Unlock the Mystery to B2B Whitepapers: 13 Quality Examples
Picture this.
Bob, someone who fits your B2B buyer persona criteria, just landed on your website.
He’s never heard of your brand before.
So he’s seeing if you’re credible.
He sees some testimonials and a case study.
But that’s not enough.
He isn’t convinced.
He didn’t see enough content to be persuaded.
So he bounces, and he’s never to be seen again.
According to Demand Gen Report, there’s a 47% chance that Bob the B2B buyer wants to view at least 3 to 5 pieces of content before even engaging with your sales team.
And 37% of B2B buyers read a whitepaper along the purchasing journey, as reported by FocusVision.
Whitepapers establish you as a thought leader.
Moreover, they help you adhere to the Law of Alignment—showing Bob that your company and his problem are a match.
For this resource, we’ll look at 13 examples of quality B2B whitepapers for your company to be inspired by.
Whitepapers benefit you in the following ways:
- By generating lead contact information
- By positioning you as an industry leader
- By demonstrating how your company can solve your prospect’s problems
So let’s get right into it.
#1 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: Cisco’s “Networking and Your Competitive Edge”
Cisco deals with some really complex topics—such as networking hardware, data security, telecommunications, and other tech talk.
But in its whitepaper, the copyrwiters were able to simplify it all.
As you can see, Cisco is able to open the B2B whitepaper with easy-to-read sentences—and this shows the reader that they’ll be able to follow along easily.
And the visual to the right makes it clear what value there is in reading further.
Throughout the whitepaper, Cisco makes frequent use of stats and data.
B2B buyers want to see research.
In this case, Cisco uses research to agitate the pain points the reader has as a way of pushing the reader toward their services.
#2 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: HubSpot’s “Not Another State of Marketing Report 2021”
HubSpot is a trusty go-to for marketing, sales, and customer service insights.
For its 2021 marketing report, HubSpot immediately captures the reader’s attention on the download page.
Its use of color is fun and inviting.
And according to research by William C. Bradford, 65% of people are visual learners.
In color psychology, a dark blue corresponds with trustworthiness—making the report seem more credible.
Moreover, HubSpot turns chunks of information into easily digestible visual aides.
Since it’s a report on marketing trends, HubSpot knows that its readers aren’t really looking to be sold to.
So instead of a traditional CTA at the end of the whitepaper, they sneak one into the side at the conclusion.
#3 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: Sungard’s “A Four-Step Plan for Business Continuity”
Sungard Availability Services helps businesses evolve their IT process.
And its main selling point is that its clients will be better prepared for change and better trained to avoid risks.
In this B2B whitepaper, right off the bat, Sungard hooks the reader.
The opening headline talks about how extreme weather, terrorism, and cyber criminals have been on the rise and threaten our very way of life.
Basically, Sungard uses an extreme form of FOMO, or the fear of missing out.
Its opening is telling readers that their companies face an existential threat. And the only way to remove that threat is with a business continuity plan—that’s where Sungard can help.
FOMO has been shown to be effective.
According to Cision, over half of all social media users have experienced FOMO.
Not only that, millennials are the most prone to FOMO—with 69% of them experiencing it, as per OptinMonster.
And this is important for B2B whitepapers.
According to TrustRadius, 60% of all B2B tech decision makers are millennials.
Besides the FOMO, Sungard does a couple of other things right.
For one, it’s only a four-step guide. This tells busy B2B leads that it’s not going to be a big time commitment.
Another thing is the call to action at the end.
It’s not hyper-aggressive.
Rather, it briefly invites readers to start a plan with Sungard.
And it wraps up with contact information.
#4 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: AXA’s “Embracing the Multi-Generation Workplace”
In 2015, British healthcare provider, AXA, published a whitepaper detailing the multi-generation workplace.
From the get-go, the reader sees a quote from AXA’s marketing director, James Freeston.
He explains how the whitepaper will outline the unique topic of an aging workforce.
And he mentions that all claims will be backed up with research—in this case, a survey.
And in the next section, the reader is shown how old the UK workforce is getting.
They predicted that 48% of the adult population would be 50+ years old by 2020.
This stat instantly hooks the reader.
Because it shows them how important it is to adapt to a changing work climate.
