Whitepaper

What is a whitepaper?

A whitepaper is an informative document often created by companies or organizations to introduce a complex topic or a new concept. Whitepapers are usually well researched and provide in-depth knowledge on a specific topic. They are often used as a sales tool to give potential customers a deeper insight into the company and its products or services.

Why a whitepaper at all?

Whitepapers are a popular method for covering complex topics in detail while capturing the reader’s attention. Due to their detailed and well-founded character, they can make a valuable contribution to corporate marketing. They serve to inform the reader about a specific topic and at the same time strengthen the company’s image as a competent contact. However, the creation of a whitepaper involves a certain amount of effort. For example, the topic must be carefully researched and prepared. The writing style should also be convincing so that the whitepaper captivates the reader right from the start. Taken together, all these aspects make it clear why it is worth the effort to create a whitepaper. Because only a well-done whitepaper can achieve the desired effect and help the company stand out from the competition.

What belongs in a whitepaper?

A whitepaper is an important corporate marketing tool that contains a lot of facts and data about a specific topic. It is usually written in a corporate style and is designed to give the reader the opportunity to read at their leisure. A whitepaper can cover different topics:

• Product information
• Trends in the field of digital technologies
• Product developments
• Corporate Strategies
• Company data and figures to attract investors

There are no set rules for creating a white paper. However, it should contain all the important facts and data on your chosen topic.

What makes a good whitepaper?

To be considered a good white paper, it must meet some important criteria:

• Formulate clearly and understandably:
  You should not use technical terms that are not familiar to the reader. It should also not be too technical, but present the content in such a way that even laypeople can understand it.
  
• Stick to a clear structure:
  This may remind you a bit of a school essay, but your whitepaper should have an introduction and a conclusion section, and should clearly highlight the main points. It’s also important that the whitepaper has a common thread that guides the reader throughout the document.
  
• Well-founded information:
  Another important criterion is that a good whitepaper contains substantiated information. It should not just consist of advertising and hype, but should actually provide relevant information. This includes, for example, facts and figures, studies and expert opinions. In this way, the reader can form his or her own opinion and decide whether the whitepaper will actually help him or her or not.

A good whitepaper is above all clear, understandable and informative. Only if it meets these criteria can it be truly helpful and convince the reader.

What do you need to consider when creating a whitepaper?

For the creation of your whitepaper we can give you a few points to help you:

1. Keep it clear: Most first-time readers will only give your whitepaper a cursory read, so you should make sure that all the essential information is apparent at first glance.
   
2. Prepare your whitepaper well in advance: Think carefully about what you write in your white paper and check your wording and any figures thoroughly. In this way, you can avoid misunderstandings and mistakes during publication.
   
3. Make it clear why your company is interesting and why exactly your product or service is right for the customer. Make sure that your whitepaper is understandable even for laymen – otherwise it will not make a positive impression!

Need inspiration for a whitepaper? Check out our search engine optimization whitepaper for an example 😉