papers for content marketing: faqs.

What do the BBC, Tripadvisor, and Penguin have in common? They craft stunning, interactive web content with Shorthand. And so can you! Publish your first story for free — no code or web design skills required. Sign up now.

What is a white paper?

A white paper is a well-researched summary of all the information available on a topic. It’s designed to help the reader make a decision, understand a situation, or solve a problem (or all three!).

So when it comes to content marketing , a B2B white paper might help someone make a purchasing decision, learn more about their industry, or solve a problem for their business. It aims to support the reader … without giving them the hard sell.

White papers are different from other promotional materials, because they’re not written to make a sale right away. And they’re different from blogs or feature articles , because they are usually longform, and offer a greater depth of information and research. White papers are an example of premium content , but they’re not exclusive to customers; they’re a way of reaching out to new prospects and other stakeholders.

The easiest way to understand the purpose of a white paper is to understand where they come from.

The idea of a “white paper” was invented by the British government. It referred to a short informational document, printed and bound in white paper, that set out proposals for legislation. And it had two key characteristics: first of all, the pr oposals were only suggestions, not absolute commitments. And second of all, they were available for the general public to read. They were public-facing, instead of just internal documents.

Those features are still important today, even in the very different context of content marketing. A white paper for content marketing may not be printed, and it will hopefully be a bit more colourful than a simple white page. But it will include practical, well-researched suggestions or solutions to a problem.

And it will be written for people outside the organisation: potential customers, not insiders. The tricky part is to find the right balance between technical detail and readability. Unlike academic papers, a white paper is an expert summary for people who may not have very deep knowledge of the topic at hand.

In content marketing, white papers are most often used for lead generation and as a sales tool, though can also be used for building brand awareness and establishing credibility as an expert in your specific industry or field.

Content marketers often talk about three different types of white paper, each with a slightly different goal:

• Problem/solution. This kind of white paper is very straightforward: you outline a particular problem, then recommend a solution. In content marketing, it’s often aimed at prospects at the top of the funnel. It may be optimised for search engines.
• Summary list. In this format, you sum up all the available information on a topic. It’s a useful reference and is usually shared with prospects who have started to move through the sales funnel.
• Backgrounder. This is the most in-depth type of white paper. It’s reserved for readers who are already strongly engaged with a topic and ready to make a purchase. 

You might also see white papers referred to by other names, such as a competitive review, an executive briefing, a market overview, a position paper, an evaluator’s guide, or a special report. 

Regardless of the type of white paper you create, note that white papers are not for declaring opinions or making a sales pitch. They should be focused on facts, leaving readers to make their own decisions. You can have a point of view or an editorial angle, but it must be supported by the evidence.

Now you know the basic types and aims of a white paper, let’s talk tactics. Are white papers cost-effective for content marketers? How should you distribute a white paper? How do you know when to use a white paper, and when to switch to another format?

Before you start writing, you’ll need to think about:

• Topic. The ideal topic is something that your customers are interested in, and you’re an expert on. Think about the questions and problems that your target audience faces. Talk to people across your business: have they noticed any new trends, interesting data, or recurring questions?
• Purpose. There are lots of different reasons to produce a white paper, from thought leadership and SEO to market positioning and qualifying leads. White papers take a lot of effort to create, so make sure you have a definite goal before you start.
• Length . Most white papers are at least several thousand words long. The exact length of your white paper will depend on your audience, purpose, and how much information you have to share. If you find yourself struggling to produce that much content, consider using another format.
• Audience. The tone and style of your white paper should reflect your ideal audience. Understanding your audience will also help you to choose a distribution strategy and design.

It’s important to understand that writing a white paper is a serious investment of time and resources. It can take weeks to write a long, in-depth report, and months to gather the necessary data and research. White papers are premium content and so the investment will often pay off, but you need a clear idea of the costs and benefits before you start work.

In some situations (for example, if you want to reach clients more quickly, or if you don’t yet have enough data), then a shorter blog post or article might be a better bet. Remember that there is an opportunity cost involved: a white paper might consume a lot of your time for a few weeks, so you’ll need to have content planned ahead.

Want to make your writing process more efficient? Check out our roundup of the best writing tools .

How to distribute white papers

One popular tactic for proving the return on investment on white papers is to gate them. With this tactic, content marketers offer access to an authoritative white paper in exchange for data such as contact details or information about a potential client’s business. You’ve probably filled in a few of those gated forms yourself.

Gated content appeals to content marketers because it’s one of those rare occasions where the impact of content can be measured right away. However, it’s decreasingly popular with audiences. There are a few reasons for this:

Readers get bored of filling out forms every time they want to access content.

Some marketers ask for too much data, too soon, which damages the relationship with readers.

It’s difficult for readers to assess the quality of the content in advance. If you fill in a form for a white paper which turns out to be light on information, that damages trust too.

So we’re seeing more and more content marketers turn to other distribution strategies.

White papers can also be offered as a free-to-access webpage, instead of a gated PDF . Some content marketers are experimenting with partial gating, such as allowing access to an executive summary but gating the more detailed research behind a white paper.

We’ve also seen white papers which are open-access, but end with an invitation to sign up to a newsletter or share contact details for a sales call.

White papers have come a long way from government photocopies being handed around offices in London, Paris, or New York. And they’re still changing today, as readers’ priorities, interests, and focus change. 

The biggest difference is that white papers are now available digitally. For the past few years, the most popular format has been PDFs, which mak es some sense. PDFs can be emailed, gated, downloaded, or saved, and they can contain images and links as well as text.

But content marketers have started to discover the limitations of PDFs . The latest generation of white papers is interactive, immersive, highly visual, and more often open access. 

Let’s take a closer look at that description.

• Interactive. White papers present a huge amount of information. That can be overwhelming for readers! Interactive elements make it even easier for people to jump to the data they need – for exam ple, by adding filters to charts and data tables, or clicking on internal links to focus on the most relevant sections of a white paper.
• Immersive . Marketers have begun to embrace the idea that content should be entertaining as well as informative. When readers are immersed in a white paper with strong digital storytelling and multimedia elements, they stay longer and remember more. And yes, that applies to hard research too, with the emerging strategy of data storytelling .
• Visual. With conventional printed papers and pdfs, it was more difficult to include visual elements. But the latest publishing platforms and marketing tools mean that you can illustrate white papers with photos, videos, infographics, and animations. They’re eye-catching and, with the right design, can significantly enhance readers’ understanding.
• Open. One reason that digital white papers have outstripped print is that they’re so much easier to share. There’s no limit on how many people can read a digital white paper at the same time. What’s more, it’s easier for people to respond and contribute to the white paper through commenting, sharing, and interacting.

In other words, white papers are evolving. They’re moving on from the restrictions of the original, official documents, and focusing more on the needs of readers.

So with all that in mind: what does a good white paper look like in the 21st century? We’ve identified 6 key characteristics of a successful white paper for content marketing. 

1. Good white papers are driven by data and fully supported by eviden ce. While you can get pretty far with a research report on existing trends and statistics, great white papers present new, proprietary data. 

2. They also offer thought leadership and a unique perspective. This is a delicate line to walk. While you don’t want to push too far – remember, white papers aren’t sales sheets – you still have a goal to achieve. You want readers to choose your solution to the problem, respect you as an industry authority, or make a decision that favours your business. That means having a strong, but subtle, editorial line.

3. Producing an authoritative white paper is also about appearances and design. A successful white paper, whether it’s for content marketing or anything else, will look professionally produced. For something like a PDF file, that means a carefully edited and formatted document. For a digital publication, that means a functional site which works across different devices and browsers, with a glossy design to match.

4. Visual design is essential to white papers. Because they’re extended pieces of content, it’s easy to focus on the written aspect of a report above the visual design. But visuals can make all the difference: highlighting key points, using brand fonts, breaking up information with headings and numbered lists, putting a human face on statistics, illustrating technical information, and presenting data at a glance with charts, graphs, and tables. 

5. Increasingly, that design also needs to be multimedia and interactive. In the examples of white papers below, you’ll see all kinds of media, from videos and podcasts to sketches, animated charts, and maps. Interactive designs make it easier for readers to focus on the information that engages them most, as well as packing in more data.

6. Finally, the best white papers are tailored for a specific audience. Every element, from white paper design to distribution to tone of voice, is aimed to reach the ideal reader.

In the next section, we’ll look at some examples of white papers which manage just that.

1. The thought leadership white paper

In 2021, international law firm Gowling WLG published a roadmap for recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic . And if you check out the design, you’ll see that this white paper is… a literal road map.

As well as a fun design idea, this serves to link the report together. Each section, from healthcare to housing, is illustrated as a “stop” along the road. 

Gowling WLG also got the memo about multimedia white papers. Their research and predictions are shown through written reports, statistics, podcasts, and even a collection of wellbeing resources.

2.  Keystone content to share with others

Our next example is a fantastic example of tailoring content for your audience. The book publisher Penguin released Lit In Colour , a white paper about how literature is taught in UK schools. The report was aimed at teachers, parents, and students, so it had to be both authoritative and readable.

The design is immediately user-friendly. With an estimated reading time, bright block colours, and book-themed illustrations of key statistics, it’s easy to understand at a glance. It’s also optimised for people to extract key points and share them in class or online. 

The report finishes up by identifying key barriers and opportunities, with different suggested actions for parents, educators, children, and general readers. This is a report for everybody.

3.   The authoritative industry report

Our last example comes from the Hamilton Commission, an organisation established in 2020 to get more young black people involved with engineering and motorsport.

