This is a guest post by Mitt Ray.
A white paper is a cross between a magazine article and a corporate brochure. They posses both the educative qualities of a magazine article and the persuasive qualities of a brochure, this educative and persuasive quality of a white paper makes it one of the most powerful marketing tools. As it first educates the reader, builds trust and then and only then does it market the service or the product to the reader.
White papers were first used only by companies that sold expensive and technical products or document translation services, but nowadays they’re being effectively used by small business and bloggers, not only to generate leads directly, but to also generate emails for newsletters.
How Bloggers Can Use White Papers
Bloggers can use white papers for various purposes including the following.
1. To build a mailing list. When you start a blog you need to work on building a mailing list. Through your mailing list, you can stay in touch with your readers, build relationships with them and eventually generate leads. Your newsletters can also help increase the number of repeat visits to your blog, as on average a blog only receives 20% of repeat visits.
Usually it can be hard to get people to sign up to your mailing list, but with a white paper, this will become a lot easier. If you share good content, day after day on your blog, people will want to read your white paper, as they will want to know what new information they can receive after reading the white paper. When you ask them for their email addresses, they will feel that they will receive something better than the other content that is present on the blog and they will readily give you their email addresses.
A company doing really well with white papers and newsletters is Hubspot. If you visit their Marketing Resources page you will find scores of white papers and guides you can download for free just by leaving a few details about yourself. They use these emails to send you information their latest guides, white papers, webinars and offers.
2. To directly generate leads. White papers are mainly written to directly generate leads from them. Well written white papers have a higher reader to client conversion rate than any other content or direct marketing material, as they educate the client, build a trustworthy relationship and then sell the product or service to the reader. In the white paper the blogger can share secrets they have never shared on their blog before.
A white paper can help spread your expertise in your niche, which a regular blog post wouldn’t. Another advantage of having a white paper is that it is continuous. If your white paper is well written, the reader will want to finish reading it completely and they can either print them or download them onto their e-readers and read them whenever they want to.
If you want to generate leads from your white paper always make sure that your white paper is unique and your white paper’s topic is completely relevant to the topics you blog on.
3. To increase traffic to your website. You can provide links in your white paper which lead to posts on your blog. When you see topics in your white paper, which are relevant to some of your blog posts, you can provide links in your white paper which lead directly to them. You can also use a link shortenter like bit.ly to shorten your links before adding them as this will help you track the clicks on your links.
Adding links will not only increase traffic to your website, but will also make your white paper easy to understand, as the links to blog posts included in your white paper, will help explain complicated terms in your white paper better.
How Bloggers Can Create White Papers
Bloggers have two options for creating white papers: they can either start creating them from scratch or they can create them from their existing blog posts.
Create White Papers From Scratch
Creating white papers from scratch is the most common way in which white papers are crafted, here extensive research is done to know more about the target audience and to find out more about the subject, the market and the product/service, then the structure is determined and finally the white paper is written.
Create White Papers From Blog Posts
If you have a blog with many good posts, you should be able to easily create many good white papers from these posts. As you already know all about your target audience (if you write good posts for your target audience on a regular basis, you need to know all about them) you can skip straight ahead and create the structure.
White Paper Format
After you have chosen your white paper topic and the posts you plan to use in creating your white paper, you can start structuring your white paper. Creating a structure will make it really easy to write your white paper.
A basic white paper structure should include the following.
- Headline: A basic white paper starts with a headline which is followed by a sub-headline. The jobs of the headline and the sub-headline are to attract attention and let the reader know what this white paper contains.
- Introduction: After the headline comes the introduction. The role of the introduction is to summarize the contents of the white paper and let the reader know the benefits of reading the white paper. Make sure you let them know what your white paper is about and how they can find it useful. Don’t give away everything about your white paper here, just a little information which can convince them to read the rest of the white paper should be enough.
- Problems: In every good white paper the problems are discussed in detail, to let the reader know more about the problems they are facing, so that they will look forward to the solutions you provide. The problems section is written after the introduction. First a basic introduction is written and then each and every problem is discussed in detail.
- Solutions: If you write a good problems section then the solutions section that follows it will have a powerful affect on your reader. The solutions section should be written in a similar way to the problems section. Here you start out with an introduction and then discuss all the solutions to the problems in detail.
