It would be a truly boring literary world if every novel were a carbon copy, in structure and tone, of To Kill a Mockingbird. As wonderful as this book is, if each protagonist were Atticus Finch by another name, there would be no point in reading more than three or four stories. Fortunately, this is an absurd notion.
Why should your white papers be less diverse? Of course, a white paper is not a representation of high-minded literature, but if your company consistently produces documents that read as a continuation of the previous one, your collateral communications run the risk of sounding like Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. “Bueller Bueller. Bueller. Bueller …”
Mix them up. You probably wouldn’t attract potential customers by offering a six-page WP detailing all the technical nuances, and likewise, you wouldn’t address the needs of long-time customers by offering a WP that is more like a method of reaching. .. knowledge brochure. Your audience is made up of people at different points in the sales process, so respect the fact that they are looking for different information. Don’t overload the nehphyte prospect with too many technical details, and don’t bore the long-time customer with an irrelevant piece.
There are three types of technical documents that should cover all the bases, and a fourth if you really need to mix it up.
Numbered list
Guess how this type of whitepaper is structured. The numbered list is an extremely effective way to attract potential customers to your company’s fold. Numbered lists are probably the most common type of whitepaper for good reason – they’re easy to read and write. The sequential structure allows the reader to skim through a section that interests them, and the same structure makes this type of WP very easy to compose. A numbered list is not much more difficult to write than any other list: groceries, to-dos, or otherwise. You just need to make sure that the topic is relevant to the people who will read it.
Background
The background is a very practical type of white paper. If you need a document with a full specification table, a summary is the way to go. There is nothing fancy about this kind of WP; It is for informational purposes only and is intended to be a technical supplement to offer to established customers. It probably won’t attract a lot of new inquiries with a background, but it will answer a lot of questions.
Problem solution
This type of WP is the longest, most in-depth, and looks more like a journal article or case study than either of the other two types of whitepaper. This type of WP presents a universally annoying problem (within the context of the industry it is aimed at) and then details how one or more people or companies found a solution to that problem. But be careful. While you want to suggest that your company can provide the necessary answers, you don’t want your WP problem / solution to seem too cumbersome. For this type of document, you’ll want to hire a writer familiar with the tenants of journalism, such as the inverted pyramid style and incorporating anecdotes.
The mash-up
The fourth type of WP is a hybrid that combines two (but no more) of the standard styles. However, to be very clear, a mash-up should be a numbered list combined with a background or problem / solution WP. The numbered list item in a mash-up breaks up large blocks of information that are sometimes unavoidable in more detailed documents. It can also act as a useful indexing device or section breaks. Never, never combine a problem / solution with a background. Nothing explains the hype of information like that concoction.
No, the list of white paper styles will never constitute an undergraduate class in marketing, English literature, or any other academic discipline. However, it’s good to know that you can take a scientific and calculated approach to writing effective white papers based on a specific target audience.