The Hamilton Commission report us es industry statistics as well as anonymous interviews to discuss diversity in motorsport and point out the key problems to be solved. And, as a document which could equally be used for campaigning or policy-making, it’s designed to be readable by everyone. 

This white paper uses illustrations, photographs, videos, interviews, and scroll-based animations to create a lively, interactive experience. Key statistics are highlighted in accent colours.

Each section of the report ends with a list of key recommendations, including “immediate opportunities” which should be acted on at once. The tone of the report is decisive and urgent, provoking conversation and action.

Feeling inspired? Before you start writing, we just have a few more tips to share. Here are some of the most common questions we get asked about white papers… and the most up-to-date answers.

Should I gate my white paper?

In the past, white papers have been a very popular f orm of gated content . But this tactic is now getting diminishing returns. Readers are wary of handing over their data before they know whether the content is good, and unfortunately, some content marketers have misused gated content to demand too much. These days, you’re better off sharing white papers openly and using calls to action to follow up.

Should I publish my white paper as a PDF?

Publishing white papers as PDFs went hand in hand with gated content. You fill out a form, you get a download link, you read the PDF. 

That’s no longer convenient for readers – not to mention the many accessibility and design issues with PDFs. You’ll be able to do more, and get more readers, with an online publishing platform like Shorthand. It’s easy to add interactive elements like scroll-based animations, and you can share the white paper as widely as you choose.

How long does it take to produce a white paper?

Every white paper is different, but as a general rule of thumb, you’ll need to factor in both research time and writing time. Writing time might take a couple of weeks; research could take much longer, depending on how much data you have already collected and how much subject matter expertise you have in-house. It’s never worth rushing a white paper. The whole point of this content format is to offer detailed, accurate, unique research – so don’t skimp on it!

How do I distribute my white paper?

Your distribution strategy will partly depend on your audience and goals. For example, if you want to share a white paper with readers who are already close to committing to your brand, then you could share it via email. If you want to reach completely new sales prospects, then you’ll probably need to share the white paper more widely, on social media and your website.

White papers are also a great source of keystone content. You can break the research down into smaller pieces of content (such as quotes, image slides, key statistics and video clips), and then share those. These smaller content extracts can be used to promote the white paper itself or as part of a separate social media strategy. The more you reuse the content in your white paper, the more return on investment you’ll see.

What are some alternatives to white papers?

White papers are really good at what they do, which is to provide authoritative and convincing information on a specific issue. But they aren’t always the right option for your marketing objectives.

For example, if you want to get content out the door quickly, then short blogs or social posts might be more effective. And if you’re trying to build an SEO strategy from the ground up, then hub-and-spoke blog content might help you rank higher.

On the other hand, if your goal is to build authority, become a thought leader, and make a persuasive business case to new customers… then white papers are for you!

Corinna Keefe is a freelance writer specialising in tech, heritage and education. Originally from the UK, she has lived and worked in 10 different countries.

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White Paper: What Is It & How To Write One [With Examples]

Creating a white paper is a quick way to build your expert image, get a ton of shares and mentions of your company on other blogs and social media, and generate leads online.

But creating a white paper is a daunting process that often requires conducting additional research, interviewing experts, and involving specialists in writing and putting it together.

In this article, we will explain what makes an excellent white paper and how to create it stress-free.

What is a White Paper?

A white paper is a form of content that aims to position a brand as a thought leader in the industry and build trust among interested parties—potential buyers of its products or services.

White papers are usually backed with solid research and contain original findings on a specific subject. The subject covered in the white paper is often the one where the company or brand can show extensive expertise.

White papers are often written from either perspective:

• Presenting a background of a subject and covering all related specifics and trends
• Showing solutions to a specific problem and equipping the audience with the right tools to solve a particular issue.

White papers are widely used in B2B but are not limited to this domain. These days, any company or brand can benefit from creating a white paper.

There are at least two main benefits that white papers bring to any company using this type of content in their strategy— lead generation and brand building . So how can you create a white paper that helps reach these two goals? Let’s explore.

Tips on Writing a Good White Paper

White papers are not another guide compiled from information taken from Internet sources. Instead, a good white paper is original content that no one has ever covered.

That’s why writing a white paper is quite demanding and involves documented research and interviews with key players in the field.

Here are some tips to make working on creating and promoting a white paper more accessible for you.

1. Choose the right topic for a white paper

Your white paper topic shouldn’t be a random choice. Start by outlining the areas where you have the most expertise, researching how well those topics are covered, and looking for content gaps—your best content opportunity.

If no one has adequately covered a topic or subject within your area of expertise, this is a good place to start.

Ryan Carruthers, Content Marketing Manager at Together , says:

Our process for writing white papers is to compare our highest traffic and highest converting blogs. If these topics are driving a lot of awareness or even bringing in revenue, we should probably be developing thought leadership around it. We'll dig into these high value blogs and then consider the wider context they sit within. Then we'll dig a lot deeper into the topic as a white paper. For example, if we have a blog on employees who are thinking about their long term career goals and it generates a lot of traffic for us, perhaps it would make sense to put together a white paper on the trending skills or career trends for employees in a certain industry or demographic.

Apart from covering a content gap online, your topic should also meet the needs of your audience and be engaging.

2. Research your target reader

Before writing even a paragraph of your white paper, define your audience. Take some time to look at their demographics, motivations, objections, challenges, etc. Then, you can use the following template to do your persona homework .

Putting yourself in your persona’s shoes will help you choose the right tone of voice for your white book and include relevant information for your target audience.

3. Structure your white paper and brainstorm contributors

When you have a rough idea about the topic and persona, it’s time to outline your guide and become more specific on the content of a white paper. Next, you can break it down into chapters, and once your overall structure is ready, proceed to the outline of each chapter.

You might want to consider what research you’d need for every chapter and whether you're going to involve your partners or other industry thought leaders in creating the white paper.

For example, you can choose to interview some experts both within your organization and outside of it. Next, you can quote them in the white paper and encourage the experts to distribute the white paper in their network.

Tip: Using StoryChief’s editor, it’s super easy to collaborate with internal and external writers on your ebook content. Write in real-time, provide feedback, resolve comments, and approve content for publication. Try it free .

4. Provide lots of value

When writing white papers, share unique findings or research to position yourself as an expert. Instead of rewriting what’s already available online, provide a different angle.

Adding interview transcripts with experts that share new information is critical. But you can also develop a methodology for independent research, collect data through surveys, and describe your findings.

Look at the subject from the perspective of solving a specific problem your users usually face and demonstrate possible solutions.

The process of writing a white paper should focus on taking your reader from point A to point B. At point A, users have some issues you want to help them solve. Then, by educating them on the subject and showing them how they can solve the problem, your users end up at point B.

5. Make your white paper engaging

Remember that your white paper is not a doctoral thesis, your audience expects easy-to-consume content. That’s why you have to follow these rules when creating your white paper.

• Keep sentences short. Your audience can have a short attention span and will most likely read your white paper online. Long sentences can make it more challenging to consume content on the Internet.
• Shorten your paragraphs. Your paragraphs shouldn’t be too long. Make sure they don’t exceed 3-4 passages.
• Adjust the amount of jargon. Again, depending on who will read your white paper, they expect different content complexity levels and industry jargon.
• Use some examples or case studies . Examples and case studies make it easy to understand the subject and make content more engaging.
• Think over the visual format . It’s best to work with a professional graphic designer who can make your content shine. The visual content (images, infographics, tables, and illustrations) is also essential as it dramatically affects how we perceive information. For example, online insurance company PolicyMe uses eye-catching visuals and infographics to make their reports about finances more engaging.

6. Proofread to avoid mistakes

Grammar or punctuation mistakes don’t contribute to creating a professional image. That’s why you must proofread your white paper content before sending it for design or distribution.

It’s best to work with an editor who can spot your mistakes and polish your content.

7. Create a landing page and opt-in form

You can’t just randomly link your white paper content on your blog or main page. It needs a dedicated place on your website where you can direct people. Create a landing page where you can build demand for your white paper and describe the benefits of downloading it.

You can gate your white paper and present it as ungated or semi-gated content.

For gated content , you have to create an opt-in form asking your readers to submit some of their details (such as email or phone number) to download the white paper. Then, you can generate leads and nurture them to become sales opportunities.

With ungated content , you don’t create any opt-in forms and make your white paper content available to a broader audience, but you don’t usually generate leads. This option is excellent for brand building, improving your search ranking, and getting your white paper shared online.

Semi-gated content is a good option as well. It involves making some parts of your white paper ungated and gating the rest of the content. Once readers reach the gated part of the content, you can trigger an opt-in form.

Here is why this approach works. Reading a few pages can help readers understand the value of your white paper. Then, once you ask them for contact details, they will experience much lower friction compared to the situation when they are asked for details in advance.

Read more: Content Marketing Toolkit to Bring in More Leads

7. Distribute your white paper

The distribution part is equally crucial as creating content. Not many people will find your white paper online without a proper distribution strategy. That’s why deciding on the distribution channels for the promotion is essential.

For example, you can involve your partners in posting about your white paper on their social media, giving it a boost with ads, or optimizing it better so it ranks higher in Google. Choose the promotion strategy that fits your business specifics the best.

Read more: Ebook distribution funnel template

White paper examples

With the growing popularity of content marketing, any business can benefit from creating and distributing white papers.

Use cases of white papers appear in different fields, from marketing to tech. Let’s look at a few examples of white papers across industries.

1. Netguru — Disruption Guide Fintech 2022

In their Fintech Guide, Netguru covers the main aspects of technology for the financial industry — trends, people, and companies that play a crucial role in this field.

