Do you know when to use a problem-solution white paper?
White papers come in a number of formats. There are three major formats, according to Gordon Graham, aka That White Paper Guy.
1. Backgrounders
2. Numbered Lists
3. Problem-Solution
The problem-solution white paper is the type most engineers usually think about. It’s the kind intended for them. But, how do you know when to use it?
Typically, this white paper is used with a technical product in a business to business situation. This type of product is complicated, often sold on specifications that are superior on some way than the competition. But, sometimes that superiority comes at a cost, or with a sacrifice of some other specifications.
The white paper is how a company can demonstrate the way their product solves a problem. It’s a soft-sell document that demonstrates the solution using the company’s products as the example.
The problem can be anything. It could be a technical problem such as the edge quality of a photo mask in a semiconductor manufacturing process. The problem might also be as simple as removing heel marks from a floor. Regardless of how simple or technical the problem happens to be, the ramifications should be significant enough to justify potential customers doing a bit of research instead of buying any old solution on impulse.
If your product offers a unique, better, or just different solution to a problem vexing your customers, when to use a problem-solution white paper might be now.