White paper examples to help you build credibility and drive leads
By Rachel Henry | Updated May 2024
Sharing the depth of your company’s expertise isn’t as simple as posting on social media and occasionally sending out a newsletter. If you want to build trust with your B2B audience, you need to prove you know what you’re talking about. Enter the white paper. Yes, B2B companies are still publishing these in 2024 (they’re excellent flagship pieces for content repurposing). And rest assured, we’ve got white paper examples to share.
Consider this: if I told you I was a scuba diving instructor, you might want to see some credentials before you agree to follow me into the depths of the ocean. The same is true for your audience, though with potentially less life-threatening consequences. Publishing white papers allows you to dive deep into the subjects your company knows best and position your brand as a credible resource. Successful B2B marketers rely on this kind of content to turn readers into buyers, with 43% recently reporting that white papers produced the best results of all their content marketing assets.
In this guide to thought leadership white papers, we’ll cover:
An overview of white papers and their purpose
The difference between a white paper and an ebook
# B2B white paper examples to inspire you
Common signs your company needs a white paper
What makes a white paper effective
White paper strategy: mistakes to avoid + useful tips
What is a white paper?
A white paper is a long-form B2B content marketing asset intended to delve into a topic that’s related to your industry and that’s often complex. Its purpose is to position your company as a thought leader by providing valuable expertise and analysis, as well as to generate qualified leads.
White papers are often used to educate potential customers about complex issues, industry trends, emerging technologies or best practices. They provide in-depth information that helps prospects better understand potential solutions to their problems.
White papers vs. ebooks
The main difference between a white paper and ebook is the role each piece of content plays in the marketing funnel or buyer’s journey.
Ebooks are vital to the top of your funnel. They generally require less in-depth research to produce because they tend to target the awareness phase of the buyer’s journey. In contrast, potential customers often seek out white papers when they’re closer to making a purchasing decision, and are looking to do in-depth research.
3 B2B white paper examples to inspire you
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1. Pipe’s Guide to Building Your Startup’s Capital Stack
Pipe empowers founders to scale companies without taking on restrictive debt or giving up ownership interest. The brand’s Guide to Building Your Startup’s Capital Stack does a great job of presenting the problem to the reader right away — traditional financing methods simply don’t work for all founders who are looking to scale.
This example of a white paper highlights opportunities for startups to build their ideal capital stack. The content also uses flow charts to compare traditional financing and alternative options, and explains how Pipe can help solve founders’ problems with recurring revenue financing.
2. SkillCycle’s 7 Key Focus Areas to Rehumanize Work
SkillCycle works to empower individual and collective growth within organizations through personalized learning. Traditional learning and development is often unsuccessful and one-size-fits-all, and SkillCycle’s white paper, 7 Key Focus Areas to Rehumanize Work and Supercharge Business Results, addresses this issue and others that HR and management teams face. By providing practical steps, SkillCycle ensures readers can drive change with a bottom-up approach to learning and development.
The white paper not only walks through the seven areas of focus, but also includes an actionable tool for readers with questions to ask to reevaluate how your company measures success. The design uses bright colours, graphics and pull quotes to keep the reader’s eye moving throughout the white paper — no boring layouts here!
3. Panomax Canada’s Gap Analysis Guide for Tourism Marketers
Panomax Canada collaborates with tourism destinations to create immersive experiences through live, interactive webcam software. The brand’s white paper, 6-Step Gap Analysis Guide for Tourism Marketers, targets its audience of tourism and hospitality marketers, exploring the issues they’re facing in today’s climate.
This example of a white paper pinpoints the positive impact interactive webcams and digital marketing tactics can have on travel marketing by showcasing beautiful photos alongside real-life examples of Panomax Canada’s work. The content also provides a checklist to help travel marketers identify the gaps in their current marketing plan.
5 signs you need a white paper
Now that you’ve seen some white paper examples, let’s explore whether this kind of content is right for your marketing program. It could be, if…
1. You want to highlight your unique market position
Thought leadership white papers can showcase your specific position within, and perspective on, your industry. Competition is fierce in B2B, especially in tech verticals, and publishing cookie-cutter content won’t do you any favours.
Set yourself apart with a piece of high-quality long form content that demonstrates how well you understand your market, and what your company brings to the table that’s different from any other organization.
2. You’re creating a new category in your industry
If your company identifies a problem and creates a way to solve it unlike anyone else, you may choose to swing for the fences and create a new category in your industry that will oust your competition.
However, category creation is no simple feat. Generating awareness among your audience is a critical part of the process. A white paper can be integral to introducing your new category to your industry and getting others on board.