Their white paper is based on interviews with thought leaders in the field, which adds to the resource’s credibility.

On their dedicated landing page, they show the white paper’s outline and bring up the images of internal and external experts that have contributed to this solid piece of research.

The white paper has been created to attract the interest of both startups and established companies that want to get familiar with the latest fintech trends. It is the audience Netguru aims to build trust with and eventually convert into sales opportunities.

2. 360Learning — 2022 US Learning and Development Career Path Guide

360Learning is a learning management system specializing in helping companies promote collaborative learning throughout their organizations.

Their white paper covers the career paths and salary reports for the US Learning and Development industry. This white paper is unique in that most of the content is ungated - meaning you don’t need to give your email address to access it.

3. Searchmetrics — US eCommerce Market Analysis

Searchmetrics researched the key eCommerce verticals to learn about the trends in search queries, paid traffic, and companies dominating search rankings.

With their whitepaper, Searchmetrics is targeting SEO specialists and marketers.

The company emphasizes the benefits of downloading a whitepaper that decreases the friction of filling out the opt-in form for white paper download.

4. Upflow - 8 Tips to Get Paid on Time

Rather than getting too in-depth, Upflow chose to keep its guide digestible by providing just 8 methods businesses can use to get paid on time. To make it easy for users to convert, they only ask two questions on their form, but they do it in a really smart way.

The most important piece of information for Upflow to have about potential leads is what invoicing tool they use, so they simply and only ask that. No need to fill out country, company, or job title. This is a good technique for gated content. Figure out what the one piece of information you actually need to know about leads is, and then simply ask that.

Concluding thoughts on white papers

White papers are a great tool to build your thought leadership online. It helps position you as an expert and attracts the attention of the people you can help with your expertise.

But white papers don’t only educate; they also become an excellent lead-generation tool and bring you new clients. By following the tips we have covered, you can publish a white paper that your audience will find helpful and share it with their communities.

Ready to supercharge lead generation? Let content be your magnet! Join the ranks of 5,000 successful businesses using StoryChief to attract more leads through content. Get started for free today .

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The 2024 Ultimate Guide: How to Write and Format a White Paper

The step by step guide to succeeding with white paper marketing.

• 1 What is a white paper?
• 2. White paper examples
• 3 How to write a white paper
• 4 Mistakes a white paper should avoid
• 5 White paper Format
• 6 Gating your white papers
• 7 White paper distribution
• 8 Handling your white paper leads
• 9 Choosing the right white paper template
• 10 Final thoughts

Introduction

White papers are a popular and powerful tool for content marketers. They can be used to position your company as a thought leader and authority on a particular topic by presenting useful and persuasive research findings and technical information about your products and services.

White papers can also be used as a powerful asset to generate more leads when the information is valuable enough for readers to submit their personal details in order to access your findings. This ultimate guide will teach you everything you need to make white paper marketing a formidable addition to your content marketing strategy . 

1. What is a white paper and why is it important?

A white paper is an in-depth report or guide informing readers about a specific topic and its problems. It is meant to educate readers and help them to understand and solve an issue. It is important as it helps establish a company as an expert in its field, educates customers, and influences decisions. 

In the world of marketing, a white paper is a long-form piece of content , similar to an eBook . The difference between the two is that white papers tend to be more technical and in-depth. The facts and opinions expressed in white papers are often backed by original research or statistics that the publisher has aggregated from reliable sources. They often include data visualizations such as charts, graphs, tables, and more.

The term "white papers" originated in England as government-issued documents. One famous example is the Churchill White Paper , commissioned by Winston Churchill in 1922.

Today, the term is most commonly applied to “deep dive” style publications for marketing purposes. Businesses — especially in the consulting, financial, or B2B sectors — use them to communicate their organization’s philosophy on a topic, make the case for the superiority of their product, or simply to present important points related to their field.

White papers are no less editorial than other forms of content, but the depth of research lends them an authoritative tone. For this reason, they are good candidates for promoting thought leadership .

Who uses white papers?

In the past, white papers were most often produced by governmental agencies, NGOs, think tanks, consultancies, and financial institutions that needed to present the findings of their ongoing research in a succinct format.

With the widespread growth and adoption of content marketing (the creation and distribution of non-promotional content intended to generate interest in a business and its offerings), white papers have become more common in other industries as well. Any organization that engages in content marketing can benefit from producing white papers.

Their popularity across industries is due to their versatility. While all white papers have certain elements in common, a B2B startup will use them differently than a large consultancy, and both will use them differently from a governmental organization.

Types of white papers

There are numerous types of white papers a business might publish.

• One type is the backgrounder , in which the benefits of their product, service, or methodology are explained in depth.
• Another is a problem-solution approach, which walks the audience through the solution to a problem that is common in their industry.

Other types of white papers simply present a summary of useful statistics and information about the state of a particular field or industry. An example of this would be the Content Marketing Benchmarks Budgets and Trends from the Content Marketing Institute.

Whatever type you produce , the contents of your white paper should serve to showcase your expertise in a given area. Your audience is searching for an information document and will look for an authoritative source — a business they perceive as having in-depth knowledge of a subject.

The contents of your white paper should serve to showcase your expertise in a given area.

How can a white paper benefit businesses or organizations?

White papers enable you to build trust with your audience. They show readers that you're reliable, experienced, and adept in a given domain. When potential customers search for an informational document to help them understand a problem or opportunity they're facing, and you provide them with a quality white paper that helps, they'll turn to you again in the future.

This perception of authority can also serve to boost sales in an organization. More than half the respondents to the Eccolo Media B2B Technology Content Survey reported having read a white paper before making a buying decision. Buyers prefer to purchase from vendors they trust and see as experts in their field.

Finally, white papers are extremely useful for lead generation . The Content Preferences Survey from DemandGen found that more than three-fourths of survey respondents were willing to exchange personal information for a white paper — more than for eBooks , case studies, analyst reports , podcasts, brochures , or infographics.

With all of these potential benefits, utilizing white papers in your content marketing strategy can produce great results.

More than three-fourths of survey respondents were willing to exchange personal information for a white paper.

2. White paper examples

When you think about white papers, you probably think of PDF articles with thousands of words. But times are changing and so is the way we produce and consume content.

Nowadays, every marketing collateral (including white papers) needs to be well-written, well-structured, and designed for every type of visitor. 

Here are some great examples of white papers doing exactly that. 

This unique one-pager presenting findings from the Developers at Work Survey demonstrates how a white paper should be done. The animated, interactive data charts show off just what's possible with our embed feature .

Open white paper example #1  

Privacy and the GDPR - BDO

This well-produced special edition produced by BDO and creative agency Monte Media does an incredible job of turning a conventionally dull topic into a piece of content that's engaging and comes to life.

Open white paper example #2

This white paper is a step by step guide to succeeding with content marketing.

See more  white paper examples

Start creating white papers with Foleon

3. How to write a white paper

Starting a white paper can be a daunting task. So much information and research are required that it’s easy to get lost in that portion of the work and let it become a roadblock to actually putting things on paper.

Even after the writing itself has begun, white papers are tricky to do well. Simply listing statistics without some form of narrative arc is a surefire way to keep your white paper from ever being read. Luckily, following a few simple guidelines can help keep a white paper engaging and make the process of finishing it much easier.

Pick the right topic

This might seem obvious, but without a topic that resonates with your audience, your white paper is not likely to be read. When choosing the right topic, you should consider three important criteria:

• It should be something you are qualified to write about.
• It should be something your audience is interested in.
• It should address a topic around which little content has been written already and thus fill a " content gap ."

Naturally, finding a topic that brings points 1 and 2 together is vital. White papers are meant to be authoritative pieces of content based upon the author's experience and expertise, so it's important to write about what you know . But you must match this to the interests of your readers if you're to produce something they'll be eager to engage with .

Don't be afraid to crowdsource information from within your organization. If the topic of a white paper is related to engineering, why not interview an engineer or have them look over what you’ve written? The same goes for other roles. Crowdsourcing knowledge means having the power of a true expert in many fields.

Finally, filling a "content gap" will help your white paper get noticed and gain traction. By addressing a topic no one else has written about definitely, your white paper will be more likely to rank highly on search engines and even be featured elsewhere on the web.

Pro tip: You can even ask your audience what they would like to see in your upcoming white paper. You'll get ideas, make your topic more relevant, and you'll generate buzz around your content even before it's finished. In fact, we used the same method for this guide!

Define your audience

Defining your audience goes hand in hand with choosing the right topic. But moving beyond your audience's interests, it’s important to think of the kinds of people who will be reading your white paper.

• Are they fellow professionals, well versed in your subject?
• Are they likely to be reading something they are relatively unfamiliar with?

Knowing this helps establish the voice you should use and whether industry-specific jargon is appropriate. It also narrows the scope of the research you should include. It’s always important to ensure all arguments are logically sound and well supported, but the stats and information presented should be relevant to the specific audience you're targeting.

Part of defining an audience in the age of Google centers around how people will find the white paper. This means thinking about which platforms specific personas use for research and what search terms they put in. Not only will this help a white paper get found by the right people, but it is useful when outlining the white paper later on.

Optimizing for keywords is important, but remember to write for people, not for search engines. Google is getting better all the time at understanding and matching search intent with relevant content . This has become particularly important with the advent of AI-powered language models which can produce long-form content at scale. 

Wrap it in a great intro and outro

Ad with all good writing, your intro should serve to captivate your audience, pique their curiosity, and entice them to read further. It's good practice to provide a brief summary of what they'll find in the white paper and to emphasize exactly what benefit they'll get from reading it.

