By Michael Stelzner
So what exactly is a white paper? This is one of those questions many people have been wrestling with for some time. If you look up the term in a dictionary, you’ll find an outdated response describing a government report.
In May 2001, in his paper The Art of the White Paper, Gordon Graham recorded that a Google search on the phrase “white papers” resulted in 1.4 million responses. However, by January of 2006, that number skyrocketed to 272 million!
This article will tap the minds of some industry experts on white papers, clarify the definition of white papers and explore how they have changed.
What the heck is a white paper?
Graham describes white papers as persuasive essays and observes that their style rests “somewhere between a lively magazine article and a dry-as-dust academic paper.” He adds that white papers are fact-driven and contain useful information, expert opinions and iron-clad logic.
Dr. Russell Willerton, whose dissertation is titled “Ethos and Exigence: White Papers in High-Tech Industries,” explains that white papers are tools used to create a positive image of a company in the eyes of its readership.
According to Jonathan Kantor, founder of The Appum Group, white papers reveal the features of products or services and translate them into business advantages. Kantor suggests that a white paper should logically present information, beginning with challenges and ending with a strategy to resolve issues.
White papers not only inform, they persuade, and thus are positively linked to the sales cycle.
How are white papers used?
In the White Paper Writer Industry Survey, hundreds of white paper writers indicated that white papers are used primarily to demonstrate thought leadership and secondly to generate sales leads.
Graham notes that they are particularly useful among business-to-business technology companies that offer complex or costly solutions.
Kantor explains, “White papers are used as online collateral, as handouts to support live presentations, as email attachments in business correspondence, as incentive offers within advertisements and as a core ingredient within a direct mail campaign.”
Willerton adds that white papers can help a company gain grassroots support from “the techie in the back room.”
Who reads white papers?
In the past, white papers were primarily targeted at engineers and technical influencers. However, today’s typical white paper reader has shifted significantly.
Willerton explains that modern white paper readers are decision-makers and Graham adds that they are businesspeople rather than engineering folk. Kantor expands this further by identifying three primary decision-makers targeted by white papers: the chief executive (CFO, CIO, etc.), the executive (vice president and above) and the department manager.
White papers can be enjoyed by almost anyone if they are targeted appropriately. For example, a very small business owner or an investor are fine recipients of white papers-just be aware that they may be more accustomed to the term guide than white paper (a small label change can have a big impact on a marketing campaign).
Why do businesses produce white papers?
Graham notes that businesses use white papers “to move a prospect into the sales funnel and coax them down through it.” He notes this is achieved because white papers provide useful information, answer repetitive questions better than a salesperson and help companies gain credibility. Kantor backs this up by adding that “business decision-makers look to white papers to aid them in the decision-making process.”
Willerton takes a stronger position and claims that businesses need white papers to “survive in their respective markets.” He explains that white papers are written to establish trust in the eyes of potential customers.
White papers also provide businesses the opportunity to take the thought leadership position in an industry by educating the masses. In addition, most white papers are written to generate leads first and help close sales second.
How have white papers evolved?
If natural selection applies to white papers, it seems that the technical white paper is becoming an endangered breed. Kantor notes that in the 1970s, white papers were internal corporate documents that revealed strategy and tactical plans, later referred to as marketing requirement documents.
By the mid-1990s, the marketing value of white papers began catching on in the technology world. Prior to that, most were very technical documents that explained the workings of a subject in excruciating detail. However, businesses began to see the lead generation potential of white papers and held them out as lures to attract sales prospects. Slowly, the predominant reader of a white paper began to shift from a technical user to a business decision-maker.
Graham explains that white papers have also become significantly shorter documents because businesspeople do not care about the inner workings of solutions.
Willerton adds that distribution is another major change. He explains that the channels available for electronic distribution of white papers were largely absent 10 years ago. He also notes that many industries outside of the technology marketplace are starting to use white papers.
Where to go from here?
White papers are clearly a sophisticated tool that nearly every company should add to their marketing arsenal. To better understand the standards that are emerging, there are two resources that can be very helpful. First, read the White Paper Writer Industry Survey to understand the standards that should be considered when crafting a white paper (see www.whitepapersource.com/report). Second, join the ongoing industry discussion at the WhitePaperSource Forum, where many of these issues are regularly discussed (visit www.whitepapersource.com/forum).
About the author: Michael Stelzner is the founder of WhitePaperSource, has written more than 70 white papers and authored the popular “How To Write a White Paper.” Michael will be speaking about white papers at the Society for Technical Communication’s national convention in Las Vegas on May 9, 2006 (for details, visit http://www.stc.org/53rdConf/).
DISCUSSION: Discuss this topic at the WhitePaperSource forum.
