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Key takeaways

When writing a white paper, you present your audience with a problem and a solution, emphasizing how a product or brand can address the issue. Here are some important things to know:

• A white paper typically has at least five to six pages of informative content.

• White papers inform and persuade through evidence instead of sales techniques.

• You can advance in your career as a digital marketer by earning industry-recognized digital marketing certificates.听

Learn how to write a white paper and how to begin a career in digital marketing. Afterward, enroll in Adobe鈥檚 Content Creator Professional Certificate. In as little as four months, you鈥檒l have the opportunity to bring your ideas to life with real-world projects that highlight your storytelling, branding, and publishing skills.

What is a white paper?

A white paper is an informational document with properly cited examples and sources to back up any claims or arguments made. It can also serve as marketing communication with important information to encourage consumers to buy or engage with a business鈥檚 product. While some promotional marketing materials may use sales-like language to entice potential consumers, white papers are strictly informative and educational.

The goal of a white paper is to present the reader with a problem and explain how your business can provide the solution. For example, CrowdStrike, the network security firm, has a white paper that discusses the problem of protecting employee identities from cyberattacks, and the company offers its Falcon Identity Protection software as a simple and effective solution [].

Who uses white papers?

Organizations use white papers to make a persuasive, evidence-based case for their product or service, and individuals may use white papers to understand those products and services before making a purchase. They fall into one of two broad groups:聽

• Creators use white papers to explain a position or demonstrate how their product or service provides a solution to a problem or need that they have. This group includes marketers, brands, and government officials.

• Audiences read white papers to learn more about an organization or solutions to a problem. These readers encompass a diverse group of individuals, including investors, business stakeholders, and potential customers.

Typical white paper format

White papers generally follow a similar format to other professional papers and documents, with a beginning, middle, and end or an introduction, middle, and conclusion. White papers vary in length. Government white papers can range between 20 and 50 pages, while corporate marketing white papers may only be a single page. Word count is also sometimes used as a guide, with targets in the 2,000-6,000 range. You can also utilize visual elements, such as graphs and images, to convey your arguments.

Take a closer look at the typical white paper format:

• Beginning/introduction: In the white paper鈥檚 introduction, you provide a brief summary (also known as an abstract) of the piece and introduce the audience to the problem or situation you plan to address.

• Middle: The middle of the white paper should contain research that supports the proposed solution to the problem or situation outlined in the introduction. It should also contain the proposed solution itself, with examples of how the product or service provides the best actionable solution.

• End/conclusion: At the end of the white paper, you reiterate the talking points of the piece and emphasize how a company鈥檚 product or service can solve the problem previously presented. This section is also the place to specifically advertise or call out your product so that readers can find it and engage with it. Here, you鈥檒l include any citations for the external sources referenced in the white paper.

Read more: Marketing Strategy: What It Is and How to Create One

3 main types of white papers

Choose a format for your white paper based on what the audience needs to hear. As the author of a white paper, you may choose from three main types: the problem/solution, the numbered list, and the backgrounder. Each type serves a different purpose:

Problem/solution

A common form of white paper is the problem/solution format, which follows the process of introducing readers to a problem and providing a solution that involves a company鈥檚 product or service. For example, a cybersecurity company might write "How Data Breaches Threaten Small Businesses and How to Prevent Them."

Numbered list

With a numbered list, your focus is dedicated to a certain number of elements or bullet points highlighting the important aspects of your product or service. An advertising agency might promote its services with a white paper titled, 鈥�3 Effective Forms of Digital Advertising.鈥�

Backgrounder

The backgrounder includes valuable information about the technical aspects of a product or service, targeting an audience that wants to learn more about it. An example of this type of white paper is a software company that shares "Understanding Cloud-based CRM Architecture: Features, Integration, and Scalability."

What is the purpose of a white paper?

White papers aim to guide readers toward a solution and support their decision-making process. Depending on your marketing goals, a white paper might be designed to generate new leads and increase brand awareness, establish trust with your current leads through credible evidence and data, or improve sales numbers.

How to write a white paper

Before writing a white paper, consider your audience. If the purpose of your white paper involves marketing a product or service, assume that your audience will be existing and future consumers. The next phase is to determine what you want from your audience. Do you want them to engage or buy your product or service? Do you want to show them a solution to a potential problem? Once you鈥檝e settled on an objective, use these steps to compose the white paper:

Select a format.

Choose a format that best aligns with your objective and audience needs. If your goal is to address a specific challenge your audience faces, the problem/solution format works well. For highlighting key features or benefits of your offerings, use a numbered list. When your audience wants detailed technical information, a backgrounder is an effective choice.

Perform thorough research.

To create a thoughtful and engaging white paper, conduct research on your guiding point. Use citations such as case studies or professional examples to support your claims and prevent the white paper from sounding like an advertisement. Back up each claim with research that readers can fact-check. This builds credibility and demonstrates professionalism.

Write and publish.

After you write, edit, and finalize your white paper, promote it to your audience. Share the link or PDF on your company鈥檚 website, social media pages, and directly with other industry professionals. Generate leads by requesting contact information from those who want to download it. This allows you to build an email list for future marketing.

Best practices when writing a white paper

White papers lose their impact when they target the wrong audience, include generalizations that don't help the reader make a decision, or use conversational language that lacks a professional writing voice. These best practices can help you avoid mistakes and strengthen your white paper:

• Pick a subject matter and title that engages: The first thing that your reader will see is the title of your white paper, so choose one that clearly describes what it's about. Select a topic that appeals to your target audience and addresses their needs. A strong title is interesting and compelling.

• Include citations: Support your claims with well-researched references, such as academic papers, case studies, or data from your own company. This demonstrates your clear understanding of the topic. Sources also distinguish your white paper from promotional materials.

• Focus on the visuals: White papers should include unique visuals to grab the reader鈥檚 attention. You can turn data, such as an increase in social media followers or sales history, into visual graphs or charts to make it easier to understand. Match the look of your white paper to your brand for consistency.

How to become a white paper writer

To become a white paper writer, start offering your services as a freelancer or contractor. Some, companies prefer to hire a writer who was not directly involved in the development of the product or service. Promote your white paper writing skills on your promotional material, including your website, business card, and email signature line. You can search for clients using B2B-related groups such as LinkedIn.

As a white paper author, you may handle digital marketing duties, which fall under the advertising, promotions, and marketing managers category of occupations. These roles have an expected growth rate of 6 percent between 2024 and 2034, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics [].听

Tools and resources for white paper creation

As you prepare to write a white paper, research similar papers in your industry. Read published papers to develop a general understanding of what's already been published, so you can focus on ideas that others have not covered, fill in gaps, and give readers new content.

To format and design your white paper, use digital design software like Adobe InDesign or Visme. These tools have templates available and can help you add visual elements like charts, graphs, and graphics to give the published white paper a professional look.

Discover digital marketing career tools and tips

Learn digital marketing terms and which marketing role to pursue by checking out our Career Resource Hub. Then, explore free, digital resources to help you build skills to advance in your marketing career:

• Take a career quiz: Digital Marketing Career Quiz: Is It Right for You? Find Your Role

• Watch on YouTube:

• Explore digital marketing roles: Digital Marketing Career Progression: Job Levels & Skills to Advance

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