Your outro is equally important, especially if you're using your white paper to market your products or services. You should avoid any self-promotion in the body of your white paper, but you can certainly mention your relevant product offerings and how to obtain them — perhaps using a compelling call-to-action — at the end.

Pack it with value

White papers are not meant to be advertisements for your company, and you should avoid any overt promotion. Instead, you should provide plenty of useful information that will be valuable to readers even if they don't become customers. Emphasizing value is the key to a great white paper that will get shared and widely read.

Remember, white papers serve to showcase your expertise as a company or brand in a given field. Your readers should come away having learned something useful and with the impression that you're a reliable source of expert information. As pointed out earlier, generating this kind of reputation will lead to greater business success as buyers are more likely to purchase from companies they trust.

Emphasizing value is the key to a great white paper that will get shared and widely read.

Don’t be scared of multiple drafts

No first draft is ever a finished work. Elizabeth Bishop, the renowned and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, wrote seventeen drafts of her poem “One Art” before it was completed. It’s now considered one of the best villanelles ever written .

While a white paper may not need seventeen drafts, there will undoubtedly be points missed and logical inconsistencies in the first version. Finishing a draft, stepping away, and coming back to it with a fresh mind is the best way to ensure quality. If there’s another good writer at your company, getting another set of eyes on it is even better.

Keep it interesting

White papers should be more detailed and thorough than blog posts or eBooks . This may cause them to be more dry and formal, but this doesn't mean they have to be boring.

A trap that white papers easily fall into is using statistics as a crutch and not maintaining interest throughout. Technical as it may be, you still want your white paper to be read. To make this happen, it’s useful to borrow techniques from fiction and creative nonfiction writers.

There are lots of resources for learning about a plot, but generally, it has five parts, as illustrated in Freytag’s pyramid:

These won’t always correspond perfectly in a factual piece of writing like a white paper, but they can get you thinking about how to create and hold interest. Use those ideas to keep readers’ attention until the very end.

4. Mistakes a white paper should avoid

There are some pitfalls and common mistakes to avoid when writing a white paper. Each of these has the potential to make an otherwise stellar piece of content into a wasted effort. Here's a brief list of things to look out for.

Sounding like a sales pitch

When white papers are used as part of a marketing campaign where businesses showcase their product, a common mistake is to make them sound like a sales pitch . Don't let this happen; it will immediately turn your readers off. In a white paper, your audience is seeking unbiased, educational information that will help them, not try to persuade them. Save the sales pitches for other content, like product brochures .

Lack of adequate research

As previously mentioned, white papers should be well-researched documents. Conducting lengthy original research may indeed be outside a marketing team’s budget, but merely including a few stats from the first page of a Google search simply won’t cut it.

Aggregating statistics and searching through scholarly work may take time, but the result will be worth it. For your white paper to achieve its intended effect, It’s important to establish your content as an authoritative source to which the audience would want to return.

Poor design

We'll go in-depth into design in the next section, but it's worth mentioning here. The written content of a white paper is what matters most, but neglecting design is a big mistake. Design makes your salient points stand out and helps the reader understand what they're reading. Using visuals (like images, animations , videos, charts, and graphs) that support your arguments is crucial.

Check out this white paper example built with Foleon!. Open the white paper

Not telling a story

White papers are informative and factual. We’ve driven that point home already. That doesn’t mean they should be boring. Backgrounders, problem-solution white papers, and research findings all have a story to tell, and the reader is far less likely to make it through the entire piece without some form of narrative to keep them engaged.

Setting up a problem, elaborating on a solution, and including some type of success story is a proven formula for making any type of content more story-like.

Leaving it abstract

Because most white papers will involve sharing research findings, it can be easy to leave them in the realm of theory without explaining how to utilize those findings on a practical level. This is true more of backgrounders but can be the case with problem-solution white papers as well.

A good example is the abundant amount of content on employee engagement. Many B2B cases have covered the importance of employee engagement and the pitfalls of getting it wrong. Too little of this content goes further and gives concrete examples of what companies in specific verticals can do to alleviate the problem.

5. White paper format

Before addressing anything else, we first need to talk about the format you'll use.

A picture is no longer worth a thousand words. Today, its value is in the number of eyeballs it can keep glued to your content and the ratio of those viewers it convinces to click through to other sections of your website.

Your carefully crafted copy and painstakingly gathered statistics won’t earn those clicks on their own. The average human attention span is now less than that of a goldfish . And with 3.3 million Facebook posts, 448,800 tweets, and 149,513 emails sent every minute , competition for your readers' attention is intense, to say the least. Long form mediums like the white paper need serious sparkle just to compete.

How to format a white paper

You'll need more than just black text on a white background. Your design choices regarding things like color, typography, and the use of visuals will play a prominent role in the success of your white paper. Here are a few important principles to keep in mind for creating a quality white paper design.

Keeping mobile visitors in mind

More than 54% of internet traffic is now mobile , and web designers have adapted to this trend by creating what's known as responsive design . Before this, web pages simply scaled according to the size of a user's screen, retaining their layout. Naturally, this made most pages both unreadable and unnavigable on smaller devices.

Responsive design solved this by allowing elements on a page to rearrange, resize, or be completely hidden from view in response to the size of the screen. When a smaller screen is used, font-sizes increase, buttons become larger for touch screens, and the entire layout adjusts to make the page mobile-friendly.

But while this has become standard for web designers in a mobile-first world, producers of other digital content assets like white papers have generally not adapted . Surprisingly, most companies that offer white papers and eBooks on their websites still use PDF format .

The problem with PDFs is that they're unreadable on smaller screens . They're fixed-layout documents — they can't adjust or adapt to different screen sizes. Reading them on a mobile device requires excessive zooming and panning around, which is a terrible experience for users.

Mobile traffic is ever-increasing. If you decide to produce your white paper as a PDF , you risk excluding this vast segment of your audience. It's a design mistake that will cost you views and conversions.

See examples of responsive white papers

Emphasis and readability

Because in-depth white papers contain lots of text and visuals, as well as supplementary information like footnotes, figures, logos and copyright info, the danger is that your design becomes cluttered. Clutter accumulates before you realize it. You may choose a clean layout and color scheme, to begin with, but as you continue to add content, things can get crowded. Often, you must make tough choices about what not to include to strike the right balance between completeness and readability.

Good design makes bold choices and prioritizes important information. These choices and priorities affect layout, placement, color, font size, page order and more.

Use these design elements to create emphasis on vital pieces of information. But be careful. Emphasizing too many pieces of information — or too few — will cause readers to struggle to discern what’s important.

Good design makes bold choices and prioritizes important information.

Have a look at what's trending

Bold fonts and color schemes are in. If you look at the hippest tech companies right now, you’ll see lots of pastels and color gradients. Of course, all that might change tomorrow. But still, a great way to get inspiration when you're just starting is to take a look at what design trends are currently popular.

U2's frontman, Bono, sings "every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief." And he's right. Good designers are always drawing inspiration from other designers.

The best way to create a successful design is to spend a lot of time looking at what others are doing successfully. Use Evernote , or a bookmarking service to save white papers and other exceptional designs that you encounter for future reference.

Don’t know where to start looking? Dribbble and Behance are two networks where great designers share their latest work. They consistently have material that’s on the cutting edge of what’s trending.

Design for your audience

While trends may inspire you, it's more important to align your design with your audience and your subject matter.

• Will you be addressing suit-and-tie financial executives or blue-collar management at construction firms?
• Are you writing about changes to privacy regulations in the tech industry, or about the effects of farming on biodiversity?

Your design should support and strengthen your topic. The colors and typography should be consistent with what you're writing about, the tone you've chosen, and the audience you've defined.

Writing a white paper for a funeral parlor? Hot-pink headlines might be a bad choice. Taking color psychology into account can help you achieve the look and feel you're after.

Brush up on the basics

No prior knowledge of design? No problem.

If you don’t have a designer working with you in-house, you can still teach yourself the basics of design and check work against those principles. A big part of the battle is knowing the search terms that will get you the knowledge you need. Luckily, good primers on basic graphic design are abundant.

After doing a bit of reading, start creating. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. If you create a white paper and don’t like the design, try to pinpoint what it is about the design that needs improvement.

After the reading you’ve done, you’ll have the tools to critique your own work and the work of others. This is the best way to improve and create well designed white papers.

Choosing the right tools

At Foleon, we pride ourselves on providing a tool that makes creating responsive digital white papers easy, even for those with no prior graphic design experience.

Choosing a tool like this, which takes the guesswork out of design, will shorten the time it takes for you to produce great white papers. There is a vast ecosystem of tools out there, each of which is geared toward a different purpose and skillset. The right one will enable you as both a designer and a writer.

See how you can scale engaging content creation .

6. Gating your white papers

For most companies, lead generation and growing lists of contacts for the sales and marketing teams are important activities. Attracting visitors to your site and offering them something of value in exchange for their contact information is a proven method for filling the top of your funnel.

But for this type of inbound marketing to work, two things are needed: exceptional content that visitors are eager to acquire, and a method for gating (or walling off) that content behind a form.

Many brands skip the first part and move straight to the second. They quickly produce something mediocre and put it behind a form. This might work in the short term for generating lists, but keep in mind that users expect more from content they “pay” for. The quality of your gated content serves as an indicator of the quality of your brand will affect your ability to turn prospects into customers down the road.

So how do white papers fit into your b2b content marketing funnel ? They may act either as lead generation tools themselves or can be used to direct readers to other parts of a website that captures lead information.

What is gated content?

