WHITE PAPER - definition, structure, creation, TIPS + DOWNLOAD

• I'll show you the benefits of a white paper for your company's content marketing.
• You'll find out what you need to bear in mind when creating a white paper.
• You'll get to know 3 extremely effective white paper formats.
• Plus 1 white paper all-round format for (almost) all cases and how to create this white paper in just 6 steps.
• And as a bonus, you'll learn how the legendary Len Smith, veteran copywriter and one of the most successful in his industry, structured and organised his white papers to make them irresistible.

To make sure we're both talking about the same thing, let's start with a brief definition of white papers and some background information on lead generation and content marketing.

Don't worry, in part 2 I'll go into great detail about white paper structure, white paper formats and a 6-step guide to creating a white paper.

What is a white paper and why do I need one?

A white paper is, technically speaking, a document that provides information and facts about services, standards and technology. It identifies specific problems and presents new, innovative solutions to them.

Originally, the white paper was a political position paper in which facts, figures and background information were summarised. In the 1970s, the computer industry adopted the term for documents explaining technical innovations.

Today, however, the white paper is much more than just a tool for exchanging information.

It has established itself as a content marketing tool in companies across all industries.

In contrast to offensive, often even aggressive advertising methods, the white paper is a very gentle way of drawing attention to a service, product or company.

I will now show you why this "gentle" method is so successful today.

Expert tip: You can apply the following explanations and tips almost 1:1 for informative, comprehensive blog articles.

Lead generation - the challenge for website operators

The days of hardcore selling, buy-now copywriting and over-optimising website content (keyword stuffing) are over. In their place comes content marketing with expertise and well-founded information, with the help of which long-term and trusting customer loyalty is sought.

Prospective customers have long since seen through the strategies of push advertising and leave sales pages designed in this way after just a few seconds. The same applies to pages that are overloaded with keywords and therefore incomprehensible and difficult to read.

Modern consumers want to be informed, compare offers and decide on the right offer without pressure. They don't want to be taken by surprise or pushed into making a purchase, but want to be convinced by quality, customised solutions and high-quality information.

The leading search engines - above all Google - also take this into account. Informative, high-quality content with great benefits for the website visitor is increasingly being displayed at the top of the search results and purely advertising pages with less useful content are disappearing to the lower ranks.

Following the latest updates to Google's algorithms (starting with the Panda update in 2011), many providers have had to take painful note of this and adapt their sales strategies to the new challenges. Those who have failed to do so have suffered and will continue to suffer severe losses in sales, leads and conversions.

The online marketing of the 1990s and early 2000s has therefore been a thing of the past since 2011 at the latest.

The hard facts

Let me just point out two facts that are closely linked and have a direct impact on the success of your online presence and its findability on the internet and therefore on your conversions, leads and ultimately sales.

Fact no. 1: The responsible web user and consumer is primarily looking for high-quality information. There are many reasons for this, but some of them are worth emphasising. This is important because understanding the reading and searching behaviour of website visitors will go a long way to solving any problems such as a drop in traffic, sales or leads.

The most important reasons are:

• The user wants to get information and compare your offer with other providers
• The user collects information in order to possibly solve their problem themselves
• The user needs sound information in order to prepare for a possible purchase
  
  

Consumers usually look for this information at the stage of their customer journey where they already have a need for a product or service and therefore also a desire to buy.

All that is often missing for the final purchase decision are suitable explanations, descriptions or explanations.

Google says the following:

Whether we're shopping for cornflakes, concert tickets or a honeymoon in Paris, the internet has changed how we decide what to buy. At Google, we call this online decision-making moment the Zero Moment of Truth, or simply ZMOT. The ZMOT refers to the moment in the buying process when the consumer researches a product before making a purchase. (Source: Google)

Fact #2: Google is responding to this change in the search behaviour of internet users, your potential customers. Google does this by constantly adapting its algorithms to the needs of its users through updates.

The previously mentioned "Panda update" in 2011 was the first of its kind and triggered a real landslide in the search engine landscape. Many pages that had previously been on page 1 slipped considerably in the search results, while others - those that provided high-quality content and information - suddenly occupied the top positions.

