![\"big](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/white_paper_questions.gif\")
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Over the years, I’ve kept adding to it, until today when\u00a0it covers 36 questions.<\/p>\n
This is undoubtedly the most detailed, most thorough FAQ on white papers anywhere.<\/p>\n
Whether you\u2019re a B2B marketer or writer, I hope it helps you understand white papers better.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Click any topic to see related questions and answers.<\/p>\n White paper definitions<\/a> <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Ask any 10 people this question, and you’ll likely get 12 different answers.<\/p>\n Here is the best short definition I’ve ever found, after years of looking:<\/p>\n A white paper is a persuasive essay that uses facts and logic to promote a certain product, service, or viewpoint<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Beyond that, I’ve heard a white paper described as:<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0A manifesto<\/strong> on how to solve a certain problem <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clearly, none of these exotic definitions do the trick.<\/p>\n For some better clues, look at the content and format of these documents:<\/p>\n The content<\/strong> of a white paper provides useful information for business people seeking to understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.<\/p>\n The format<\/strong> of a white paper is somewhere between a technical manual and a glossy brochure… between a dry-as-dust academic paper and a colorful annual report.<\/p>\n Some good models are respected magazines\/websites like Scientific American<\/a> or The Economist<\/a>. Like the best white papers, these publications explain scientific and financial information in a visually appealing way.<\/p>\n In a word, no.<\/p>\n Everything from a two-page flyer to a 100-page book has been called a white paper.<\/p>\n There are even “video white papers.” This seems like an oxymoron. How can a video be a paper?<\/p>\n But there are no fixed rules to define a white paper, and no one to enforce them if there were.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n Well, perhaps.<\/p>\n That White Paper Guy aka Gordon Graham has identified these key characteristics for a white paper<\/strong>:<\/p>\n If a document has all these characteristics, it’s probably a white paper.<\/p>\n To elaborate, the main body of a “typical” white paper is 6 to 8 pages long, shorter than in past years. With front matter and back matter, the total length is usually 10 to 12 pages.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n White papers come in many different types, with no universal system for labeling them precisely.<\/p>\n Given this, the majority of white papers fall into one of these three types:<\/p>\n 1. A backgrounder<\/strong> describes the technical features and benefits of a product or service<\/p>\n 2. A numbered list<\/strong> provides a light and lively set of points or concerns about some topic<\/p>\n 3. A problem\/solution<\/strong> recommends a new, improved solution for a nagging business or technical problem<\/p>\n About 15 years ago, That White Paper Guy proposed that these three types could be remembered as different flavors of ice cream.<\/p>\n Backgrounder<\/strong>\u00a0= vanilla: <\/strong>old-fashioned and predictable<\/p>\n Numbered<\/strong> list<\/strong>\u00a0= strawberry:<\/strong>\u00a0light and lively<\/p>\n Problem\/solution<\/strong>\u00a0= chocolate:<\/strong>\u00a0deep, rich and long-lasting<\/p>\n For more on these three flavors and how to use them effectively, see my free infographic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Beyond these, many other terms are commonly used to describe white papers:<\/p>\n But all these descriptive terms fit under one or another of the three main types, so these terms are not as helpful.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n Yes. You can combine two of these three flavors like so:<\/p>\n This yields five main flavors of white papers in all: three “pure” and two “mashups.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A numbered list + backgrounder (strawberry + vanilla)<\/strong> white paper looks at a number of elements or functions of a certain offering.<\/p>\n This kind of mashup promises an easy read and some useful information about a certain offering.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The title should start with a number and end with the product name.<\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n \u2014 3 Advanced Security Features of\u00a0<\/i>Acme Scanomatic 3000<\/i> <\/p>\n A numbered list + problem\/solution (strawberry + chocolate)\u00a0<\/strong>white paper covers three different aspects of some \u00a0industry-wide problem.