Walling expert content off behind a form designed to capture personal details is one of the most common techniques for generating leads. Gated content is any content that a reader cannot access until after they input some personal information, such as their name and email address. White papers and eBooks are two of the most common types of content used for this purpose.

Typically, a company will create a landing page that includes a description — and perhaps a preview — of what information readers can expect to find inside. The landing page will include a form for visitors to enter their personal information and thus gain access. After entering the required information, visitors are either presented with a download button or receive the gated content in their inbox.

There are plenty of variations on this formula, but the basic technique of providing “free” content and asking readers to “pay” by providing their personal information has been very important part of content marketing for a long time.

To gate or not to gate

While gating your best content is great for lead generation, there are some drawbacks as well. Walling off your white paper will mean it gets read by fewer people as not everyone is willing to give away their contact details.

An open-access white paper will be read by a wider audience. If it’s in-depth and authoritative, it may also do well organically and improve your search rankings. Gating it behind a form, however, will prevent search engines from indexing it.

It’s important to consider what the primary goal of your white paper is: disseminating information and gaining brand awareness or generating leads. If the latter is more important, then gating is a great option.

Semi-gating

Another variation on gated content — and one that’s growing in popularity — is semi-gating . This can give you the best of both worlds by allowing your white paper to reach a wider audience while still retaining the ability to generate leads.

Semi-gating gives readers a taste of your white paper without requiring them to give up any info. You can, for example, make the first few pages of your white paper open access, and then make visitors fill in a form to read more. This works well because digital content is so abundant and brands must offer more for free or risk visitors turning elsewhere.

Allow your white paper to reach a wider audience while still retaining the ability to generate leads.

Offering more content for free also builds trust and brand loyalty among your readers. Let them know your white papers are valuable and helpful, and they’ll be more interested in giving you their personal information. You’re also more likely to gain qualified leads if readers have a chance to sample your white paper before converting.

Of course, semi-gating doesn’t mean giving away your entire white paper. Typically, there’s at least one section of the white paper that is exclusive to those who go through the gating process. Semi-gating can help reach a wider audience, build trust and loyalty, increase lead quality, and still help you capture the contact information you need.

There’s a concept in marketing and design known as friction . Friction is anything that causes the sales process to slow down. It’s like a roadblock that makes it less likely prospects will convert, sign up, download, or purchase. It can be caused by a multitude of things including poor design, confusing navigation, subpar copy, too many form fields, and more.

Your ability to generate leads with a gated white paper will largely depend on how much friction is involved. Asking for more information than you really need is one common and unnecessary source of friction that can lead to losing potential readers.

The entire field of conversion rate optimization is geared toward removing friction — or making user interactions easier. CRO specialists make forms simpler, navigation more intuitive, and design CTAs that are more likely to be clicked. Optimizing your landing page for conversions is a vital part of any lead generation campaign.

But the reality is, asking for personal information will always be an obstacle for a large number of people. So the key here is to make the process easy and noninvasive as possible.

An excellent way to do this is by reducing the number of form fields to the bare minimum and using mid-gating to ensure your ask is timely and yields immediate value for the reader: "Fill out this form to get access to the rest of this white paper, we've saved the best for last!".

Create white papers and eBooks that integrate with your favorite CRM or marketing automation platform. Get started

7. White paper distribution

So, after following the tips in this guide, you create an engaging, informative white paper that inspires readers to take action and deepen their relationship with your company. You mid-gate (or semi-gate) it to capture readers’ information and gain valuable insight into the interests and demographics of your consumer base.

Now, you publish it on your website, sit back, and wait for your Pulitzer.

Only, the traffic never comes… Where did you go wrong? You didn't think about your white paper distribution strategy . 

The importance of distribution

The internet isn’t the same as it once was. Thanks to the massive amount of content produced every day for and an ever-growing number of channels, it’s a lot harder to get noticed. Unless you’re Gabriel García Márquez back from the dead, simply writing something and posting it online doesn’t guarantee readership.

To get eyes on your white paper, you need to be smart not only about writing and design but distribution as well. Some content marketing thought leaders go so far as to claim that you should spend 20% of your time on content creation and 80% on promotion.

Distribution is all about identifying traction channels where your ideal customers consume content and making your white paper highly visible on those channels. Depending on the audience you defined in the beginning, some will be more relevant for you than others.

Social promotion

If you’re at all familiar with marketing, advertising, or online media, chances are you’re aware of how important social media is to visibility. People from all walks of life, and from all over the world, are on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Ensuring that you share your content regularly on these platforms will give you a solid base of promotion on which to build.

But it's not enough to simply write a post and tweet it into the void. Try to find communities like Facebook and LinkedIn groups where your target audience is likely to congregate. Search for relevant hashtags on Twitter and Instagram . Find subreddits relevant to your industry.

Once you’ve found your audience, it’s much easier to connect with them. If you contribute to these spaces regularly, you’ll have an easier time keeping their attention and distributing your white paper.

Influencers and earned media

Public relations isn’t what it once was; influencer marketing has taken its place as the way to get noticed by the masses.

These days, influencers — people with large, engaged followings on social media and newsletters — are better equipped to amplify your content than traditional journalists. They play a growing role in shaping public opinion and even in setting business trends . Shares from an influencer can even help you land spots in major publications the way press releases used to.

Social media is the best place to find influencers in your vertical. When you investigate the best communities in which to promote your white paper, look for the content that people are already referencing and sharing. Eventually, you’ll start to get a picture of who’s putting out content that’s getting widespread traction. These are the people whose voices can amplify your brand.

Start by interacting with them. Begin a conversation, comment on their pieces with regularity, and give them feedback on their work. There are great tools, like Voila Norbert and ContactOut , to help you quickly track down email addresses.

After building enough rapport, try offering to collaborate on future white papers or other types of content. This process can take some time because your goal here is to build a relationship.

Eventually, you can ask an influencer to share your white paper. You might even consider quoting them in the white paper itself — anything that gives them an incentive to share your work is helpful.

Pro tip: Try to find an expert in your white paper related subject and interview them. It will add value to your white paper and you'll increase the chance that the expert shares your content with his or her extensive network.

Email marketing

The jungle of online content may thicken daily, but there are a few places you can still get readers’ attention. Email distribution has stood the test of time in this regard. It provides greater ROI than social , and it shows no signs of weakening.

If the purpose of your white paper is lead generation, email marketing will not be applicable. But for boosting sales, building trust, and establishing your brand as a trustworthy source of information, it's important not to neglect your existing contact base.

Although email may not have the appealing viral possibilities associated with social media, it does have other advantages. Namely, anyone who subscribed to your email list chose to be there. This means you can expect a higher level of engagement from this audience than those who come in via other channels. Capitalize on their loyalty and engagement by encouraging contacts to share your white paper with their networks and thus multiply your distribution efforts.

This was discussed in the previous section, but it's worth mentioning again here: another big advantage of Foleon's gating features is that when your existing contacts share your white paper with their contacts, those people will be confronted with a login form that will allow you to capture their info and expand your email list further.

Going beyond the basics

The techniques discussed above are essential items in your white paper distribution toolbox. However, they’re not the only ones. The best way to distribute your white paper depends largely on your target audience and the industry to which your content speaks.

Take some time to critically evaluate and research how knowledge is shared in your industry. Every industry will be slightly different. Reaching people in these places is the best guarantee of effective distribution.

8. Handling your white paper leads

As we've discussed, white papers can serve a variety of objectives. They’re commonly used for thought leadership and to disseminate important research, relevant to a specific industry.

When it comes to content marketing, however, the most common use for white papers over the last several years has become lead generation. In chapter 6, we discussed how to bring readers to your white paper and capture their information.

Once you've properly gated your white paper and set up a solid distribution strategy, it's time to think about how you'll handle the leads that come in. If not properly tracked and nurtured, leads will quickly become cold and won't lead to increased sales for your company. So how do you follow up with leads and maximize the opportunity you’ve created with your white paper?

How to track your white paper leads

The buyer’s journey outlines the steps a person goes through, from becoming aware of a problem they have, to learning about different solutions to that problem, to eventually purchasing a product or service (hopefully yours) that solves their problem.

To maximize the chances your new leads become paying customers, you must take the abstract concept of a buyer’s journey and map it to your specific content ecosystem. The actions your prospects take on your website can be indicative of what stage of the journey they're in.

For example, you may see someone read a blog post on your site, then come back a day later to get your white paper, and then finally sign up for a free trial or an email list. After that, they might decide to make a purchase. As patterns begin to emerge around the journey your customers take, you'll learn what actions on your part can help them to advance.

There are many tools available to help you analyze this journey for yourself. Google Analytics is probably the most widely used. It lets you track and compile data regarding user behavior on your website. You can define goals and generate reports that will show you steps users tend to take before completing those goals.

Targeting stages of the buyer’s journey

As it becomes more clear what actions visitors take before purchasing, you'll better understand where to use your white paper in the buyer's journey.

The question you should seek to answer is, where does it provide the most value to your potential customers? Do you see greater success when accessing your gated white paper is a prospect's first interaction with your company? Or is it perhaps more effective to use it as an offer once visitors have returned a second (or third) time to your site?

You can see that white papers don't exist in isolation but act as a member of an ecosystem. The related blog posts, landing pages, emails, social messages, and follow up sequences must all be carefully orchestrated and properly timed.

This process takes practice. It takes trial and error, and you must be a keen observer of trends . However, that effort will pay off.

...white papers don't exist in isolation but act as a member of a content ecosystem.

Following up with your leads

Depending on where in the buyer's journey you use your white paper, the way you'll want to follow up with leads will be different.

