White Paper:

An in-depth document that argues a specific position and solves an issue for your readers. White papers are meant to educate readers about a problem and help them understand how they might solve it.

Alphabet Soup

Companies write white papers to show readers how they would help solve a common issue. This document is formal, based on original data, and focuses on one, singular problem.

There are 5 types of white papers:

  1. Business Benefits: Makes a case for the business benefits of using a product
  2. How-To/ Problem-Solving: Shows how your product can solve an issue
  3. Product Comparison: Compares your product and its features with your competitors’ products
  4. Technical: Explains how technology solves a problem
  5. Thought Leadership: Allows you to position an original concept within your market

No matter what type of white paper you choose to write, all must be based on data and solve some kind of issue for your reader.

To help you see how to correctly format your white paper, CoSchedule has come up with the below graphic.

Soup Can

Ready for seconds?

Download Marketing Resources

Download a resource bundle including marketing templates, ebooks, guides, and more. Plus, subscribe to receive updates about new blog content and other resources from CoSchedule.

Chef's Hat

Meet The Chef

About CoSchedule

CoSchedule is an industry-leading marketing management and editorial calendar platform. It's mission control for your entire marketing team to help you organize every project in one place.