What is a white paper?
A white paper is a long, evidence-based report that explains a problem and argues for a way to solve it. Governments use white papers to set out policy before a law. Companies use them to show buyers they understand an issue better than anyone else, with data, examples and a recommended approach. In B2B, it sits between a blog post (short, informal) and an analyst report (independent, paid for).
The distinction that matters for a marketer: a white paper persuades with evidence. If it reads like a brochure, buyers treat it as one. If it reads like a neutral research summary with no recommendation, it is a research report.
Where does the term “white paper” come from?
The name comes from British government publishing. According to Wikipedia’s history of the term, it was used in the early 20th century for UK government position papers, with the Churchill White Paper of 1922 as an early example. In the UK system, a green paper is a more open-ended consultation document and a white paper sets out firmer proposals before a bill goes to Parliament.
Businesses borrowed the term for reports that explain an industry problem with the same authority, and in software and B2B services it became a standard marketing format.
What are the main types of white papers?
| Type | What it does | Best stage | Example topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backgrounder | Explains how a product or technology works, its features and benefits | Late: evaluation, technical review | ”How our encryption model protects customer data” |
| Numbered list | A set of tips, questions or points on one business issue | Early: awareness | ”9 questions to ask before replacing your billing system” |
| Problem/solution | Defines a costly problem and argues for a new approach to it | Early: lead generation | ”Why month-end close still takes 10 days, and how to cut it” |
| Original research | Publishes data the company collected, with method and findings | Any stage, and the most citable | ”What 400 security reviews show about enterprise sales cycles” |
The first three types are described in Wikipedia’s entry, which calls the problem/solution paper the hardest to produce and says it can build trust and credibility. We add original research as a fourth type because it contains facts nobody else has, which gives reporters and analysts something to quote.
How is a white paper different from an e-book, a case study or a research report?
| Format | Purpose | Tone | Typical length | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White paper | Argue for a way to solve a problem, with evidence | Formal, authoritative | More than five pages | Evaluators and decision makers who need the reasoning |
| E-book | Teach a broad topic in an easy-to-read format | Friendly, visual | Varies, often split into short chapters | Early-stage readers |
| Case study | Prove results with one customer’s story | Narrative, specific | Short, a few pages at most | Buyers checking that it works for someone like them |
| Research report | Present findings from data | Neutral | Varies | Anyone who wants the numbers |
| Blog post | Answer one question | Informal | A few minutes to read | Searchers and social readers |
Do B2B marketers still use white papers?
Yes, about half of them. In the Content Marketing Institute’s B2B benchmark for 2025, a survey of 980 B2B marketers run in mid-2024, 51% had used e-books or white papers in the previous 12 months. 45% rated e-books and white papers among their most effective formats, the same share as research reports. Case studies scored higher on both counts: 75% used them and 53% rated them effective.
Our read of those numbers: half of B2B teams still publish white papers, and fewer than half rate them effective. In our view the papers that earn their place are built on evidence the reader cannot get from a search, such as original data or a detailed method.
How do B2B companies use a white paper?
- In sales conversations. A seller sends the paper to the person who has to convince their boss. It does the explaining the seller cannot do in a 30-minute call. This is where white papers overlap with sales enablement.
- As a lead magnet. A form in front of the PDF. It works when the content is worth the email; it fails when it is a blog post stretched to ten pages.
- In nurture programs. A chapter a week by email, or the paper as the middle step between a first download and a demo. See lead nurturing.
- For press and analysts. A research-based paper gives reporters numbers to quote and analysts a view to react to.
- As a source for other content. One paper becomes a blog series, a webinar, LinkedIn posts and a slide deck. That is the content marketing return on the effort.
How do you write a white paper?
- Pick one problem your buyers pay to solve. Not a product. A paper titled after your product is a backgrounder, and it belongs late in the sale.
- Find the evidence first. Your own data, customer results you can name, public research with links. If you cannot find evidence, the topic is a blog post.
- Write the executive summary before the paper. If the argument does not fit in one paragraph, it is not ready.
- Structure: problem, why the usual fixes fall short, the evidence, the recommended approach, how to start. Keep the publisher’s product to the last section.
- Design for skimming. Section headings that state the point, one chart or table per main claim, and pull-out numbers.
- Decide on the gate after you write it. If the best content is the data, publish the summary openly and gate the data set. Our free white paper template has these sections and a Word file to download.
Illustrative, not a benchmark. Fernway, a fictional payroll software company, wants to reach finance leaders at 200 to 1,000-person companies. Instead of “The Fernway Guide to Payroll,” it pulls anonymized error data from its own platform and writes “Where Payroll Errors Come From: 18 Months of Correction Data.” The executive summary names the three error types that cause most corrections. The recommendation section explains how to prevent each one. Fernway appears on the last page. Sellers attach the paper to follow-up emails after first calls, and the charts become a month of LinkedIn posts.
How Growigami connects to white papers
Our sales assets service writes and designs the documents sellers send, such as case studies, one-pagers, battlecards and decks, built from interviews with your customers and your recorded calls. A white paper built on the same proof fits the same job: giving the buyer’s internal champion something to forward.
Common questions about White Paper
Is a white paper the same as a report?
A white paper is a type of report, but with a point of view. A research report presents findings and lets the reader draw conclusions. A white paper uses evidence to argue for a specific way to solve a problem, and in business it usually leads to the kind of solution the publisher offers.
How do you format a white paper?
Title page, a one-paragraph executive summary, an introduction to the problem, the evidence (data, examples, charts), the recommended approach, and a short closing section with next steps and an About section for the publisher. Grammarly's guide recommends more than five pages, portrait orientation and a PDF, with charts and tables to carry the data.
What is the difference between a white paper and a research paper?
A research paper is academic: it tests a question with a stated method, goes through peer review and stays neutral about the answer. A white paper is written by a company, government or association to explain an issue and persuade the reader toward a course of action. It cites research but is not peer reviewed.
What was the point of the original white papers?
In the UK, a white paper is a government document that sets out firmer policy proposals before a law is introduced, often after a more open-ended green paper. The Churchill White Paper of 1922 is an early example. Business borrowed the name in the 20th century for authoritative reports on industry problems.
How long should a white paper be?
Long enough to make the argument with evidence, which usually means more than five pages, the minimum Grammarly's guide recommends. Length matters less than proof: a 6-page paper with original data beats a 20-page paper that repeats what buyers can read in any blog post.
Should you gate a white paper behind a form?
Gate it only if it contains something buyers cannot get elsewhere, such as original data. A PDF behind a form is hidden from search engines and AI assistants, so the paper earns no search traffic or citations. A common middle path is to publish the summary and key charts openly and gate the full data set.