• If, for example, your white paper targets the awareness stage and the leads you gather are relatively unfamiliar with your company, it might be smart to enroll them in an email sequence that highlights other pieces of content on your site such as blog posts that are relevant to the topic they showed interest in.
• Suppose your white paper is for people in the consideration stage, and leads are already familiar with what you have to offer. In that case, you might consider following up by sending them special offers or exclusive deals — again, closely related to the topic of interest.
• If you're taking a highly targeted approach to distribution and using your white paper to generate hot leads that you think are already close to making a purchasing decision, the best way to follow up might be for a sales representative to reach out directly by phone.

This is what it means to nurture leads. By proactively keeping in touch with leads and offering them more relevant content, you maximize the likelihood of them becoming a customer.

9. Choosing the right white paper template

In 2021, Hubspot reported that 82% of marketers actively invest in content marketing. Thus, the need to create interactive content experiences that stand out amongst your competitors has never been more critical in your content marketing strategy as the volume of published white papers grows yearly. 

For this reason, the visual representation of your white paper has become increasingly crucial for retaining your audience's interest. In addition to the value your white paper content provides your audience, the single most significant factor at your disposal to maintain content engagement is how your white paper is visually presented. 

For whitepapers, the white paper template you opt for to present your content can significantly influence the success of your publication. The template is more than just a matter of aesthetics; it represents a strategic decision that affects user engagement, experience, and even how your brand is perceived.

Below are some factors you should carefully weigh when choosing your white paper template .

Target audience and content

The two biggest influences that will determine the selection of your white paper template are your target audience and the purpose of your content. 

For example, if you create an annual report that provides Financial Services information or a research piece exploring trends in Software & IT salaries, you’ll want to use a template that easily represents data-rich elements such as tables and eye-catching statistics. In contrast, visually-oriented templates containing hi-res imagery or videos are better suited for online catalogs or digital magazines . 

Think about your target audience's needs and how your template's layout can optimize your content's engagement. 

Creative control with flexible features 

You’ll get the most value out of your interactive white paper with a content creation platform that allows you to harness professionally designed white paper templates that are easy to use and fully customizable with a drag-and-drop interface. This will allow everyone in your team to create content quickly with no coding experience required. 

Custom templates set your white paper up for success by providing a starting foundation to help guide the layout and structure of your content. Custom features allow you to design your white paper any way you like by quickly changing blocks, fonts, and colors according to your brand guidelines with the added ability to add or remove sections. 

Mobile experience and device responsiveness

As of September 2023, over 55% of website traffic is from mobile devices. Therefore, it is essential that your white paper is responsive across all devices. 

Most content creation platforms have integrated tools that automatically adapt your content to different screen sizes. However, to ensure the best possible user experience, you should always test your white paper on multiple devices as part of your content creation process before publishing.

Finally, website speed is one of the most significant factors influencing user experience and playing a pivotal role in organic rankings. According to section.io , 32.3% of visitors bounce from a webpage if it takes more than 7 seconds to load. Ensuring that your content creation platform and hosting services are optimized for website performance is critical in maximizing your readership when choosing your white paper template.

10. Final thoughts

Be prepared to write a lot more content.

By this point, you should have all the ingredients you need to make your white paper a rousing success. However, you’ll notice by now the reality that your white paper fits into a larger ecosystem of marketing actions and content.

In today’s business world, producing quality content is one of the best ways to get your target market's attention. But not everyone will be ready for the same piece of content at the same time.

From white papers to blog posts, to podcasts, the type of content that will drive conversions for your business is something you'll discover over time. What’s certain is that one type won't satisfy all your audience's needs. Because of that, you should be prepared to fill the rest of your buyer’s journey with other appropriate content.

This means lots of writing. There’s no way around that. It means coming up with content ideas, creating them, distributing them, and measuring their success — then rinsing and repeating. After this primer, you should be fully equipped for success writing not only white papers but whatever content you choose along your journey.  

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Writing a White Paper Like a Pro: 9 Essential Steps for Success

Writing a white paper is the heavyweight bout of content creation . And just like boxing, crafting a white paper requires strategy, finesse, and a game plan. It’s not just about throwing punches — it’s about knowing the right time to jab with statistics, slip in case studies, and use compelling insights and analysis to deliver a decisive hook. Execute it well and your white paper can position your brand as an industry champion who’s adept at addressing your customers’ needs.

Creating this type of content is more of an art than a science, but there are general guidelines you can follow to help you out along the way. Here are some tips for writing a white paper, from choosing a topic to sharing your content with the world.

1. Choose a compelling topic

White paper topics should focus on things people actually want to read about. This seems obvious, but finding the right topic can be your biggest challenge. First, figure out who your audience is; who are you trying to reach? Then, choose an issue that’s interesting to them — perhaps a common problem they’re faced with, or a case study of successful companies in your industry.

Contently recently helped a staffing agency put together a white paper on the current talent landscape. It offered data and insights on how to attract talent, interview candidates, onboard employees, and keep staff happy for the long run. That’s exactly the type of insight the agency’s audience of employers needs to help fill roles. Plus, the white paper positioned the staffing agency as a go-to expert on talent recruitment.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to find white paper topics that will resonate with your audience. Take a look at the topics of content you’ve already created, like blogs, social media posts, and podcast episodes, for inspiration.

2. Write an outline

While you might be able to wing it with a blog post, long-form content like white papers require more planning. Knowing how to write a white paper outline can help you organize your content in a coherent way and make sure you cover the topic thoroughly.

Here are some common sections of white papers you can consider including in your outline:

• Executive summary
• Introduction and background
• Description of the problem (or problems) the paper will address
• Recommendations
• Conclusions

Making sure your white paper is organized upfront can save you a lot of time at the writing stage. It will help you focus on exactly what you need to cover and where.

3. Gather your references

Writing a white paper requires you to use a variety of different materials to make your points clearly and effectively. Gather up everything you’ll need to lay out the problem and proposed solutions. This can include:

• Case studies
• Internal data
• Industry reports
• Research from third parties
• Historical information
• Academic studies

Some brands also include quotes from their executives or leaders to emphasize points and expertise in their white papers. If that’s a strategy that makes sense for your content, this would be a good time to conduct interviews or ask for quotes.

Having your research and references ready to go can streamline the writing process. You can focus your attention on craft and form rather than trying to dig up another source. Keep the materials organized by subtopic and where you expect to use them in your outline.

4. Craft an attention-grabbing intro

Be captivating when writing a white paper introduction. You want to catch people’s attention right off the bat. Pique their interest, and then tell them what they’re going to learn by reading your white paper. This means writing a summary of your white paper and including an organized list of topics.

Emphasize the value you will create. Your white paper is not a billboard for your business — it is an opportunity to create an image of expertise and insight that will help your readers.

Not sure where to start? Take a look at the most compelling statistics you found in your research. You can use a staggering number that illustrates the problem you’re covering or solution you’re proposing as the hook for your introduction.

5. Start writing

Armed with a body of research and a captivating introduction, you’re ready to start writing a white paper. Get your thoughts down while they are still fresh in your mind. Just start writing.

Your white paper can be as little as five to six pages long or extend well beyond 25 pages, depending on the subject matter and depth of the content. If you’re used to writing shorter pieces of content, it can feel overwhelming to try to fill all those pages.

That’s where your outline can come in handy, though. Think of each section as its own mini piece of content.

Be descriptive and professional. Writing a white paper is not the same as writing a blog. You need to use a business writing style and be fairly descriptive.

In your conclusion, explain how your company can help. If you are selling a product or service that will help your readers, make sure to mention it at the end. You shouldn’t use the body of the white paper to sell your product or service, so make sure to use a catch that is naturally incorporated when you summarize the paper.

Don’t worry about editing until you have completed the draft. You will have no problem going back and making everything flow well afterward. If you can’t think of ways to make a smooth transition between sections in your first draft, you can add them later.

6. List your sources

Citing your sources is not only important for crediting the sources of the research you used — it also helps establish transparency and credibility to your white paper. Showing that you looked at high-quality reports and research helps build trust with your audience.

You have a few different options for citing sources in a white paper. For its white paper, “ Why Learning is Pivotal to Business Transformation ,” Conduent used footnotes at the bottom of each page. This method gives white papers a more academic feel without interrupting the flow of the text.

You could cite your sources at the end in a “references section.” While this minimizes visual distractions in your white paper, it comes with the trade-off of forcing readers to flip to the end to see where you got your material.

Some white papers opt to use in-text citations. It’s a more editorial style that can make your white paper read like a magazine story. However, it adds a lot of extra words to the text, so avoid this method if you have tons of sources to cite.

The method you use depends on the style of your white paper and your audience. But as long as you cite your sources clearly and consistently, you’re in good shape.

7. Proofread your white paper

After writing your white paper, it’s time to break out your (digital) red pen and proofread it to perfection. Go back over your draft and see what needs to be done to make it read better.

Ask for other people’s opinions, because they may be able to catch mistakes you overlooked. Read it out loud to ensure there are no run-on sentences or awkward phrases.

If you have the budget, consider contracting with a professional editor or proofreader to give it a final read. A white paper is a powerful sales and marketing tool, so you’ll want to make sure it’s polished, professional, and free of typos.

8. Invest in a visually stunning design

The design of your white paper can make a big difference in motivating people to read it. Don’t take the term ‘white paper’ too literally — it’s often full of color and design elements that make it more enjoyable to read.

Start by choosing a clean and professional layout that aligns with your brand’s identity. Use consistent fonts, colors, and formatting throughout the white paper to maintain consistency. Make sure your heading and subheadings stand out to increase readability.

