United States: Why White Papers?

Remember how you used to groan when you heard the phrase "White Paper"? Remember reading all those long-winded publications littered with dry technical details published by government agencies and scientific organizations?

Those days are gone.

The old-fashioned academic White Papers have found their way into university libraries and government file cabinets, where they gather dust and generate zero revenue for business.

The modern White Paper has evolved into an important business strategy that can provide immediate gains for your company and provide satisfying returns on your investment.

In today’s dynamic global economy, White Papers have become critical tools that help businesses navigate a Web community cluttered with Application Service Providers and Ecommerce specialists.A well-written White Paper can make a real difference in the growth of your enterprise by helping to turn prospective customers into paying customers.

White Papers give your company many strategic advantages:

• They influence decision makers in the purchase process.
• They help you establish and maintain market leadership
• They help you capture emerging markets

But most important of all, they win business.

White Papers are written with one goal in mind: to help an existing customer or prospective customer make a buying decision. These decision-makers have come to rely on White Papers as they make decisions about buying products and services. In fact, White Papers have become an indispensable step in the purchasing process.

Why are White Papers so important?

• They are usually the first source of information consulted by decision-makers.
• They are distributed among a wide range of decision-makers both within individual enterprises and across entire industries.
• Executives often read the White Papers before consulting their own Sales staff.
• White Papers often provide the final critical input into a decision about purchasing a product or service.
• White Papers last a long time. Traditional print media, such as magazines and newspapers, quickly find their way into the recycling bin. White Papers, properly delivered and readily accessible as online media, are stored for a long time on corporate intranets.

The proof is in the numbers.

In one case, Practical Automation, owned by Alinabal, invested $10,000 into a White Paper on a technology Web site. That investment resulted in over one million dollars in sales.

You can’t argue with those kinds of numbers.

Well-written White Papers serve to identify your enterprise as leader of ideas and trends.

• If yours is an emerging company, you needn’t invest a large amount on your first White Papers; even a modest White Paper campaign can have a ripple effect throughout your industry.
• When your company achieves some measure of market dominance, you can undertake a more comprehensive white paper campaign, maintaining a library of such papers on a wide range of important topics.

But whether you’re just starting out or are leading an established enterprise, strong White Papers will establish you as a knowledgeable and authoritative source.

Telecommunications, data communications and information security industries are driven by standards, which usually evolve from years of discussions, meetings, testing and compromise by many parties, including competitors. These rivals need to cooperate to reach consensus on industry standards, but they still can set themselves apart and demonstrate market leadership. Creating a White Paper helps a company raise issues and clearly define how its use of an industry standard is superior.

White Papers can make an even greater impact on businesses entering emerging markets. You know those prospects are out there. And they’re actively seeking information that is not there. A well-written White Paper can fill this information void and bring those new customers to you.

Specifically, a White Paper:

• Captures your readers' attention by highlighting the key points about your product, service or technology and demonstrating its business value.
• Tells a clear but compelling story that will bring those prospects in from the wilderness and identify YOU as the predominant player in the emerging market.

Whenever knowledge and experience are fragmented, White Papers bridge the GAP. Industry experts that are truly committed to their craft and profession present their perspectives to grow the knowledge of next generation users.

This is a farming experience. We reap what we sow. Knowledge cannot reside in a vacuum. There are 5,000 professionals in the United States that call themselves Box Office Manager or Ticketing Manager. Intix covers about 1,200; www.ticketrends.com covers about 3,700. What about the rest of them? Where do they go for information and assistance? They go to White Papers, which they can study and research on their own terms for the good of their venue.

Our upcoming series of Best Practices is dedicated to serving the needs of these professionals.

White Papers will be indispensable to your business by:

• Generating buzz about new products.
• Differentiating your products and services from those of your competitors.
• Demonstrating your market leadership.
• Promoting authors as subject-matter experts.
• Creating news for widely-read journalists.

The numbers don’t lie. The return on your investment in White Papers will make competitors envy your success and follow your lead as you gain dominance in your target markets. 

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.l