

Looking behind the surface, however, reveal 3 important differences: The Difference between a Marketing White paper and a Technical White paper Even the formatting will look similar, with section headings including a brief summary, background, analysis, and presentation of data. They are similar in length – from 6 to 12 pages, give or take.īoth will have citations, either as footnotes or endnotes, using current research from respected journals and thought leaders. They are both presented with an emphasis on narrative rather than design, so neither will have flashy artwork or photographs and statistics are presented in black and white tables or graphs. On the surface, marketing white papers and technical papers published in journals appear similar. You could say the very same thing about many books. An effective white paper generally uses facts and logic to explain a certain industry problem, provide some tips or advice, or describe the inner workings of a product or service. Most writers and editors agree there are two main types of writing:Ī white paper bridges that gap. It is also important for contractors and entrepreneurs to know when to hire a technical writer (as opposed to a general marketing copywriter). Whilе both publications hаvе thеir рurроѕе, it is imроrtаnt for the соnѕumеr tо knоw how thеу diffеr. Today, marketing white papers are produced for sales purposes by for-profit companies, making them a marketing tool that can often be confused with a neutral technical white paper.

The “short and focused reports” with white covers were a concise document with information to solve a particular problem This is now known in many industries as a “white paper.” When government agencies provided data to Parliament to help them make decisions, they would offer three different types: Very long, comprehensive documents with a blue cover, open-ended reports with a green cover, and short, focused reports on a single topic with white covers. The term “white paper” comes from a 100-year-old practice of government reporting in the UK. A white paper is quite the buzzword amongst business developers and crypto enthusiasts these days.īut it gets deeper than ICOs and IPOs as most outsiders find it a bit difficult to differentiate a marketing whitepaper from a technical white paper.
