What is a white paper and why should your business care about them?

Whether it’s showing expertise, demonstrating the value of services, or driving your industry forward – creating a white paper can be useful for organisations in every industry. 

Read on to discover more about them and how your organisation can utilise them as part of its wider business and comms strategy. 

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What is a White Paper?

A white paper is an in-depth report or guide that informs readers about a specific issue or problem. They can present the issuing organisation’s perspective on the subject - helping to further the target audience’s knowledge on the topic, whilst also highlighting potential solutions.

A white paper is usually a well-researched review of all the information on a specific topic, which is eloquently presented in either a digital or physical document.

Unlike a blog or brochure which provide a brief overview of a subject, a white paper offers a more thorough insight into a topic and uses facts, figures and statistics which have aggregated from reputable sources to support and evidence claims. 

This tends to make them more ‘formal’ than other kinds of marketing materials. White papers usually take a serious tone, and should be grounded in quality research.

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White Paper - Applications and Benefits for Business

White papers provide a valuable opportunity for businesses to showcase their expertise and position themselves as a knowledgeable, reliable authority on a particular subject or issue.

When done effectively, white papers should deliver real value to the target audience. This can make them an excellent marketing tool for businesses who want to emphasise their competence within a particular area and stand out from their competitors as an industry leader. 

White papers can be sent to new and potential customers/clients as part of a direct marketing strategy, shared on socials, and sent to the press as part of PR campaigns. 

They can be excellent documents for businesses looking to expand their reach, engage with their target demographic and secure new customers. 

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White Papers in Action – One Nine Nine Case Studies

We have extensive experience writing and producing white papers for a wide range of businesses. 

This includes working with an advanced security provider who wanted to create a white paper on safeguarding communities from the rise in ATM gas attacks in the UK and across Europe. 

We combined their research alongside a range of other industry statistics, and transformed it into a nicely branded, informative and detailed white paper. 

The document provided a thorough insight into the trends and impacts of gas attacks on local communities. It also explored the best practice prevention methods available to ATM operators looking to protect against gas attacks. This included information on their unique product designed to address the problem. 

We also provided our white paper writing services to a sustainability software company who wanted to encourage businesses to measure their Scope 3 emissions. 

By researching the importance of SECR reporting and identifying the challenges associated with supply chain emissions, we were able to produce an extensive, engaging document. The white paper explored the significance of tracking these key emissions, whilst highlighting the efficacy of the client’s specialist software in doing this.

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Get in Touch

Would your business benefit from a white paper? 

We can help. For more information or to enquire about any of our services, please get in touch with our team on 01138 444 111 or email us at contact@oneninenine.agency

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