Break up big blocks of text with other visual elements. Images can go a long way to driving a point home and keeping your audience engaged. Incorporate graphs and charts to help data stand out. You can also use pull quotes from leaders at your brand to build expertise throughout the white paper.

Pay particular attention to your title page, too. It should include your company logo, the title of your white paper, and an eye-catching photo or image. This is your chance to make a great first impression, so use this space wisely.

9. Put it out in the world

After you’ve put the final touches on your white paper, it’s time to publish and distribute it. Promote the white paper to your network. Create enticing teasers to generate curiosity and drive traffic to a dedicated landing page where visitors can download the white paper in exchange for their contact information. This turns your white paper into lead-generating content .

Consider collaborating with industry influencers or partners to expand your reach and tap into their networks. This helps your white paper reach a wider audience and make a bigger impact.

You can also repurpose the content from your white paper to make it even more engaging. The insurance company Travelers transformed its white paper on managing the risks of AI into a multimedia webinar . Get creative, and think about ways to turn your white paper content into social media posts, videos, infographics, and even podcast episodes. It gives your audience more ways to interact with the content you’ve worked hard to create.

Writing a white paper is your brand’s chance to shine like a beacon of authority. With strategic planning, compelling content, and a striking design, you can grow your audience and spark genuine interest in what your brand has to offer.

Ask The Content Strategist: FAQs About Writing a White Paper

How can a brand measure the effectiveness of a white paper after it has been published.

Brands can measure effectiveness through metrics like downloads, social shares, and website traffic, while gathering feedback through surveys or feedback forms to assess reader satisfaction and comprehension.

What are some common pitfalls to avoid when writing a white paper?

Common pitfalls include lack of clarity in defining objectives, overloading with technical jargon, insufficient evidence, neglecting audience interests, and ignoring visual appeal.

How can brands ensure that their white paper content remains relevant and up-to-date in a rapidly evolving industry landscape?

To maintain relevance, brands should monitor industry trends, update content regularly, engage with experts for fresh perspectives, and encourage feedback from readers.

If you’re looking for more examples of great content, check out Contently’s case studies page .

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How to Write White Papers

Last Updated: July 23, 2024 Fact Checked

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A white paper is a one-to five-page document that describes a given problem and proposes a specific solution to the problem. It's commonly used in government and corporate settings. A typical white paper might list ways to meet a client's marketing needs, suggest the use of a certain product for a technical process, or identify ways to tackle municipal problems. To write a successful white paper, you must know your audience, state your problem clearly, and make a convincing and engaging argument of how to solve it. [1] X Research source

Engaging Your Audience

• For example, if your topic is community gardens, appeal to your readers as property owners and parents, as well as community decision-makers. They'll be interested in learning about the impact of gardening and local food on their property values, their children's health, and their children's education.

• If you're writing a white paper for an engineer, you should include lots of technical details and be lengthy in your descriptions.
• If you're writing for a government official, focus on policy-related implications.
• If you're writing for a corporate audience, focus on cost-effectiveness and growth potential.

• Closing the School-to-Prison Pipeline with Art
• Safer Cities through Community Gardens: A White Paper

• Student debt has grown exponentially over the past decade. Combined with the dismal job market new graduates face, their debt threatens to become the next economy-crashing bubble. Creditors and a number of economists have argued A, B, and C. However, these arguments do not address X, Y, and Z.

• After [interviewing experts, examining statistics, etc.], I became convinced that [two or three proposed solutions] do not adequately address the problem. This white paper will argue in favor of [your proposed solution] because it would [insert an objective reason here].

Discussing the Problem

• Examples of problems include "decreasing sales," "slow network speeds," or "management-employee conflicts."

• For example, a white paper on addressing climate change might discuss how hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) were once believed to be a safe replacement for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which had produced a hole in the ozone layer. However, we now know that HFCs are actually dangerous greenhouse gases.

Arguing Your Solution

• If you're writing your paper within a corporate context, avoid mentioning your company's product at this point. Focus instead on what to expect in a solution.

Community Q&A

• If this is your first white paper, check online for examples. Government and corporate websites, as well as academic databases, are full of white papers just waiting to be downloaded. You can access most of these resources for free. [10] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Most white papers don't include footnotes or endnotes. However, it's always good practice to include a full bibliography at the end. Check with your employer as to the proper citation method (Chicago Manual, MLA, APA, etc.) to use. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://libguides.uml.edu/whitepaper_style
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/white_papers/index.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/writing-white-paper
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/white_papers/organization_and_other_tips.html
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/546/2/

About This Article

To write a white paper, start with an introduction summarizing a problem you’re dealing with, then how you propose to solve that problem. Detail possible solutions you have rejected and why you rejected them. Next, describe the problem you identified in greater depth and provide a historical overview of how it became a problem, then describe your solution in more detail. Use charts, graphs, and diagrams to back up your points and to make your paper easier to read. For advice on tailoring your paper to your audience, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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White Paper References

This page contains reference examples for white papers, including the following:

• White paper with a group author
• White paper with individual authors

1. White paper with a group author

Department for Business Innovation & Skills. (2016). Success as a knowledge economy: Teaching excellent, social mobility and student choice [White paper]. Crown. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/523396/bis-16-265-success-as-a-knowledge-economy.pdf

• Parenthetical citation : (Department for Business Innovation & Skills, 2016)
• Narrative citation : Department for Business Innovation & Skills (2016)
• A white paper is a persuasive document that is written by a person or group to convince readers of their position and philosophy on a topic.
• Include the description “[White paper]” in square brackets after the title of the white paper.

2. White paper with individual authors

Furst, M., & DeMillo, R. A. (2006). Creating symphonic-thinking computer science graduates for an increasingly competitive global environment [White paper]. Georgia Tech College of Computing. https://cis.temple.edu/~giorgio/threads_whitepaper.pdf

• Parenthetical citation : (Furst & DeMillo, 2006)
• Narrative citation : Furst and DeMillo (2006)

White paper references follow the same format as reports, which are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.4 and the Concise Guide Section 10.4

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H1757: A drawing in black chalk and brush and black ink, heightened with white, on paper 17.5 cm. x 25 cm. A study of John Jasper seated at the piano, for "At the Piano"

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library > Manuscripts in the Richard Gimbel Collection of Charles Dickens (GEN MSS 1998) > Series III: <title>Dickensiana</title> > Paintings & Drawings > H1746-H1797: Fildes, Samuel Luke > H1757: A drawing in black chalk and brush and black ink, heightened with white, on paper 17.5 cm. x 25 cm. A study of John Jasper seated at the piano, for "At the Piano"

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Item location.

• THIS ITEM H1757: A drawing in black chalk and brush and black ink, heightened with white, on paper 17.5 cm. x 25 cm. A study of John Jasper seated at the piano, for "At the Piano"

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These online exhibits and digital collections explore some of the artifacts, photos and videos, and documents housed in the George W. Bush Presidential Library. 

The George W. Bush Presidential Library maintains approximately 43,000 artifacts, primarily foreign and domestic gifts given to the President and Mrs. Laura Bush, and other items obtained throughout the presidency.

The George W. Bush Presidential Library gives researchers a look at American history, the American Presidency, and important issues of public policy.      

Discover educational resources for teachers, parents, and students. The education program provides engaging, hands-on classroom resources, professional development programming, information on the Civics for All of US program, and more.

Get Involved

Find out ways to be part of the mission and support the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

How To Do Research

The George W. Bush Foundation owns and operates the George W. Bush Presidential Museum. For tickets go to  https://www.bushcenter.org/ plan-your-visit  

As a Presidential Library, operated by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the George W. Bush Presidential Library is an archive of textual, audiovisual, and electronic Presidential Records . The records within the archives include documents created or received by the President, First Lady, and White House staff. In addition, the George W. Bush Presidential Library hosts personal papers collections donated by people connected to the Bush Administration, and it is the custodian of the gubernatorial records of President Bush .

Steps to Perform Research:

Consult secondary sources on the topic, if available.

Look at the Library’s website to view what is available for research, including consulting the  finding aids  and looking at the  topic guides . 

Perform as much research as possible online, which includes viewing collections through a Records Search . 

Search the  National Archives Catalog  (NAC). Most of the Library’s digital holdings are here and are keyword searchable.

Utilize the  archived White House website . In January 2009, the White House archived its website as a way to preserve the online presence of the Administration of President George W. Bush. This archived website provides access to primary sources including photographs, speeches, press releases, and other public records of the Bush Presidency from 2001 - 2009. 

Consult with an archivist on the topic. Many archivists have specialized knowledge and can suggest places to look or keywords to search. Email the Library’s reference team at  [email protected] .

Look at the  Plan a Research Visit  page before visiting the Library to become familiar with research room policies and procedures.

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Archives staff can provide researchers access to collections and FOIAs that have been fully processed and notified . In accordance with Executive Order 13489, archives staff must inform the incumbent and former Presidents (through designated representatives) of the intent to release records. The notification period begins only after all processing is complete and reviewed records are officially proposed for opening to the public.

What the Library cannot provide researchers

There are some instances in which records are not available.

