What Are White Papers? | Glossary

White papers are original documents that give readers concise yet thorough information about a specific topic. They can also serve as an excellent lead generation tool for businesses. For example, a content marketing company can require potential readers to sign up for its newsletter before gaining access to a white paper. Once the company has the reader’s email address, it can maintain contact through weekly communication.

Additionally, white papers help establish businesses as thought leaders in their industries. When you demonstrate a deep understanding of any topic, other people in your industry take notice. Potential clients can also recognize the experience that it takes to write a detailed white paper.

White papers typically fall into one of two categories: backgrounders and problem-solvers.

A backgrounder white paper covers how a product or service can benefit customers. For example, the content marketing company might release a backgrounder white paper that takes a deep dive into the benefits of using its custom keyword research service.

Problem-solver white papers take a different approach by reviewing a problem commonly encountered in an industry and explaining how to overcome barriers to success. With this approach, the content marketing company might produce a problem-solver white paper that explains the difficulty of keyword research and gives readers step-by-step instructions for using its keyword research service.

Writing a white paper can take a lot of time because it requires ample research and synthesis. You may spend a whole day reading research studies before you can even start making an outline for your paper.

Considering how much time it takes to write a promising white paper, few businesses choose to create them in-house. Instead, they outsource content creation to freelance writers who have significant experience in their industries.

Scripted makes it easy for you to hire white paper writers with experience in your industry. By hiring the best writers, you get compelling content that can:

• Establish your business’s expertise in a subject.
• Build your mailing list so you can stay in contact with potential clients.
• Generate sales leads.
• Increase engagement on your website.
• Create something special to post about on social media.

Scripted can also help when you need long-form, authoritative content that doesn’t exactly fit into the “white paper” category. When you need something a little different, consider starting a custom project designed to meet your unique needs.