Tips for Writing a White Paper

Scribendi reports:

"A white paper is an in-depth, official, didactic document that discusses problems and how to solve them. Such papers are often used in political and business writing to instruct people and to help them make decisions. A well-written white paper can increase a company's market exposure immensely...Over time, white papers have come to refer to publications used by businesses for marketing purposes. For example, a company may publish a white paper in order to educate consumers about the benefits of a specified technology or product. The goal of a white paper is usually to describe the technology, product, or service in a way that people can easily understand...Remember that white papers should be objective, provide adequate and appropriate detail, and be written in a clear, concise, and logical way. Overly promotional white papers have a tendency to end up in the trash bin...[W]e recommend that you study your product. It is essential to explain how the product or service can be applied and why it is the best choice for customers. Furthermore, the intended audience must be properly identified, defined, and researched. There must also be agreement about the goals of the white paper and the strategies involved in writing it...Focusing on the needs of your audience is critical and directly affects how your white paper will be received. The more credible, unbiased, third-party information your white paper contains, the more useful it will be...Provide a historical overview. It is often useful to discuss what lies behind the problem...Explain what potential customers should look for when seeking a solution to the problem...Provide examples [such as]...situations where your solution would be especially valuable or...particular customers who have found success with your product or service...The most effective white papers do not exceed 12 pages...Effective white papers contain a few well-organized figures and tables to help illustrate the points made, contain precise and creative subheadings, and make use of callouts and sidebars...Begin your white paper with an abstract informing the reader of what the document is all about...The next step is to discuss in general terms how the product or service works; only then can you explain how your product or service can solve a specific problem...Treat this portion as if you were conducting a business pitch. The last part is the conclusion, which is essentially a summary of the reasons why your product or service is the best option...Once you have written your white paper, review it for accuracy."