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As far as I know, no one has ever assembled a comprehensive FAQ on white papers.
Until now. After more than seven years of research, here it is.
I hope this FAQ is helpful to anyone just getting started with white papers,
or anyone who wants to understand white papers better.
White Paper Definitions
White Papers vs. Other Documents
White Paper Readers
White Paper Sponsors
Past and Future
What exactly is a white paper?
Are there any industry standards for white papers?
What different types of white papers exist?
When is each type of white paper useful?
When is a white paper not a white paper?
What topics are hot for white papers today?
What's the difference between a white paper and a brochure?
What's the difference between a white paper and a case study?
What's the difference between a white paper and a press release?
Who reads white papers?
Why do people read white papers?
When do people read white papers?
Who publishes white papers?
Why do companies publish white papers?
Where do white papers fit in the sales cycle?
Which type of white paper should my firm create?
How much does a white paper cost?
How does a vendor promote a white paper?
Where did white papers come from?
Where are white papers going?
Ask any 10 people this question, and you'll likely get 12 different answers.
Here is the best short definition I've ever found: a white paper is a
persuasive essay.
Beyond that, I've heard white papers described as:
A manifesto on how to solve a particular problem
A "bait-piece" in the guise of an informative article
The glue that holds any marketing campaign together
An information widget used to promote a company
A way to freeze-dry your ideas
That rare document that can be all things to all people.
The content of a white paper should provide
useful information for potential customers seeking to understand a certain product,
service, technology or methodology.
The format of a white paper should be a piece of marketing collateral
somewhere between a technical manual and a glossy brochure, somewhere between
a dry-as-dust academic paper and a popular magazine article.
Think of the type of article that would be published in "Scientific American"
and you're pretty close to a modern white paper.
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No. Anyone can call anything a white paper. And they do.
But we can make some generalizations about most white papers today.
The typical white paper is 4 to 8 pages long. But I have seen everything from a
2-page flyer to a 100-page book called "white papers."
The typical white paper has better production values than a technical manual,
but is nowhere near as glossy as a brochure or advertisement.
The typical white paper is distributed as a PDF on the Web, although many are also
printed and handed out on sales calls, in press kits, and at trade shows.
As the white paper becomes a more standard document type, better understood by both
writers and readers, more conventions may take hold.
So far, these have been very slow to emerge.
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White papers are often divided into three types:
Technical backgrounder
Business benefits
A hybrid, or combination of both.
Beyond these broad divisions, many other flavors of white papers exist:
Market overview
Position paper
Product briefing
Executive briefing
Thought leader
Competitive review
Evaluator's guide
Any of these flavors can be combined together as well.
White papers come in many different types,
with no accepted system for labelling each one precisely.
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Each different type is most appropriate for delivering certain information
to a certain audience, as shown below.
For shorthand, I've used "product" to represent
any product, service, technology or methodology described in the white paper.
Technical backgrounder:
to explain a unique, unfamiliar or misunderstood product to a technical audience.
Business benefit:
to show how buyers will benefit from a certain product, aimed at a non-technical audience.
Hybrid technical/business paper:
to combine both technical details and business benefits for a mixed audience.
Market overview:
to provide an overview of a certain market, or to redefine a market niche
in terms favorable to a certain vendor.
Position paper:
to argue for a certain approach to solving a particular problem,
rather like an opinion piece.
Product briefing:
to explain the high-level features and functions of a product,
often for journalists and analysts at the product launch.
Executive briefing:
to provide a short, high-level summary of a certain product, market or problem
in terms that a top executive can appreciate.
Thought leader:
to define a market space or set out a particular agenda,
generally to help a vendor claim leadership in a certain market niche.
Competitive review:
to show the relative strengths and weaknesses of competing products,
generally to position one vendor as the best choice for a prospect.
Evaluator's guide:
to explain the features, functions, interfaces and benefits of a product
to a prospect fairly advanced in the buying process.
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Remember that there are no "rules" or universal standards
for what makes a white paper, so many people use this label very carelessly.
By my definition, a white paper contains useful information
to help people understand a new, complex or expensive technology they
are considering buying for their business.
There are many other types of useful information, but I don't consider them white papers.