<\/p>\n This kind of mashup promises an easy read along with some deep\u00a0insight into a nagging industry problem.<\/p>\n The title should start with a number and end with the problem\/solution.<\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n \u2014 3 Critical Challenges of Design\/Build Projects and How to Solve Them<\/i> <\/p>\n That’s because these two have such \u00a0different viewpoints.<\/p>\n A problem\/solution is like looking at a wide view of a whole industry with a telescope.<\/p>\n A backgrounder is like zooming in on one specific offering with a microscope.<\/p>\n It’s difficult to combine both perspectives in the same document. Instead, it’s better to do two different white papers, one of each type.<\/p>\n It’s almost impossible to describe both an industry-wide problem and a specific offering as numbered lists in the same document.<\/p>\n You’ll likely just make a mess.<\/p>\n It’s far better to do two different white papers of the appropriate flavors.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n The benefit of a numbered list (aka listicle) is that it promises an easy read.<\/p>\n It\u00a0sounds light and lively, just a collection of points or items that someone can scan through. So any list up to 9 sounds quick and easy.<\/p>\n Once you get up into the high teens\u201417, 18, 19\u2014it sounds like a lot more work. And if you go to 20, 30, 40 or 50 items, that starts to sound overwhelming.<\/p>\n Remember why telephone numbers are given as 7 digits: That’s about the longest sequence of numbers most people can remember<\/a>.<\/p>\n Then there’s the odd vs even quandary.<\/p>\n Odd numbers somehow seem more real than even numbers, which can appear too “neat” or “rounded off.”<\/p>\n That’s why many people believe that a listicle with 3, 5, 7 or 9 items will be downloaded more than one with 4, 6 or 8.<\/p>\n The worse culprit is probably a list of 10, because it sounds so much like a “top 10 list” and everyone knows it was probably padded out to get to 10.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n Each type is best for delivering information to prospects at a certain point in their customer journey, as shown below.<\/p>\n For shorthand, “offering” means any product, service, technology, or methodology described in the white paper.<\/p>\n For the three main flavors and two mashups of white paper:<\/p>\n 1. Backgrounder<\/strong>: Best for prospects evaluating a shortlist of offerings near the end of the customer journey; also best to support a product launch for journalists, analysts, and channel partners<\/p>\n 2. Numbered list<\/strong>: Best to nurture prospects in the middle of the customer journey with a light and lively roundup of points about some topic; also good for spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) about competitors<\/p>\n 3. Problem\/solution white paper<\/strong>: Best to draw in new prospects at the start of the customer journey as they research a nagging business or technical problem<\/p>\n A numbered list + problem\/solution<\/strong> is best in the early half of the customer journey, while the prospect is interested in finding new solutions to their nagging business problem.<\/p>\n A numbered list + backgrounder<\/strong> is best in the later half of the customer journey, while the prospect is starting to dive deeper in the details of the offerings on their shortlist.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n These three flavors will likely cover 4 out of 5 of the white papers you see. I call that the 3-4-5 rule.<\/p>\n But what about those outliers, the other 1 out of 5 that just doesn’t fit any flavor?<\/p>\n I’ve written white papers about all those topics.<\/p>\n Captain Barbossa<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n My best advice is not to sweat it.<\/p>\n The three flavors aren’t iron-clad categories. No one is policing the marketing world to make sure you follow them.<\/p>\n These are intended as useful templates to help frame a white paper in the planning stages, to help decide what to put in and what to leave out.<\/p>\n And to paraphrase Captain Barbossa from the Pirates of the Caribbean<\/em>, the three flavors are more what you’d call “guidelines.”<\/p>\n You can create a white paper on any topic, for any audience, using any approach under the sun, as long as you remember this key mantra:<\/p>\n A truly effective white paper helps a business person understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you content does that, your readers will thank you. And they won’t give a hoot what flavor you call it… or even if you call it a “white paper” at all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n Remember that there are no “rules” or universal standards for what makes a white paper… and that means many people use this label very carelessly.<\/p>\n By my definition, a white paper is intended to help a business person understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.