Other significant Google updates that further fuelled this development followed in 2014 (Hummingbird update), 2015 (Phantom update) and 2017 (Fred update).

In all of these updates, the main focus was even more strongly on the quality of the page content than before. An initial analysis after the so-called Fred Update 2017 showed that URLs of individual websites lost 100 ranks or more overnight. And when we talk about websites here, we don't just mean individual subpages of a website, but the entire domain is affected.

The SEO tool provider SISTRIX analysed 300 domains from the USA, UK, Germany and Spain that had lost visibility as a result of the update and found that Google seems to pay even more attention to the quality of page content than before.

Almost all of the websites analysed were overloaded with advertising. In addition, there was little information on the actual topic on the sites. According to SISTRIX analyst Juan Gonzales, other common features of the update victims are outdated, thin or piecemeal content as well as incomprehensible texts crammed with SEO keywords.

What does this mean for you as a website owner?

Depending on your previous approach, it has the following effects:

If you have previously relied on conventional, i.e. offensive or even aggressive sales methods and/or have not provided your potential customers with added value in the form of high-quality information, you will:

• No longer be found on Google & Co or only on the back pages
• Lose leads
• Lose conversions
• Receive fewer customer enquiries
• Suffer a drop in sales
• Sell less
• Make fewer profits
  
  

If you have already relied on customer loyalty through information and expertise or have already made the switch to suitable strategies, you will be:

• Dominate Google & Co
• Generate leads
• Increase conversions
• Receive more customer enquiries
• Record an increase in sales
• Sell more
• Make more profits
  
  

This trend is unstoppable and it is only a matter of time before it reaches its full impact. For those who have not yet responded, it will be very difficult to regain their former strength and online presence.

How can it be that Google has such an influence on the design of your website?

Basically, the market leader among search engines only reacts to the needs of its users. They demand high-quality and useful content and Google offers this in its search results.

The following diagram is intended to show why Google in particular has such a big influence on your website and therefore indirectly on your business success.

Source: SEO-Summary

As you can see, around 90% of internet users in Germany use Google to find information on the web. This search behaviour can probably be applied to the entire German-speaking world. The other providers are far behind with a total market share of around 10 %.

These figures show the reason for the American search engine provider's supremacy and can also explain its influence on your own online presence.

Content marketing - the future of online marketing

...and therefore your big chance to stay ahead of your competitors

"The customer is king", as the old saying goes. So what could be more obvious than doing the same as Google and giving customers what they want? Namely content! Not just any content. No. High-quality content! Information with great benefits and added value.

OR you stick to the old line and pay a lot of money for paid advertising to Google, Facebook & Co. The internet giants will be delighted.

How profitable this approach is in the long term remains to be seen. A simple ROI calculation can provide information on this. But you can save yourself the trouble. Just take my word for it.

The future of your company lies in content marketing! And nowhere else.

What is content marketing and how do you use it to achieve long-term, sustainable success?

"Content marketing is a marketing technique that uses informative, advisory and entertaining content to appeal to the target group in order to convince them of your company and its range of services and to win or retain them as customers.

Content marketing achieves its goals by profiling the content producer as an expert, advisor and entertainer who demonstrates expertise, know-how and value propositions through the content rather than just claiming them."

Source: Wikipedia

How do you present valuable content?

There are several ways to offer your content, your expertise, to the public. The most important are

The white paper - the lead magnet

I would now like to talk about white papers in particular. They are a particularly effective and sustainable way of gaining the trust of your prospective customers and expanding your customer base in the long term, especially in the B2B sector.

A survey of more than 100 B2B buyers from 2014 proves this:

Source: DemandGenReport

As you can see, white papers are the most popular content format when it comes to gathering information before making a purchase decision. This hasn't changed much since 2014. The trend is still unbroken.

Now let's take a look at how you can benefit from this heavyweight information provider.

How to establish yourself as an expert and brand by publishing white papers!

Firstly, let's take a closer look at what a white paper actually is.

In this case, too, I would like to refer to Wikipedia and quote the most important part in extracts.