For instance, white paper writer Perry Marshall names 40+ types of documents
that he treats as white papers, including:
Application guide
Cheat sheet
Installation guide
Manual
Optimizer
Pocket guide
Reference
Troubleshooting guide
Tutorial.
Much of this list is really documentation used after
a purchase when installing, learning or troubleshooting of a system.
They may be useful, but they're not white papers.
To my thinking, a white paper is strictly a pre-sales document used
before a purchase.
But no matter what you call it, remember that an overt "sales pitch" will destroy
the effectiveness of an white paper.
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The hot topics for white papers tend to follow industry trends.
So when a lot of people are talking about a certain technology, you can be sure a lot of
white papers are being written about it.
The white paper syndicates want you to know what's hot, so they make it easy to get an
instant snapshot of their most popular white paper downloads.
Visit www.knowledgestorm.com and notice the list of Top Requested Categories.
Visit www.bitpipe.com and click Most Popular Reports.
This shows the 50 most downloaded white papers for the day.
Or visit www.itpapers.com and scroll down to see the
most popular search terms for the site.
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White papers and brochures are almost complete opposites.
Brochures are sales documents intended to create interest and desire.
Brochures push "emotional buttons" such as fear, greed, envy or vanity.
They are generally colorful, flashy, and filled with promises.
They use the techniques of copywriting and advertising.
White papers, on the other hand, are persuasive essays about a certain
product, service, technology or methodology.
White papers appeal more to logic through irrefutable facts, iron-clad logic,
impeccable statistics and quotes from industry opinion-makers.
They are generally plain-looking, not flashy, and filled with facts.
They use the techniques of rhetoric and plain English.
Some companies simply reformat a brochure, and call the result a "white paper."
This is a complete waste of effort.
Readers will become quite irritated when they discover that a vendor has done this.
I have actually heard people urge vendors to make their white papers as flashy as brochures.
This is wrong, wrong, wrong. A white paper should be much more dignified and substantial and
informative than a brochure. Making it look like a sales piece is the kiss of death
for a white paper.
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White papers sometimes mention case studies for evidence of a vendor's claims.
But the two are quite different in form and content.
Case studies are extended testimonials on how a product or service helped
someone in the real world. They are somewhere between 500 and 1500 words long,
written in a journalistic style with many quotes from the actual customer.
The classic format for a case study is Before/After, Then/Now, Problem/Solution:
Before we had this terrible problem, then we found this fantastic product,
and After we started using it,
everything became sweetness and light.
White papers, on the other hand, are persuasive essays about a certain
product, service, technology or methodology.
They are generally 3,000 words or more, written in a somewhat academic style,
with no direct quotes from the vendor's representatives.
A white paper may be told in the
Problem/Solution format, but rarely in the Before/After format.
White papers tend to be used earlier in the sales cycle,
while case studies tend to be used later in the sales cycle
to reassure a prospect that other buyers benefitted from the same approach
they are considering.
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Press releases are short, factual announcements
of interest to a certain audience.
This format has existed for perhaps 100 years.
Until recently, press releases were used to influence media "gatekeepers" and
gain publicity for their sponsor.
The most effective press releases were recycled by journalists into articles.
Today, press releases are available to anyone on the Web, without a gatekeeper.
A contemporary press release must be highly factual.
In fact, there are rules about what a public company can say in a press release.
White papers, on the other hand, are persuasive essays about a certain
product, service, technology or methodology.
Modern white papers have existed for perhaps 50 years, and the format has evolved quickly
in the past 10 years.
While a white paper is sponsored by a company the same as a press release,
white papers are generally much longer than press releases,
with more room to present facts and develop arguments.
White papers are sometimes packaged with press releases as a "press kit."
And they are sometimes republished in trade magazines as articles.
On the Web, white papers are available to almost everyone.
There are no legal limits on what a company can say in a white paper.
But it's best to take a journalistic approach, backing up every assertion with
statistics, facts, and quotes from respected spokespeople.
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White papers are read by almost anyone contemplating the purchase of
a relatively new, complex, or high-priced product or service for their business.
White paper readers play a number of different roles in business, such as:
Corporate executives (decision-makers)
Finance executives (financial recommenders)
IT managers and staff (technical recommenders)
Line-of-business managers (managers)
User representatives (users)
In-house supporters of the purchase ("champions").