<\/p>\n There are many other types of useful information, but I don’t consider those white papers.<\/p>\n For example, marketing guru Perry Marshall names 40+ documents that he considers to be white papers, including:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2022<\/strong> Application guide <\/p>\n <\/p>\n But notice how many of these are actually documentation used after<\/strong> a B2B purchase when installing, learning, or troubleshooting a system.<\/p>\n Those may be useful, but they’re not white papers.<\/p>\n To my thinking, a white paper is strictly a pre-sales document used before<\/strong> a B2B purchase. It’s not documentation or support, it’s sales and marketing.<\/p>\n For a longer discussion, see my article “When is a white paper NOT a white paper<\/a>.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n White papers and blog posts are usually quite simple to tell apart.<\/p>\n White papers <\/strong>are usually PDF downloads of 3,000 to 5,000 words.<\/p>\n A good white paper is based on established facts and logical arguments, like a well-researched article in an industry journal.<\/p>\n A white paper generally takes 4 to 6 weeks of intense effort by a group of people. That’s why an effective white paper can be used for a year or two.<\/p>\n Blog posts <\/strong>are usually much shorter web pages of 600 to 1,800 words. A blog post can often be written in a couple of hours.<\/p>\n A blog post can be sheer opinion, or even a rant, more like a letter to the editor. That’s why there are so many blogs: Anyone can shoot off their mouth in a blog.<\/p>\n That’s why most blog posts are relevant for only a few months.<\/p>\n In a way, blog posts are a good place to test out your ideas, as they come together. You can gather comments and feedback, and see how your audience connects with your ideas.<\/p>\n Then you can solidify and back up your ideas in a white paper where you can pour more time and effort into the research, writing, design, and promotion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n White papers and brochures are almost complete opposites.<\/p>\n Brochures<\/strong> are sales documents intended to create interest and desire.<\/p>\n Today brochures are most often used in B2C for major purchases like cars, trucks, and boats.<\/p>\n They use the techniques of copywriting and advertising. They tend to push “emotional buttons” such as fear, greed, envy, or vanity.<\/p>\n Brochures are generally designed to be scanned: colorful, flashy, and filled with short snippets of text.<\/p>\n White papers<\/strong>, on the other hand, are persuasive essays about a certain product, service, technology, or methodology.<\/p>\n White papers are most often used in B2B for offerings that are relatively new, complex, or expensive.<\/p>\n They use the techniques of rhetoric and plain English. They tend to appeal more to logic through irrefutable facts, iron-clad logic, impeccable statistics, and quotes from industry opinion-makers.<\/p>\n White papers are generally designed to be read. They contain lots of text and some graphics, but not often a lot of pizzaz.<\/p>\n Some companies simply reformat a brochure and call the result a “white paper.” This is a waste of effort. Most readers become irritated when they see a vendor doing this.<\/p>\n Some marketers who should know better urge vendors to make white papers as flashy as brochures. This is not correct.<\/p>\n A white paper should be much more dignified, substantial, and informative than a brochure. Making it look like a sales piece is the kiss of death for a white paper.ny<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n White papers sometimes mention case studies for evidence of a vendor’s claims. But the two are quite different.<\/p>\n Case studies<\/strong> are extended testimonials on how a product or service helped someone in the real world. They are typically between 500 and 1,500 words long, written in a journalistic style with many quotes from the actual customer.<\/p>\n The classic format for a case study is Before\/After, Then\/Now, Problem\/Solution:<\/p>\n Before<\/strong> we had this terrible problem, then we found this fantastic product, and After<\/strong> we started using it, everything was sweetness and light.<\/p>\n White papers<\/strong>, on the other hand, are persuasive essays about a certain product, service, technology, or methodology.<\/p>\n They are generally 3,000 words or more, written in a somewhat academic style, with no direct quotes from the vendor. A white paper may be told in the Problem\/Solution format, but rarely in the Before\/After format.<\/p>\n White papers tend to be used earlier in the sales cycle, to help prospects visualize a possible solution to a nagging problem.<\/p>\n Case studies tend to be used later in the sales cycle to reassure a prospect that other buyers benefited from the same approach they are considering.<\/p>\n For a longer discussion, see my article “White papers versus case studies<\/a>.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to top<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n Remember, we’re talking here about ebooks used in B2B content marketing.<\/p>\n A B2B ebook can be hard to tell apart from a white paper. You can often call the very same document either a white paper or an ebook.<\/p>\n
