It enables a business showing expertise to an information hungry group of potential consumers. But are they still effective within an environment where social media information is available in bite size chunks?

Sure people want their information in small, an easy task to swallow pieces, but there will be a dependence on much more detailed, authoritative information. Surely this would be your company that gives this for your research visitors? If your company works in the B2B environment you will see that your potential clients often spend a considerable amount of time researching an interest area before they commit to purchase.

If you are in a technical or professional services field a White Paper is almost imperative. Do not try and shoe horn production into your content management scheme. Instead think how your ideal client will think. What do they want to discover? What issues are facing them? Can you discover some solutions? Does your company offer these solutions? Of course it will but you need to subtly show this, after all this isn't a marketing pitch, it is an item of well researched technical writing?

Most White Papers are from 4-6 pages long, have numerous headings and sub headings and delve deeply into a subject area. They're meant to show your company can be an authority on the subject matter. It might also raise a few pre-determined questions to be able to start debates, introduce various other research or discuss recent trends.

What if you like your technical guys out there earning an income rather than writing white papers? Well to begin with ask them, they may be so fascinated with their technical environment they would like to reveal it, they might even be flattered by the request. If this is simply not possible then inquire further to write down a couple of parameters and "must haves"

Now find a qualified write that's both technical and white paper skills. Don't be tempted by cheap rates as these people can do some basic research and dash off a lightweight document. You need something well researched and well written and that takes some time and skill. After all of this White Paper will undoubtedly be representing your company's technical abilities so it should be detailed and correct.

Supply the writer details of your subject matter and the scope and "must haves" that your technical staff have produced. Inquire further a few questions about how precisely they will approach the writing. Ensure that you will be satisfied that they will execute a great writing job.

In a few days you ought to be given a well researched White Paper that goes deeply into the topic matter. Now is the time and energy to publish on your website or offer it as a download for those who join your news letter.

Should you desire you can also make a blog, which is really a much lighter document around 500 words, introducing the White Paper. This will pique the interest of the reader and lead them into your White Paper.