White papers and ebooks are among the most popular formats of content marketing. While both add value, ask yourself these three key questions to help determine when to use one as opposed to the other.
Are We Creating Content With Depth or Breadth?
White papers are meant to take a narrow approach to a broader subject. Often, they include expert insights and quantifiable research to support a thesis, point of view, hot topic or solution to a specific challenge. White papers usually span between 5-15 pages in length. Think of them as a longer, more in-depth article or blog. An ebook, on the other hand, can range from 20-200 pages in length. Ebooks explore a topic in breadth. They take a bigger concept and cover many facets of it. The purpose is to explore all angles of a topic for complete understanding. Think of an ebook as a wide-angle lens and a white paper as a microscope.
Are We Writing for an Informed or Uninformed Audience?
In general, a white paper is written for professionals. It may utilize technical terms and in-depth research and expect the audience to understand the concepts. White papers tend to be more formal and scholarly, and present research and statistics. In contrast, an ebook is written with a broad audience in mind and with an informal voice, often in the first person. Theoretically, an inexperienced reader, such as a student or someone new to the subject, can follow the concepts discussed in an ebook. This means defining or limiting jargon, providing valuable explanations, exploring examples and using diagrams that allow for visual learning.
Is Our Goal to Inform or Teach?
While they may seem the same, there’s a subtle difference between “inform” and “teach.” When you aim to inform, it generally means you have new information to provide, trends to articulate, or research results, discoveries and opinions to share. The information is provided within a context of time, knowledge, place and industry. These are suitable goals for a white paper. When your objective is to teach, an ebook format is a better alternative. You can develop content as a “how-to” guide, where your aim is to provide base knowledge and build upon that foundation. Topics in ebooks are often provided in small pieces with sections and bullet points to make them more consumable. Ebook content can come from a webinar or it can form the basis of a class to be taught. Often, an ebook includes exercises, links and interactive elements.
Value Counts!
As content marketing has matured, the lines between all types of content have blurred. An evaluation of your marketing goals, audience and industry will steer you in the right direction. In the end, there is no right or wrong choice. When you deliver customer-centric content that provides value to readers, you can attract, engage and convert audiences at every stage of the buyer journey.