\nWhite Paper FAQ topics<\/h2>\n
\nWhite papers compared to other documents<\/a>
\nWhite paper readers<\/a>
\nWhite paper sponsors<\/a>
\nWhite paper writers<\/a>
\nWhite paper success and failure<\/a>
\nWhite papers past, present, and future<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nWhite paper definitions<\/h3>\n
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White papers compared to other documents<\/h3>\n
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White paper readers<\/h3>\n
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White paper sponsors<\/h3>\n
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White paper writers<\/h3>\n
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White paper fails<\/h3>\n
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White papers past, present, and future<\/h3>\n
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\nWhite paper definitions<\/h2>\n
\nWhat exactly is a white paper?<\/h3>\n
![\"white](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/white-paper-question-mark-234x300.jpg\")
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\n\u2022\u00a0A bait-piece<\/strong>
\n\u2022\u00a0The glue<\/strong> that holds a campaign together
\n\u2022\u00a0An information widget<\/strong>
\n\u2022 A way to freeze-dry<\/strong> your ideas
\n\u2022 The magic Excalibur<\/strong> of marketing!<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/web-FAQ-The-Economist-300x144.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/images\/tiny_question.png\")
Back to top<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n
\nAre there any industry standards for these documents?<\/h3>\n
\nIf there are no standards, aren’t there at least some conventions?<\/h3>\n
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\nWhat different types of white papers exist?<\/h3>\n
![\"scoop](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/vanilla.png\")
![\"scoop](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/strawberry-300x243.png\")
![\"scoop](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/chocolate-300x266.jpg\")
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\nCan you combine different types of white papers?<\/h3>\n
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![\"ice](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ice-cream-mashup-strawberry-and-vanilla-300x247.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 5 Hidden Gotchas of Windows 12<\/i>
\n\u2014 6 Things You Should\u00a0Know about Web3<\/i><\/p>\n![\"ice](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ice-cream-mashup-strawberry-and-chocolate-300x251.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u2014 4 Pillars of\u00a0Financial\u00a0Inclusion and How Bill C-25\u00a0Strengthens Them<\/i>
\n\u2014 5 Backdoors that Let Hackers Steal Your IP and What to Do About Them<\/i><\/p>\n![\"ice](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ice-cream-mashup-vanilla-and-chocolate-300x259.jpg\")
The remaining type of mashup, a problem\/solution and backgrounder,<\/strong> doesn’t work at all well.<\/p>\n![\"ice](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/ice-cream-mashup-strawberry-chocolate-and-vanilla-300x220.jpg\")
\nIn real life, Neapolitan ice cream is great. But don’t try this with white papers.<\/p>\n
\nWhat’s the maximum number of points in a numbered list?<\/h3>\n
\nWhen is each type of white paper most useful?<\/h3>\n
\nWhat if your idea doesn’t fit any of the flavors?<\/h3>\n
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![\"Hector-Barbossa-Pirates-of-the-Caribbean-disney\"](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Hector-Barbossa-Pirates-of-the-Caribbean-disney-215x300.jpeg\")
\nWhat’s NOT a white paper?<\/h3>\n
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\n\u2022<\/strong> Cheat sheet
\n\u2022<\/strong> Installation guide
\n\u2022<\/strong> Manual (?!)
\n\u2022<\/strong> Optimizer
\n\u2022<\/strong> Pocket guide
\n\u2022<\/strong> Troubleshooting guide
\n\u2022<\/strong> Tutorial<\/p>\n
\nWhite papers compared to other documents<\/h2>\n
\nWhite papers and blog posts: What’s the difference?<\/h3>\n
\nWhite papers and brochures: What’s the difference?<\/h3>\n
\nWhite papers and case studies: What’s the difference?<\/h3>\n
\n![\"white](\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-paper-into-e-book-300x176.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nWhite papers and ebooks: What’s the difference?<\/h3>\n