What Is a Whitepaper in Business and How Do You Create One?

In the crowded B2B marketplace, small and medium-sized businesses need effective weapons to differentiate themselves, establish authority, and attract qualified leads. One of the most powerful (and underutilized) content marketing weapons is the whitepaper. Whitepapers are long-form, research-driven pieces that offer deep insights into industry topics, problems, and solutions. They help you establish trust and credibility by demonstrating thought leadership and expertise. Plus, whitepapers are among the highest-converting content types for lead generation. According to research by Revnew, 78 percent of B2B buyers consulted whitepapers for purchase research during the past year.

A whitepaper is typically between 2,500 and 5,000 words (6-12 pages), often more technical and in-depth than other content types, like blog posts or case studies. Whitepapers should include facts and data to back up claims, relying on comprehensive research, statistics, and expert opinions to build authority.

Types of Whitepapers

Knowing all the different whitepaper types will enable you to know which one will work best with your business goals and the target audience. Each type of whitepaper is designed for a specific reason and will also work better at a particular stage of the customer journey:

Problem-Solution Whitepaper

A problem-solution whitepaper pinpoints problems and their technical solutions your target audience faces. The format is primarily used for lead generation as it’s the most common of all whitepaper types.

Why use this format: Problem-solution whitepapers are ideal when you want to establish your company as the go-to expert for resolving specific industry challenges. They work exceptionally well for mid-stage buyer journey prospects who are actively seeking solutions.

Example sources: Companies like HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo, and Mailchimp regularly publish problem-solution whitepapers addressing common challenges in marketing automation, CRM implementation, and lead management. Search their resource centers for whitepapers tackling specific pain points in your industry.

Thought Leadership Whitepaper

Thought leadership whitepapers cover hot industry trends, topics of discussion, or emerging issues and frame your organization as a progressive and visionary thought leader.

Why use this format: Use this type to position your company as an innovative voice in your industry, particularly effective for building brand authority and attracting prospects interested in forward-thinking solutions.

Example sources: Research firms like McKinsey & Company, Gartner, and Forrester are renowned for publishing thought leadership whitepapers on industry trends and future predictions. Tech companies in relatively new spaces like Web3 and AI also publish whitepapers discussing emerging technologies and market shifts.

Backgrounder Whitepaper

Backgrounder whitepapers focus on providing the technical assessment of the product or service you’re offering. They work best if you want to use it for new product launches.

Why use this format: This format is particularly useful when launching new products or services, as it educates your audience on technical specifications and detailed functionality in a professional context.

Example sources: Product companies like Slack, Atlassian, Adobe, and Shopify publish backgrounder whitepapers when rolling out new features or products. Cloud providers like AWS and Azure also use this format to explain technical capabilities and infrastructure options.

Technical Paper

Technical Whitepapers provide a technical analysis of a specific topic for a targeted audience.

Why use this format: Use technical papers when your audience consists of specialists and technical professionals who need deep, detailed analysis and are looking for comprehensive technical documentation.

Example sources: Enterprise software companies like Dell, IBM, Citrix, and VMware publish technical papers regularly. Cloud and infrastructure providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure also produce extensive technical papers for developers and IT professionals.

How to Create Your Whitepaper

Preparation is the key to making sure the whitepaper is in line with the needs of the audience and business goals. Make sure to set a very specific target audience, and consider their pain points, information needs, and decision-making criteria. Choose a topic that you can address and showcase your expertise, but one that also offers an actual solution to challenges that your audience faces. Set specific goals for the whitepaper, like lead generation, brand awareness, or thought leadership

To ensure a whitepaper is easy to read and comprehend, it is important to adhere to the established structure and sections. This also helps you include all the necessary elements that your audience would be looking for. Every part of a whitepaper serves a unique purpose in leading the audience toward the next step in their buyer journey.

Step 1: Craft a title page that stands out and stops readers in their tracks.

• Use a catchy headline that instantly communicates the key value proposition of your whitepaper.
• Include your company logo and branding for recognition and credibility.
• Display the publication date and version number.
• Add a relevant visual, graphic, or design element to make it visually appealing, such as a photo or an infographic.

Step 2: Include an executive summary or abstract that gives busy decision-makers a quick overview.