In larger companies, all these people may sit together on a selection
committee that makes a collective decision.
In smaller firms, some people may wear several
of these hats, and meet informally to discuss their purchase.
White papers are especially well-read by IT managers. One study showed that they
read a median of 30 white papers a year, with some reading more than 50 a year...
that's one a week!
As well, business people routinely passes good white papers up and down the food chain,
to both their managers and their staff.
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White paper readers are seeking useful information on the business
benefits or technical details of a new product or service they are considering buying.
A recent survey of IT managers by Forbes.com and Bitpipe (now TechTarget)
showed the following reasons for reading white papers:
To stay on top of new and emerging markets or trends (76%)
To get information about products and vendors (69%)
To compare products (50%)
To help justify potential buying decisions (42%)
To develop a short list of qualified vendors (33%).
White papers used to be aimed strictly at IT professionals.
Today, many less technical people are involved in big buying decisions.
These people are seeking plain-language explanations with clear business benefits,
backed up by convincing facts and arguments.
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People tend to read white papers when they are:
Dreaming of a way around a pressing problem
Wondering whether anything exists that could solve their problem
Looking for something that will satisfy their wish-list
Researching a possible purchase
Making up a short list of qualified vendors.
Executives at the IT portal KnowledgeStorm
encourage their clients to think of every technology sale in four phases:
1. Vision • 2. Planning • 3. Evaluation • 4. Acquisition.
Each phase ends when a certain document is written or a certain decision is made.
In the first phase, Vision, a business person is simply imagining how to solve a
problem. At that point, a high-level white paper focused on business benefits
can help them visualize the possibilities of using a certain product.
In the second phase, Planning, a prospect is trying
to map a set of functional requirements to a certain product.
That's when a more detailed, technical white paper can help
them understand how a given solution would work in their environment.
By the third stage, Evaluation, a prospect is actively
looking at a set of products from a short list of vendors.
The need for white papers has pretty much passed.
An Evaluator's Guide for a complex product might be helpful at this point.
But more often, prospects want the reassurance of seeing case studies from other customers.
In the fourth phase, Acquisition, a customer is actually purchasing
and installing a product. They may need added information to help them do so,
but it's more accurate to call this "documentation" rather than a white paper.
After all, the white paper has played its role, and the sale has already been made.
Everything from this point on is after-sales support, not pre-sales marketing.
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White papers abound in the technology sector, where they are commonly used
to explain software and hardware products.
In technology marketing, white papers are now a standard part of the marketing arsenal.
In a recent survey of 350+ technology vendors, 78% reported that they
created white papers in 2004; even more (86%) planned to use them in 2005.
But there's no reason why white papers can't be written about services or methodologies.
In fact, any vendor selling anything relatively new, relatively complex, and
relatively costly could likely benefit from a white paper.
This includes companies in sectors like these:
Software
Computer hardware and peripherals
Medical, test, or communication equipment
Technical or scientific services
Consulting.
Vendors of any relatively familiar, simple, and inexpensive B2C technology
don't bother to publish white papers, since there is little need for them.
For more on this topic, see my article
"Who needs white papers?"
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In general, vendors publish white papers for two main reasons:
either to gather leads, or to stake out a position as a market leader.
According to one study,
vendors publish white papers for all these reasons:
Gather leads for the sales force
Educate potential customers
Serve as a selling tool passed around a selection committee
Educate the sales force or channel partners
Educate the media
Offer as content to a trade publication or Web site
Redefine a market space
Give a vendor more credibility or mind share
Keep up with competitors who all have white papers.
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The longer the sales cycle, the more likely white papers are part of it.
White papers are used early in the sales cycle, before the prospect makes a purchase.
These can be called the "Vision" or "Planning" stages of the buying process, or
the "Research" or "Selection" tasks of the Universal Tasks.
After making a purchase, the buyer has little need for white papers.
At this point, the customer needs documentation, training and technical support,
not white papers.
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If you are creating a white paper, but aren't sure which flavor is best,
you can narrow down the list with three straightforward questions.
Question #1: What is the purpose of this white paper?