Personally, I would not set the maximum length of a white paper at 15 pages, as there are topics that require a far greater number of pages. In addition, the length of a white paper varies depending on the intended use. However, a number of 5 - 20 pages is definitely the rule.

How many pages your white paper should ideally have depends on what you want to achieve with it. Just as you dress differently for a mountain hike than for a swimming trip or a wedding, you also design your white paper differently for different "occasions".

Dein Ansprechpartner:
Florian Prohaska - Co-Founder

Möchtest du mehr Kunden über das Internet gewinnen? Wir können helfen!

• SEO: Sichtbarkeit und qualifizierten Traffic durch gezielte SEO-Strategien
• Google Ads: Effektive Werbekampagnen für maximalen ROI.
• Webdesign: Professionelles Design, das deine Besucher beeindruckt.
• Webshops: Individuelle Lösungen für erfolgreiche Online-Shops.
• Content-Erstellung: Wertvolle Inhalte, die Interessenten überzeugen.

Which white paper do you need for which purpose?

There are a variety of possible uses and each has its own white paper format. Some specialists speak of up to 40 different formats.

BUT, before you run away now. This admittedly frightening number can be broken down into 3 categories. And there is a tried and tested format for each.

The three main uses of white papers are to

• Inform and generate leads
• Attract attention
• Convince prospective customers

Depending on where your prospect is in the sales funnel, you can use one of the three formats.

Who is your white paper aimed at?

In order to design and use your whitepaper effectively, you first need to know your target group exactly.

• Is it the person responsible for marketing?
• Do you want to convince the head of the sales department with your white paper?
• Is your target group made up of technicians, purchasers, decision-makers, etc.?

Only when you know who your information is relevant for can you target your white paper.

Before you create a white paper, you need to define your target group. The best way to do this is to create a buyer persona.

You can find out how to do this in our article Creating and using the perfect buyer persona [guide].

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know to create a representative persona of your target group.

You should also know where your persona is on their customer journey.

Only once you have defined your target group can you start writing a white paper.

3 WHITE PAPER FORMATS (that will get you by)

White paper format 1 - The expert

The "expert" white paper format shows the overall picture of a problem situation in an industry and offers innovative solutions (which are of course related to your own product or service), but without emphasising your own brand or product.

The sole purpose of the "expert" is to provide information and generate leads. NO ADVERTISING!

By pointing out and discussing the problem, he arouses the curiosity and interest of the target group. And by offering solutions, they are willing to give their contact details in exchange for the expertise.

And that's all that matters with the "expert". LEADS!

Further advantages of the "expert":

• You build up an expert status
• You establish yourself as a brand
• You build a relationship of trust (relationship) with your prospects

This white paper format has proven itself in the following stage of the sales funnel: ToFu (Top of the Funnel)

The "expert" must live up to his name and deliver high-quality, well-researched content. What good are your prospects' contact details if they immediately unsubscribe from your email list or don't read your further correspondence because of the poor quality content?

White paper format 2 - The animator

The "Animateur" white paper format is a white paper format that attracts attention. It does this through provocative, innovative or unconventional statements and claims or high-quality, original, new approaches to solutions. Anything goes, as long as it attracts attention and can be proven.

Make your prospects understand the solution to their problem through enumerations, lists or step-by-step instructions. Examples: "5 steps to...", "The 3 secrets of a...", "Guide to..." or "7 answers to...".

The stage in the sales funnel: MoFu (Middle of the Funnel)

At this stage, your contact already needs an idea of the benefits of your solution. Ideally, they are already in the middle of the decision-making process and therefore need further insights. They need to be convinced.

Announce the solution as revolutionary, new, unusually effective or extraordinarily simple. That always works.

The advantages of the "animator":

• You attract attention
• You generate curiosity and interest
• You draw the prospect deeper into the sales funnel

Avoid advertising language and don't mention product characteristics (features), only the benefits. The prospective customer must recognise the benefits for themselves. That's all that counts!

White paper format 3 - The salesperson

The "salesperson" white paper format plays its best cards. It convinces with features and benefits. Their only goal is to convince the prospect and close the deal.