- Blog Info: The white paper should finally end with your blog, business, product, and/or service information explaining how you can provide a solution to similar problems detailed in your white paper.
Writing Your White Paper
Once you have created your white paper structure, you can start writing your white paper right away. All you will need to do is figure out what part of your blog posts goes into which part of the structure you have designed.
If you look into every blog post you choose, you will normally find that each of these blog posts describes a solution in detail. You need to pick out this solution and the problem associated with it and write about it in detail.
In the problems section of the white paper, you can write about the problems which would have the solutions which were discussed in your blog posts in detail and in the solution section of the white paper, you can just write the solutions discussed in your blog posts.
After you finish writing these two parts of the white paper you can write your white paper introduction at the beginning of your white paper and then the company and product/service information at the end of your white paper.
If you follow the above tips you should be able to create a white paper that provides all the benefits which were discussed at the beginning of this post with your white paper.
Have you ever created a white paper? What other tips would you offer for creating one that is beneficial for your blog or business?
About Mitt Ray
Kikolani covers blog marketing and blogging tips for personal, professional, and business bloggers to succeed in search and social media marketing. Kristi Hines is a 
Thanks for sharing this Mitt, I’ve never done a white paper before, but I think I could give it a shot, looks like something that would work well to market the small business package I offer to local businesses.
Jamie Northrup @ Web Consultant recently posted Top 10 WordPress Themes from January 2012
You’re welcome Jamie – Hope it works out for you. If created and used the right way white papers can be a very powerful marketing tool. – Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted 3 Ways to Improve Your White Paper Writing Skills
White Papers are frequently sought after and downloaded by “business bloggers.” Mitt is right! Don’t pass up any opportunity to create, offer and distribute a White Paper by drawing material from your blog, exactly as described above!
Dave Lucas recently posted #Wordless Wednesday
Hi Mitt,
This looks like a great format to use to answer niche problems. Now is that the main focus of a “white paper”? ….The format of a blog post. That is what I am understanding. Do you include images? Just trying to get it figured out! Thanks for sharing.
….Stephen
Stephen Peters recently posted Promoting Your Blog ……. No comment
Hi Stephen,
You could use the same images you used in the blog posts or you could create new ones which suit your white paper better. You could also create white papers which have no images in them. Hope you find this helpful.
Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted Webinar Replay: How to Write White Papers
Hi Dave,
Thank you for supporting my post. Yes, white papers can be effectively used to spread expertise, to generate leads and to build a mailing list. – Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted Webinar Replay: How to Write White Papers
A great tool for creating White Papers from your blog posts is Anthologize. A free WordPress plugin that allows you to combine and organize blog posts in a easily published format.
Thanks!
Ryan H.
Ryan | Strategies in Content Creation recently posted Ignore Your Audience, F*** ‘Em, Be A Leader First
Hi Ryan – Thank you for informing us about the plugin. It seems very interesting. But it takes a little more effort than just combining blog posts and publishing them as they are. You will need to make sure they fit in well together and form a good white paper. – Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted 6 Ways in Which White Papers Can be Reused
Hi, Mitt – I never used white papers to building mailing lists, blog post before, but thank to you great, awesome post, I have changed my mind. And thanks a lot for sharing your good experiences to us.
Trung Nguyen @ Hosting Coupon recently posted Dreamhost Coupon: How to Save As Much Money As You Can
Hi Trung – I am glad you found it helpful. Hope you create a powerful white paper. – Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted Webinar Replay: How to Write White Papers
Great idea, I haven’t thought of doing this before but it’s well worth considering. It’s a bit of effort but could be worth it.
Matt Kinsella recently posted Change Your Life
Hi Matt,
This is something that can really help your blog. I think like you mentioned giving it a try could be worth it. – Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted 6 Ways in Which White Papers Can be Reused
This is a very interesting idea – I’ve downloaded a few of the guides from HubSpot myself but it didn’t occur to me to generate my own white papers. Thank you so much for the article!