• When the records requested are unprocessed. Archives staff must perform all processing tasks (arrangement, preservation, review, and description) and notification before making records available to the public.
• When archival staff must apply restrictions to records. Archivists most often apply restrictions to records based on statutory requirements per the FOIA and the PRA . If a document is restricted in whole or in part, it is noted on a disposition sheet at the front of each processed folder. 
• Archivists will deny a FOIA request in whole or in part only when they determine that  information may be withheld under one or more of the eight FOIA exemptions that apply to presidential records. The reviewing archivist only withholds information in a record if they determine that disclosure would harm an interest protected by such exemption. If only part of a record must be withheld, the reviewing archivist will redact (or take out) that specific information and provide access to the rest of the record.
• Presidential records subject to the PRA may also be withheld under six PRA restrictions during the first twelve years after the end of an administration. The PRA restrictions for George W. Bush Presidential records expired on January 20, 2021. The Library is planning to proactively propose for release records previously withheld under a PRA restriction on a rolling basis beginning in 2021. The Library will post these records on the Library website as soon as they have gone through the PRA notification period required by law.
• When analysis of a topic or a list of compiled information is requested. Archivists do not create, compile, or analyze documents. Archivists cannot provide documents that do not already   exist in the collections. To assist researchers with finding materials on several popular research subjects, archives staff have written topic guides .

What do researchers do when they cannot find what they want

• Ask for assistance . The archives staff is here to help, and is eager to answer any questions to help researchers find what they need.
• File a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request  on a topic of interest. 
• If a document is classified,  file a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request.  MDR requests are not topical, like FOIA, but instead ask for the declassification review of specific documents.

What is a record, what is a collection, and how do archivists make them available to researchers?  

Records are information stored on paper, electronically, or in audiovisual formats that tell a story about the past. Records become evidence for researchers to understand the world during the time the record was created. Records range from notes and doodles scribbled in a meeting, to a letter sent by President George W. Bush to Prime Minister Tony Blair, to a photograph of the presidential pets, to emails sent between two White House staffers.

Unlike traditional libraries, archives collect records in separate manuscript, audiovisual, and electronic collections created by individuals and organizations. Archives professionals then process these separate collections and make them available to researchers.  An example of a collection from the George W. Bush Presidential Library is the  White House Office of Records Management Files .

There are a number of different types of records within the Library’s collections. Any type of document used in the course of a business day at the White House is included within the collections. Specialized records unique to the White House include the  Presidential Daily Diary ,  briefing papers , and  presidential speeches .

Members of the public make Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to access records on a particular topic. Topics are subject based, and the request can be narrowed by date or by the White House staffer who collected the material. Archivists receive and process these requests. Since FOIAs are topical in nature, the records that are responsive to that request may be from several different collections, and are brought together because they are on the same topic.

What does it mean to process a collection or FOIA? 

Archives professionals work with collections in several steps to make documents available to researchers. These processes include arrangement, preservation, review, and description, most often in that order. 

Arrangement: Arrangement is the process of maintaining either the original order of the creator of the collection, or creating an order where there might not be one. The arrangement should assist researchers in finding what they need. Common arrangement schemes include alphabetical order, chronological order, or by subject. Processed FOIAs are also arranged similarly.

Preservation:  Records may come to archives in a state of disrepair. Archives professionals remove staples and paper clips (which can rust), make preservation photocopies of quickly degrading papers like newsprint, and place documents in acid-free folders and boxes. This preservation is vital to keeping the records safe for generations of researchers to examine and use.

Review:  Archivists determine what records can be released under the provisions of the law. They review documents under the terms of both the Presidential Records Act (PRA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The  PRA  governs the official records of the Presidents from President Reagan onward, while the  FOIA  provides access to government information in executive branch agency records, including those of the president.

Description:  Archivists describe how a collection or FOIA is arranged in guides called finding aids. Finding aids enable researchers to find what they are looking for.  Check out the Library’s finding aids .

What is a finding aid and how does it help researchers? 

Finding aids are documents that serve as guides to each collection and FOIA. Archivists write finding aids after they arrange, preserve, and review each body of records. Finding aids also detail the types and amounts of records (textual, electronic, and/or AV) and include a list of each folder contained in the paper record as well as list the Search Results Lists (SRLs) for electronic records. In addition, they contain an administrative or biographical history relevant to the collection. Finding aids also detail how the records are arranged in the collection or FOIA. Finding aids are indispensable to researchers in guiding them to what they are looking for.

What is the difference between a primary and a secondary source?

Knowing what to look for in the finding aids involves having a basic knowledge of a topic. Conducting research in secondary sources first helps researchers find the relevant primary sources in the Library’s collections. Primary sources are documentation of an event from observers or participants at the time the event occurred. An example of a primary source is a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on weapons of mass destruction. Secondary sources describe, analyze, and/or interpret these events using primary sources. An example of a secondary source is a book discussing the NIE, how it impacted events at the time, and how it reflected the intelligence the government had at the time. Consulting secondary sources on a topic allows researchers to know what to look for at the archives and in the primary sources. Scholars often cite their sources in their scholarship, thus enabling other researchers to find them in the Library’s collections.

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NIST CSWP 36 (Initial Public Draft)

Applying 5g cybersecurity and privacy capabilities: introduction to the white paper series.

    Documentation     Topics

Date Published: August 15, 2024 Comments Due: September 16, 2024 Email Comments to: [email protected]

Michael Bartock (NIST) , Jeffrey Cichonski (NIST) , Murugiah Souppaya (NIST) , Karen Scarfone (NIST) , Parisa Grayeli (MITRE) , Sanjeev Sharma (MITRE) , Thomas McCarthy (AMI) , Muthukkumaran Ramalingam (AMI) , Presanna Raman (AMI) , Stefano Righi (AMI) , Jitendra Patel (AT&T) , Bogdan Ungureanu (AT&T) , Tao Wan (CableLabs) , Matthew Hyatt (Cisco) , Steve Vetter (Cisco) , Dan Carroll (Dell Technologies) , Steve Orrin (Intel) , Corey Piggott (Keysight Technologies) , Michael Yeh (MiTAC Computing) , Gary Atkinson (Nokia Bell Labs) , Rajasekhar Bodanki (Nokia Bell Labs) , Don McBride (Nokia Bell Labs) , Aarin Buskirk (Palo Alto Networks) , Bryan Wenger (Palo Alto Networks) , Todd Gibson (T-Mobile)

Announcement

5G technology for broadband cellular networks will significantly improve how humans and machines communicate, operate, and interact in the physical and virtual world. 5G provides increased bandwidth and capacity, and low latency. However, professionals in fields like technology, cybersecurity, and privacy are faced with safeguarding this technology while its development, deployment, and usage are still evolving.

To help, the NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has launched the Applying 5G Cybersecurity and Privacy Capabilities white paper series. The series targets technology, cybersecurity, and privacy program managers within commercial mobile network operators, potential private 5G network operators, and organizations using and managing 5G-enabled technology who are concerned with how to identify, understand, assess, and mitigate risk for 5G networks. In the series we provide recommended practices and illustrate how to implement them. All of the capabilities featured in the white papers have been implemented in the NCCoE testbed on commercial-grade 5G equipment.

We are pleased to announce the following white paper which introduces the series: Applying 5G Cybersecurity and Privacy Capabilities: Introduction to the White Paper Series . This publication explains what you can expect from each part of the series: information, guidance, recommended practices, and research findings for a specific technical cybersecurity or privacy-supporting capability available in 5G systems or their supporting infrastructures.

This document introduces the white paper series titled Applying 5G Cybersecurity and Privacy Capabilities. This series is being published by the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) 5G Cybersecurity project. Each paper in the series will include information, guidance, and research findings for an individual technical cybersecurity- or privacy-supporting capability available in 5G systems or their supporting infrastructures. Each of the capabilities has been implemented in a testbed as part of the NCCoE project, and each white paper reflects the results of that implementation and its testing.

Control Families

None selected

Documentation

Publication: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.CSWP.36.ipd Download URL

Supplemental Material: 5G Cybersecurity Project

Publication Parts: CSWP 36A

Document History: 08/15/24: CSWP 36 (Draft)

general security & privacy

communications & wireless

telecommunications

Photorealistic Object Insertion with Diffusion-Guided Inverse Rendering

* Additional Info

This work present Diffusion Prior for Inverse Rendering ( DiPIR ) , a physically based method to recover lighting from a single image, enabling arbitrary virtual object compositing into indoor and outdoor scenes, as well as material and tone-mapping optimization.

Method overview. Given an input image, we first construct a virtual 3D scene with a virtual object and proxy plane. Our physically-based renderer then differentiably simulates the interactions of the optimizable environment map with the inserted virtual object and its effect on the background scene (shadowing) (left). At each iteration, the rendered image is diffused and passed through a personalized diffusion model (middle). The gradient of the adapted Score Distillation formulation is propagated back to the environment map and the tone-mapping curve through the differentiable renderer. Upon convergence, we recover lighting and tone-mapping parameters, which allow photorealistic compositing of virtual objects from a single image (right).

We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method on a variety of indoor and outdoor scenes. We use Waymo outdoor driving scenes and unwrapped indoor HDRI panoramas as our target background images for evaluation. Our method can more accurately estimate the lighting conditions for the virtual 3D objects to be inserted into the background images.

Optimization Process

Our diffusion-guided lighting optimization process for the inserted virtual object in the Waymo scene.

Visual Comparison on Insertions into Waymo Scenes

Visual Comparison on Insertions into HDRIs

Animating Inserted Virtual Object

We either animate the background image or move object position to create dynamic scenes.

Virtual Object Insertion in Multiple Views

We extend the insertion into multiple camera views from Waymo scenes

Applications

We use our method to optimize differentiable material properties from inserted objects.

We use our method to optimize differentiable tone-mapping curves to improve the realism.

Ruofan Liang, Zan Gojcic, Merlin Nimier-David, David Acuna, Nandita Vijaykumar, Sanja Fidler, Zian Wang

Acknowledgment

The authors are grateful to XXX for helpful discussions and feedback.