This can be a sale, but also the final positioning as market leader, as the specialist and contact person in your area of expertise or any other goal that you are pursuing with your white paper.

The stage in the sales funnel: BoFu (Bottom of the Funnel)

In this stage, you provide detailed insights into the product features of your product or service and, in particular, its benefits for the potential buyer.

With every type of white paper, a call to action is definitely included, even if it is not as offensive as is usual in conventional advertising texts (sales copy).

Therefore, appeal to the prospective buyer who is about to make a decision, especially on an emotional level. This will help them to take the final step.

Depending on the stage in the sales funnel, a call to action can be the following:

• "Get more information here" (link to further download, the content of which leads the prospect deeper into the sales process)
• "Contact us for a no-obligation consultation"
• "Take a look at our offer" (link to the offer page)
• etc.

Costs of a white paper - time required, number of pages and ROI

The time required and therefore the costs for a white paper are not insignificant. This raises the question of profitability.

Let's assume that the creation of a white paper, depending on the author's hourly rate or flat rate, means an investment of around 3000 EURO. This shows that white papers are more profitable in the high-priced goods or services segment and therefore preferably in B2B business.

Exception: These are low-cost products or services that sell like hot cakes on the market and therefore guarantee an ROI. However, as white papers are usually aimed at long-term, sustainable success, profitability can often only be calculated months later.

Let me list the advantages of a white paper again.

The advantages of a white paper at a glance

• You establish yourself as an expert
• You engage in active branding and establish yourself as a brand
• You offer it as a freebie and expand your email list
• You attract attention
• You generate interest in your solutions, product or service
• You have a foot in the door of the potential customer or
• You close the deal and sell

The all-rounder - a white paper for (almost) all cases

In addition to the 3 white paper formats shown above, there are also some hybrid forms. Not everyone can or wants to create or have a separate document created for every need. The time and money factors certainly play a decisive role here.

I will therefore show you how to create a white paper in 6 steps that fulfils most of the criteria mentioned above and serves you well in a good 90% of all cases.

6 simple steps to a white paper that fulfils (almost) all requirements

Step 1 to an all-round white paper - topic selection

People have questions. Questions to which they want to find answers quickly. A quick search on Google & Co, one click and the answer must be ready.

Take advantage of this behaviour of Internet users. Research the questions of people who are specifically interested in your product group or service and answer them in detail and specifically in a white paper. Offer your solutions.

Step 2 to the all-round white paper - content design

There are hardly any limits or rules when it comes to content design. Let your creativity run wild and give your white papers your own personal touch.

Whether you provide your readers with tutorials, product descriptions, summaries, studies, instructions, price comparisons or user examples to answer their questions, be as specific and precise as possible. The more precisely you answer your readers' questions, the more you will stick in their minds and the more likely they are to stay in touch with you.

Step 3 to the all-round white paper - the research

The time required to create a really good white paper - and that should be your goal in any case - amounts to 30 - 50 working hours, depending on the complexity of the topic and your own expertise.

A large part of this time should be spent on detailed topic research.

Step 4 to the all-round white paper - the structural organisation

There are also no strict rules when it comes to the structure and organisation of a white paper. However, a certain order of presentation has proven to be particularly effective in terms of the reaction and possible purchasing behaviour of interested parties.

Len Smith, a veteran of copywriting and one of the most successful in his field, has written successful white paper campaigns for dozens of major brands in his lifetime.

Photo: http://www.copywriting-on-demand.com/about-len-smith.html

He has largely relied on the following structure, which follows the AIDA formula.

AIDA is an acronym and stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. In other words, attention, interest, desire and action (purchase, subscription to email list, etc.).

Here is the structure that Len Smith gives to his white papers:

1. A simple but appealing cover design
2. A meaningful headline (Attention)
3. General background information on the topic (expert status)
4. Description of the problem or challenge (expert status)
5. Solution to the problem (Interest)
6. Positive effects of the solution (Desire)
7. Benefits for the customer (Desire)
8. Offer of own service or product
9. Call to action (Action)

As already mentioned, this structure is not binding and not every point has to be adhered to, but it has proven to be very effective.