Liat@Magic Loop recently posted Top 5 Stretches to Relieve Knitting Pain and Stiffness
Hi Liat – You’re welcome. On my website you can download a free white paper on how to write white papers – This can give you more advice on writing white papers. – Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted 6 Ways in Which White Papers Can be Reused
First i’ve ever heard of “white papers”, but it seems like if done right, they can be beneficial to any blogger and or marketer. Thanks for sharing!
Chris @ Owner Financed Homes Austin recently posted Mortgage Loan Denied? Try Owner Financed Homes in Austin
Thank you for your comment Chris. – Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted 6 Ways in Which White Papers Can be Reused
Mitt
brother thank you for this white paper technique, I will definitely be using it. I will use it mostly to generate alot of leads
Kenny Fabre recently posted Increase your Website Traffic to your Article Blog Post by Using PowerPoint Presentations
You’re welcome Kenny. Hope you generate a lot of leads. – Mitt
Hey Mitt,
Interestingly, I never really knew what a whitepaper was. You’ve defined it clearly for me here. A lot of the internet marketing you’re explaining, certainly would apply to some degree for my venture (local, service based tech company), but I think the idea of creating a whitepaper and getting it in front of a lot of people would help me more perhaps in the SEO area (getting links from people, putting links in the Whitepaper, etc). Lightbulb!!!
Ryan Critchett@iPhone Repair In Bethlehem PA recently posted How An iPhone 4S Crushed By A Truck WILL SURVIVE!
Hi Ryan,
I am really happy that I was able to help you. The tech field is a field where white papers work their best. They can help sell complicated and expensive products because of their detailed format. Like you mentioned – they can also help you get lots of backlinks from other websites if they find your white paper unique and helpful.
Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted Webinar Replay: How to Write White Papers
Well, all this stuff was completely new for me. I have never thought about it before. Thanks you very much for sharing your ideas with us
Amanda@BuySellWordPress recently posted Fashion WordPress Themes
You’re welcome Amanda. – Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted 6 Ways in Which White Papers Can be Reused
Nice Mitt,
Interesting!! you share very nice topic here, I like The way of explanation, specially tool which you share with us is really nice and helpful for blogger, I will use that..
Thanks for sharing with us…
Brainpulse recently posted Keyword Density Plays Pivotally In Website’s Search Engine Ranking
Your welcome Brianpulse. Thank you for your comment. – Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted Webinar Replay: How to Write White Papers
There are so many bloggers providing “fluff”. There are too many blogs striving for the same conversation. But, if we provide solid and useful information – create resource -the conversation will be there.
Sasha Jones recently posted Measuring the Impact of Google+ on Traffic
Is there a good place you should submit a whitepaper (i.e. a whitepaper directory)? I would imagine that your blog or website would already need some sort of sustained traffic flow in order for the whitepaper to be effective.
Midwest Web Developers recently posted 3 Steps to building a small business email list
Hi Midwest Web Developers – If you aren’t already receiving a lot of traffic, one option you have is to try out a white paper distribution service. These are websites which host others white papers and promote them. – Mitt
Mitt Ray recently posted Webinar Replay: How to Write White Papers
I think by increasing the traffic, you indirectly will get more leads and thus increase the amount of lists as well.
Ricardus @WordPress Hosting recently posted Extension of Buy 1 Elegant Themes from WPWebHost & Free 1 WordPress Hosting Deal
Oh my goodness, I think you have really hit on something. I am sure I can get better conversions with a white paper than a free report. It sounds like it’s worth more and the was you have described how to create it just makes sense.
I could even create white papers relating to just a post that is given away for the email address.
Have you ever thought of writing a white paper and giving it away on someone else’s blog? Kind of like a souped up guest post?
Neil@Rapid Fat Loss Diet recently posted Doubts About Rapid Fat Loss – And What To Do About Them
Thanks for the blogroll and shoutout. You’re on my reading list as you provide great info and you blog regularly. Keep on bloggin’
Thanks for this list. I was just looking for that kind of information.
Pierro@Free Premium WordPress Themes recently posted Some Useful Tips to Understand Social Media Marketing
Hai Mitt..
It is nice sharing about white papers. I’ve never written it up. If it can increase website traffic, I will try to do it. I will try your guide next. Thanks
Ery ^-^
ery @ modern interior design recently posted 3 Small Bathroom Ideas For Your Small Bathroom in 2012