How To Write White Papers

By Valeria Vegas

If you’re a technical writer or an MBA, eventually you are going to need to know how to write white papers. In the business world, white papers are a marketing tool. In fact, many project leaders and COs use them as their first source of information when it comes to making decisions about which companies with whom they should invest or partner.

That’s because a company’s white paper is a thorough investigation into their selling points. They are meant to influence a potential client positively and either establish their authority on what the company needs or to inform the potential client company about a problem they should be concerned about that the white paper company intends to fix.

In the following sections discussing the components of this technical writing, the term ‘the white paper company’ refers to the company you are describing (or working for) in the white paper. ‘The target company’ refers to who you expect to read the white paper and be persuaded by it that ‘the white paper company’ is who they need to do business with.

Include the following in your white paper:

• Problems and issues currently affecting the market and industry. First thing, briefly discuss what the target company is dealing with – competition, financial issues, economy, laws, etc – that could impact them negatively. Let them know that the white paper company has an intimate knowledge with what they’re going through.

• Solutions to each problem and issue. The point of bringing up the problems is to explain how the white paper company can provide solutions for the target company. Discuss how the white paper company can turn each problem, issue, or threatening trend into a positive source of income.

• Description of solution aspects. If, for example, the white paper company provides system databases, then describe the technology behind their particular system database solution. Don’t lose the target company because the CO reading the paper doesn’t understand how the technology works. However, if everything is standard and basic, don’t waste time re-defining the obvious.

• Show how the white paper company will serve the target company in particular. Specifically apply the white paper company’s solution to the target company’s problem. Why is the white paper company better than its competitors? Why should the target company choose them? Why now?

• Examples, benefits, case studies. It’s more of the same but a thorough example of how another company benefited from utilizing the solution suggested. Outline what specific things the target company has to gain.

• Graphics, charts, images. Anything to make it even more clear in eye popping color what exactly it is that the target company is missing and how the white paper company can fill that hole. Visual effects are more memorable and stand out on the desk top better than plain text.

• Give a list of companies with whom the white paper company could create a partnership with in order to benefit the target company. If, for example, another company makes a certain software that would be perfect for the target company’s needs if combined with the white paper company’s product, then that company would be on the list with a brief description why.

• Summary. This is the last thing on the white paper and is usually a bullet point summation of everything you wrote. It may feel like you’re writing and re-writing the same information and, in a way, you are. But each section adds more dimension and with repetition comes persuasion and clarity.

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