3. You want to grow your email list
A well-written white paper that educates readers on a particular issue is a smart way to nurture your existing audience. But, it can also help you attract new leads.
Offering your white paper as a lead magnet in exchange for your valuable insight can grow your email list and expose your products and services to more potential customers. (Note: you’re likely familiar with the great debate on gated vs. ungated content. Do what’s right for your company and aligns with your values and strategy).
4. You need more middle- to bottom-of-funnel content
The best B2B white paper examples are part of broader content strategies. Consider how you’re building awareness first, guiding consideration second and generating conversion last. If your company could be doing more in the latter two stages, it might be time to publish your next white paper.
5. You want to create a piece of cornerstone content to repurpose
Your content marketing program should be sustainable. Content doesn’t have to be brand new for it to be valuable, and carefully repurposed content can serve both your company and your customers better than taking a churn-and-burn approach.
You can repurpose white papers by breaking them up into digestible pieces like blog posts, social media posts, infographics and videos — the sky's the limit. Repurposing your content can help increase readability, reinforce your message and potentially reach a new audience.
What makes a white paper effective
If you’re going to dedicate the resources to a white paper, it must be relevant to your audience and address an urgent pain point or strong area of interest. This kind of long-form content requires commitment on your readers’ part, so the topic must be compelling. Your white paper should also have a clear title and a concise, engaging executive summary. These will help grab your audience’s attention and communicate what’s in it for them to read the content.
The body of the white paper should follow a logical flow, with defined sections and subheaders to help readers navigate the document. The content should go beyond surface-level information to offer depth and substance. It should be backed by thorough research and supported by credible data.
Pro tip: Bonus points if you can get internal or external contributors on board to act as subject matter expert interviewees for the piece. Partnerships like this can also help you expand your audience when it comes time to promote the content.
Finally, don’t forget to include an actionable section like a self-assessment or checklist. This is key because an effective white paper doesn't just analyze the topic — it also provides recommendations or solutions readers can implement right away.
Oh, and how long is a white paper? Our team has written white papers for clients as short as 2,000 words and as long as 4,500+ words. Focus more on the substance and value rather than wondering “how long is a white paper?”. Remember that the content will appear lengthier once it’s been designed as a white paper PDF.
White paper design
A strong white paper isn’t just about the writing. The design is also crucial — and we’re not talking about your father’s white paper templates of yesteryear. White papers have evolved significantly over time in terms of format and design. Initially, they were simple, text-heavy documents resembling academic papers. But modern white paper templates usually feature a more visually appealing layout, with design elements like:
Engaging cover pages with eye-catching graphics and imagery
Consistent branding in the form of logos, colours and fonts
Clear section headings and subheadings to improve readability
Charts, graphs and infographics to illustrate key points
Pull quotes or call-out boxes to highlight important information
Ample white space in your white paper PDF to reduce visual clutter
Nail your white paper strategy
Mistakes to avoid
Overly promotional content: White papers should focus on providing valuable information, rather than serving as overt sales pitches.
Poor research or data quality: White paper readers are often looking for data. Don’t skip this step. Bonus points if you can source original data in addition to external.
Complex language or jargon: This can alienate readers who may not be familiar with the subject matter. White papers should aim for clarity and accessibility.
Neglecting design and formatting: Don’t try to DIY it. This can detract from the content's professionalism and readability.
Lack of actionable content: Without a takeaway for readers, the content may feel theoretical or irrelevant. They’ll also spend less time with your white paper than they would if it contained an actionable section.
Tips for a successful launch
Create a compelling landing page: Most people will go to your website to download your white paper, so be prepared. Ensure the landing page has a header that draws readers in, and that it clearly explains what they’ll learn from your white paper. Your download form should be brief, but should collect the key information you need.
Promote your white paper: Posting your white paper on your website isn’t enough to generate interest. Get your team excited about the content and share it internally, so they’ll be more likely to circulate it to their connections. If you’ve featured subject matter experts, send it to them so they can spread the word further. Post key highlights on social media and share snippets with email subscribers and customers, encouraging them to read it with a clear explanation of how it will benefit their work.
Establish metrics for results: An effective white paper should deliver measurable results in line with your company’s goals. So, establish and track metrics like downloads, engagement, leads generated and conversions to assess the white paper’s impact.
Lead the way with a thoughtful white paper
Diving into a white paper without a plan is like scuba diving without a tank — not likely to end well. Your white paper strategy needs to include thorough research, compelling ideas and original insights supported by real-life examples that are relevant to your audience.
Need help writing white papers that showcase your credibility? Explore our expertly written portfolio. We’d be happy to discuss how we can help your B2B company generate awareness, establish your authority and drive sales.
