Let's start from the top... what is a White Paper?
A white paper is an informative and educational document that provides in-depth information and insights on a specific topic or industry. A popular form of gated content, it's often utilised for generating leads and building email lists. They showcase businesses as market-leaders and educate and inform their target audience about a product, service, or general issue.
When it comes to writing a white paper, the first step is to choose a topic that is relevant and valuable to your target audience. This topic should address a specific problem or challenge that your audience is facing. It's important to conduct thorough research on the subject, and gather data, statistics, and expert opinions.
When writing a white paper, it's important to keep in mind that the main focus is for the piece to be informative and educational, and not self-promoting. White papers should be written in a formal and objective tone, and should be well-organised, with clear and concise language.
Top tip: it's good idea to include visual elements such as charts, graphs, and images to help break up the text and make the information easier to digest.
When creating the format, it's important to consider the audience, the purpose of the white paper, and the medium in which it will be delivered. A white paper should have a clear structure. In the introduction, you should provide an overview of the problem or challenge that the white paper addresses and explain why it is important. The main body of the white paper should provide detailed information and insights on the topic. This is where you should include your research and data. The conclusion should summarise the key points and provide recommendations for the reader.
In order to make the most out of the white paper, it's important to use it as a lead generation tool. This can be done by including a call-to-action (CTA) at the end that encourages the reader to share their contact information in exchange for access to the white paper.
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