Step 5 to the all-round white paper - filling the content

Now that you have researched and collected all the relevant content, all you have to do is "put it on paper". You can use the structure shown above or create your own.

However, always bear in mind that the reader of your white paper is mainly interested in information and answers. Therefore, if you want to make an offer, place it at the end of your report.

In general, you should not mention your product or service throughout the entire document, otherwise you will immediately out yourself as a salesperson and lose the reader's trust at the same time.

Step 6 to the all-round white paper - The finishing touches

In the final step, you put the finishing touches to your white paper.

Proofread your white paper or have it proofread. Spelling and grammatical errors should be avoided at all costs.

Spice up your white paper with images and graphics. The secret is to use the right amount. Use enough graphics and images to support the content but not distract from it.

Use the colours and design of your corporate design. If you don't have a corporate design yet, you should think about getting one as it really supports the branding of your brand.

How do you get your white paper to your target customers?

Now that your expert report is ready, all you have to do is make it available for download and promote it vigorously.

The best way to do this is to make your white paper part of a newsletter marketing campaign. Offer the free download in exchange for the prospect's contact details.

You can do this by creating a landing page for the white paper and including a contact form where the reader can enter their details and then request their "freebie".

This could look like this, for example:

On your landing page, make sure you let interested parties know that the download is a white paper. These are very popular and are often requested.

Now all you have to do is advertise your completed white paper and make it available for download. The best way to do this is through social media marketing.

You should inform your existing customers and the contacts on your email list by newsletter or direct mail. Include a link to the download in your message.

Another option is to set up a resource page on your website and link the white paper download link to the enrolment form in your email list.

Let me briefly summarise for you what I have mentioned so far.

Summary of the white paper

As you have now realised, the consumer and purchasing behaviour of your prospects and potential customers on the Internet has changed fundamentally in recent years. The focus is no longer on spontaneous purchases, but on gathering information and comparing offers.

In response to this, Google is aligning its strategies with the needs of its clientele, which is ultimately also yours.

The consequence of this adaptation to customer requirements on the part of Google has led and will continue to lead to websites that provide inferior or meagre content without benefit and added value slipping far down the search results and no longer being found and visited by interested parties.

With a well-researched and detailed white paper, you have the opportunity to counteract this development.

And much more besides. You can identify yourself as an expert in your field, establish yourself as a brand and leave your competitors behind.

Once a white paper has been written, it will serve you well for a long time, often many years. As long as the content of your expertise is up to date, you can use it to generate leads automatically.

These leads, which are nothing more than people interested in your product or service, can be turned into loyal contacts and paying customers with a little skill and intuition. Provided you continue to deliver valuable information and high quality.

Always keep your white paper up to date. If necessary, update outdated content.

In this article, you have learnt how to create a white paper yourself.

Of course, we know that researching and creating a high-quality white paper takes a lot of time - as already mentioned, it takes around 30 - 50 working hours. However, our experience in this field shows that such a white paper pays off in any case. Regardless of whether it was created by an external specialist or painstakingly compiled by yourself.

With white papers, you not only keep the risk of being penalised by Google for poor quality content away from your website and your company, but you also jump on the bandwagon of the consumer and orientate yourself to their needs.

And if there's one thing we've learnt from the changes in online business in recent years, it's this: If you follow this path, the customer will thank you with loyalty and ultimately with the utilisation of your offer.

Some personal words from the author

I hope you've enjoyed this white paper guide, but more importantly, I hope you've found it useful.

Perhaps I've even been able to inspire you to think about using white papers, or content marketing in general, in your organisation.

Many successful brands have already done it and multiplied their sales in the long term. What's stopping you from doing the same?

If it's because you don't have the time for effective content marketing or you don't have the necessary human resources, then that's not a problem. Contact us for a non-binding discussion, we will be happy to support you and find a solution together. If you have any further questions about white papers, please feel free to contact me or one of our specialists.

You can also download the blog article as a white paper: How to position yourself as an expert through "white papers". You don't even have to give away your e-mail address ?

Of course, it would be cool if you subscribed to our newsletter so that you don't miss any of our blog articles.

And don't forget: much of what I've explained here also applies to blog articles (like this one).