Gather leads for the sales force
Educate prospects, media, sales and channel partners
Impress a selection committee
Be published in a trade magazine or on a Web site.
Question #2: When will this white paper be used?
Early in the sales cycle, your white paper can be more high-level and general.
Later on, your white paper should be more detailed and specific.
Question #3: Who is my audience? What are they expecting to see?
IT people generally want to see technical details.
They will tolerate longer papers with modest production values.
In fact, a slick and colorful format tends to make them suspicious.
Executives want to see bottom-line benefits summed up in a page or two.
They want to hear about lower costs, better sales, higher profits, or improved customer service.
Executives expect polished production, with clear graphics they can understand at a glance.
Managers want to hear about streamlined workflow and labor savings.
They are keen to see how a new system would affect their area and their people.
User reps want to hear about ease-of-use, training, and support.
They can be more or less technical, but they will likely be detail-oriented.
Users are not often a significant audience for white papers. But if a user rep is involved
in a selection committee, you need to address their concerns at some point.
A mixed audience or selection committee may want to hear everything touched on above.
In this case, you may need several white papers, each with a different flavor, and each with content
geared to a somewhat different audience.
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There are several costs related to producing a white paper:
Research, writing and editing
Illustration and design
Printing, if applicable
Promotion.
Each of these costs can be outsourced, or handled in-house.
No industry-wide statistics are available to show what the "average" white paper costs.
However, executives from the white paper syndicates say that medium-sized technology firms
tend to spend $3,000 to $5,000 to have a white paper written and illustrated.
And a recent survey of 600+ white paper authors showed three distinct tiers:
At the low end, about a third said they can write a 10-page white paper
for US$2,000 or less
In the middle, 40 percent said they charge between $2,000 and $5,000
At the high end, about 25 percent said they charge $5,000 to $10,000.
Clearly the more experience a white paper writer has, the higher fees they can charge.
Illustration, design, and printing are likely less than the writing.
But publishing, promoting, and especially syndicating a white paper on other Web sites
can easily cost more than the rest of the budget put together.
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Simply writing a good white paper is not enough.
A vendor must actively promote a white paper to earn an acceptable ROI.
The most popular ways to promote a white paper include:
Post it to Web sites
Run advertising campaigns about it
Send e-mails about it
Mention it in newsletters, e-zines and blogs
Give it to prospects on sales calls
Give it to prospects at trade shows
Pay a third-party service to syndicate it.
The more effort a vendor invests in promoting a white paper,
the more likely it will succeed.
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This term "white paper" arose early in the 20th century in Great Britain.
It was used to distinguish shorter government briefs and position papers
with white covers from longer reports and policy books with blue covers.
One of the earlier white papers on record is the so-called
Churchill White Paper from 1922.
There is more background on this white paper here:
www.jafi.org.il/education/100/concepts/british.html
www.palestinefacts.org/pf_mandate_whitepaper_1922.php
A few months after this white paper was published,
Britain apparently backtracked on its policies and broke all the promises in this document.
Just like today, it seems that not all white papers speak the truth?!
White papers were often used in science and medicine during WWII, the 1950s and the '60s.
With the rise of the PC in the 1980s, white papers became extremely popular in the IT industry.
And in the '90s, the Web provided an inexpensive distribution channel that sparked today's
ongoing explosion of white papers.
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One thing's for sure: The number of white papers is growing exponentially.
In the summer of 2001, a Google search for the phrase "white papers" yielded 1.4 million hits.
Seven years later, in mid-2008, the same phrase yielded 34 million hits.
Clearly the Web is awash in documents called "white papers."
Yet this label is applied indiscriminately to many documents that are not "real" white papers.
Too many are thinly veiled sales pitches.
For this reason, the term "white paper" is becoming devalued.
It is probably better for any company publishing a white paper to find a more specific name for
their document, such as:
Executive briefing
Technology backgrounder
Special report
ROI calculator
Guide
Research report
Handbook
New formats for white papers are on the horizon,
including audio (podcasts) and video (vidcasts).
These will require different production methods from print,
and offer a more engaging experience for certain audiences.
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If you have any questions about white papers that are not included here,
or if you find any answers that need more clarification,
please email Gordon@ThatWhitePaperGuy.com
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