Presentation on White Papers

1. White Papers
Who, What, When, Where, Why, How?

2. Social Media
-Phil Baumann

3. What are White Papers?
“A white paper is a persuasive essay
sponsored as a piece of marketing
content by an organization.”
–Gordon Graham, White Papers for Dummies

4. First Use of the term?
According to
Merriam-Webster's it
was first used by the
British in
1899

5. The first type:
Backgrounder
Target Audience: B2B
Defined: “An in-depth look at the
features and benefits of a certain
product or service.”
Contains: Hard data that supports
what a business sells, produces, or
provides.
Use: To support a position, evaluation
or products.
Length: 8+ pages
White Papers for Dummies, Cheat Sheet
Include: Introduction, Features and Benefits,
Conclusion, and a Call-to-Action

6. Second Type:
Numbered List
Target Audience: No limits
Defined: “A numbered set of tips,
questions, answers, or points about
some issue.”
Contains: An easy overview of facts
and/or issues.
Use: To attract viewers through flashy
perspectives. Can be nurturing or
elicit “fear, uncertainty, and doubt”.
Length: Minimum of 5 pages
White Paper for Dummies, Cheat Sheet
Include: Introduction, no less than 3 and no more than 9 Numbered
Points, a Conclusion, Call-to-Action, and a brand About section.

7. Third Type:
Problem/Solution
Target Audience: B2B buyers,
Bloggers, Journalists, Analysts, etc.
Defined: “A persuasive essay that
uses facts and logic to present a
new solution to a problem.”
Contains: A problem and solution
format that teaches people about
“industry-wide” issues.
Use: To increase visibility in the
market place, grow your brand,
educate your audience, and
discover leads.
Length: 8-12 pages
White Papers for Dummies, Cheat Sheet
Include: Summary of large scale problem, Current
Solutions: Pros and Cons, Plausible Solutions, examples such
as Case Studies, a Guide, Conclusion, Call-to-Action, and a
brand About section.

8. Need a Template?
Check out what Hubspot,
Constant Contact, and other
marketing suites have.
*Free and paid versions are available.

9. Tip #1
Head to twitter and perform a search to see all the
great resources available in 140 characters or less!

10. Tip #2
Check out YouTube for “How-To” videos

11. Tip #3
Ask your social network if they have what you need.
Harness the Power of your social networks!

12. More tips, examples,
and templates can
be found on…
Salesforce
Marketo
Hoot Suite
Slide Share
Edudemic
Thomson Reuters
Daily Infographic
Social Media Today
Social Media Examiner

13. Remember:
Be visual, ENGAGE your audience!
Stay away from “text-only”
Or create a Video White Paper, like
this Backgrounder from IBM
Include eye-catching visuals, like infographics

14. Email Marketing…
Email Marketing companies
are great to help you reach
your subscribers and find out
who is sharing your news and
information!

15. Publish it! • Add the link of your white
paper in your email
signature
• Post the link on your social
media profiles
• Make sure the White Paper
is embedded into your
website and blog
Post it, Share it, Link it

16. It’s All About Sharing!
Advice: Think of it like it’s a new service or product that is just coming into the market.
• An engaging, easy to read Landing Page
• Embed the link to the White Paper on your website
• Let your subscriber’s know it’s coming – send out a brief announcement, create a short
YouTube video
• Send it out to your professional contacts (outside of your company) and leads – maybe on
LinkedIn
• Make sure all the employees have a copy and encourage them to share it socially and with
their professional contacts
• Tweet about it, Facebook it, Blog it, Pin it
• Upload it to Slide Share
• Draft and send out a Press Release – check out PRWeb and all that Vocus has to offer
• Send it out to your local/national news outlets
• Make it available on white paper sites for free download
Gordon Graham, 2013
What You NEED To….Promote, Promote, Promote!

17. Thanks for viewing
White Papers: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How?