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Chapter 25—White Papers and Technical Papers

White papers and technical papers are research-based
documents that provide an educated opinion on a specific
topic. They allow a business to take the role of trusted advisor
by delivering valuable information. They are a powerful way to
help establish your company as a thought leader.

A good white paper provides new insight into business issues
and provides ways to address and solve them without being
sales oriented. White papers educate on a particular issue
and might advocate a particular type of solution, but they don’t
promote a particular company’s solution. White papers that
push a specific company or solution lose all impact and are
detrimental rather than constructive in B2B marketing.

White papers and technical papers can take several
approaches to educate readers: they can explain a complex
issue, explore the possibilities and implications of new
business innovations, share aggregated knowledge of clients’
experiences, offer solutions pertaining to a particular issue or
market, or introduce a company’s unique insights on a topic.

Here are some guidelines for producing white papers to help
establish your company as a thought leader:

• Choose a topic that aligns with your brand and is
of interest to your target market. There’s no point in
spending the time and effort to produce a white paper,
if it isn’t of interest to your target market. For a list of
ways to identify possible topics, see Chapter 21.

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© 2012 Lisa Shepherd