• Keep it to 1-2 pages, at most, so busy execs can quickly get the main takeaways.
• Summarize the problem, the recommended solution/approach, and the top benefits or findings.
•  Use jargon-free language that appeals to C-suite executives who may not be technical experts in your field.
• Include the most important statistics or data points that make the reader think, “Wait, that’s impressive. I need to keep reading.”

Step 3: Ensure the Introduction contains a problem statement and the “So what?” factor.

• The problem should be clear and specific to the audience and it should also explain why it matters to the reader’s business.
• Set the reader’s expectations for what they will learn and benefit from reading the whitepaper.
• Hook the reader at an emotional or intellectual level that motivates them to keep reading.

Step 4: Include plenty of background research and context that shows in-depth understanding of the topic and use back-up from various sources and credible data

• Ensure you support every claim you make with citations from reputable sources (industry reports, academic research, etc.).
• Include relevant and compelling statistics, market data, and trends that validate the problem exists.
• Include quotes or insights from other industry experts to further build your authority.
• Include historical context or trends on how the problem has changed or evolved over time.

Step 5: Outline the solution and include a section that recommended approach with strong supporting evidence, like data visualizations.

• Present the recommended approach or methodology in simple, step-by-step terms.
• Use data visualizations (graphs, charts, infographics, etc.) to illustrate key ideas and make complex information easy to digest.
• Share real-world examples or case studies on how the solution works in practice.
• Explain the measurable benefits or outcomes a reader can expect from your solution.

Step 6: Add a conclusion and call to action with next steps, references, and other resources.

• Summarize three to five of the most important takeaways from the whitepaper.
• Reinforce the whitepaper value proposition and provide an explanation on why the reader should take action.
• Add a complete list of all citations, sources, and references used in the whitepaper for transparency and credibility.
• End with a specific, compelling call to action (download a resource, schedule a demo, contact sales, etc.) that aligns with the buyer journey stage.

Distributing Your Whitepaper

This is key to turning your whitepaper into a lead generation machine. The best distribution plans involve the use of gated content strategies and multiple distribution channels to extend reach and maximize conversions.

Use a content gating strategy with a registration form to capture lead information and customize follow-up marketing, but keep your form short to avoid discouraging prospects. Offer a content preview or executive summary page before the gate to showcase the value of your content. Distribute your whitepaper across:

• Your company website and blog
• Targeted email marketing campaigns
• Professional social media channels like LinkedIn and Twitter
• Industry forums and communities, and across partner websites and directories.

Utilizing this multi-channel distribution strategy will help ensure that your whitepaper reaches qualified prospects no matter where they’re accessing business content.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Whitepapers fail for very predictable reasons that cause your readers to question your expertise or lose interest. Here are some things to keep in mind while producing your whitepaper:

Making It Too Advertising Heavy

Do not make your whitepaper too sales-y or promotional, as your audience will detect and dismiss it as a thinly-veiled ad. Use a tone that doesn’t sound overly pushy or contrived to the point of resembling ad copy. Prioritize educational content over direct sales pitches. Whitepapers should enlighten the reader on a subject. Provide data and takeaways that can be applied to their situation.

Not Using Enough Research

Writing your whitepaper with little to no research/data to back it up kills credibility. Ensure you provide sources, statistics, and specific data points that back up every finding and assertion you make. Readers—especially those in the B2B space—are making significant business decisions based on your insights Your whitepaper needs to be providing tangible value for readers who are researching and/or actively considering making a purchase based on what you present to them.

Inventing Problems That Don’t Exist

Address your reader’s actual problem, not the one you wish they had. Do your research and find out what the real pain points are instead of assuming you know them. Focus on what actually matters to your audience and, by extension, what they are actively trying to solve when looking to make a purchase.Ask your customers, talk to your sales team, read support tickets. There are numerous sources of information for you to dive into to find out what challenges they face that you can help address.

Not Focusing On Your Call To Action

A clear call to action should never be an afterthought. Whitepapers should be a step in the buyer’s journey; every aspect of the copy should be contributing toward a clear next step. Failing to include a CTA, or having one that is not specific and compelling, is an immediate revenue loss. The CTA you include should be uniquely tailored to the whitepaper. It should be the logical next step to receiving the value that has been provided within the content.