As the reader proceeds, he or she will see a plethora of other research insights that back up the original claims.
For example, an age-diverse workplace allows for lower recruitment costs, less absentees, and more productivity.
When AXA surveyed employers and employees, 54% of them agreed that a multi-generation workforce would benefit from knowledge sharing.
Then, heading towards the end, the reader sees numerous best practices for a multi-generation workplace.
#5 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: WorkMonger’s “COVID-19 Education Sector Guidebook”
WorkMonger is a mission-aligned staffing company that specializes in the education sector.
Shortly after the COVID-19 changed the world, the company decided to provide its B2B audience with a whitepaper to use as guidance for best practices going forward.
At the beginning of any whitepaper, you must make it clear right away who you’re talking to.
Otherwise, the reader might feel confused and feel that the resource may not be for them.
But in this example, education organizations are mentioned within the first sentence.
And in addition to the target audience being mentioned, the About section bolds the key deliverables from the guide.
So if someone is just skimming, they’ll still see the value of the guide.
Throughout the whitepaper, WorkMonger provides an abundance of useful information.
Furthermore, it’s all relevant to the main topic: the COVID-19 pandemic.
To illustrate both these things at play, take a look at the visual below that tells the reader how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
According to Business Wire, 77% of consumers want to know what brands are doing to address social issues.
And with this visual aid, WorkMonger shows potential clients that it’s all in on combating COVID-19.
The whitepaper continues by delving into how to adapt to communications, travel policy, remote work, sick employees, and more.
Near the end, there’s a section devoted to preparing students for non-traditional learning.
Now, this is of great interest to someone in education:
In a Gallup Poll of 1,000 students from Massachusetts, it was found that 36% of them fell behind in class after COVID-19 shifted the learning environment.
And that’s just Massachusetts—considered the #1 overall U.S state when it comes to public school rankings. You can imagine how far behind students in other states fell.
At the very end, WorkMonger includes a CTA—to get in touch with the CEO via email.
#6 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: ADP’s “5 Steps to Rid Your Small Business of Payroll Stress”
According to ADP, 70% of small businesses delegate HR duties to employees with little to no formal training.
And one of those core HR duties is to regulate payroll.
With its “5 Steps to Rid Your Small Business of Payroll Stress” whitepaper, ADP wants small to medium-sized firms to know that it can solve this issue for them.
But they do this in a subtle way.
Instead of saying how great ADP is, they use research to tell small business owners how awful their problem is.
For the “How to: Increase Profitability” section, ADP shows small business owners how much money they could be losing.
Whereas most small business owners with in-house payroll systems believe they lose about $19 per employee payslip, ADP finds the number is actually $42.
Next, ADP warns its readers of the dangers of using Excel for payroll purposes.
With Excel, one little crash could prevent you from paying your employees accurately.
Not only that, but the whitepaper goes on to say how manual payroll methods cost companies 1-8% of their total payroll.
See where this is going?
ADP is not pitching their product. Rather, they emphasize the problem, hoping that the reader will remember ADP when it’s time to make a change.
ADP’s B2B whitepaper is a great example of agitating the problem.
As a result, the person might start taking it more seriously and seek a solution.
#7 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: Alliance Data’s “Mapping Out Retail Holiday & Long-Term Loyalty”
Alliance Data is a Fortune 500 company that provides loyalty and marketing services for clients through private label credit cards, loyalty programs, and direct marketing.
For this whitepaper, Alliance Data discusses the need to focus on digital shopping during the 2018 Holiday season.
And it’s packed with stats that retailers would have found useful.
As an example, the whitepaper mentions how consumers were shifting towards digital shopping.
All the key highlights stand out with the light blue font color.
So if someone isn’t interested in reading everything, they still see the main points.
Then, Alliance Data discusses the need for focusing on loyalty programs.
According to the whitepaper, 69% of holiday shoppers use loyalty programs.
Before the “Learn More” CTA, the text talks about how retailers must keep customer wants and needs at the center of all decision-making.
By and large, the whitepaper generates demand for retailer loyalty programs and customer-centric marketing—the two services that Alliance Data provides.
But it’s not so obvious and in your face.
Rather, it’s more like, “Hey, see how important it is to focus on loyalty programs and other digital marketing operations? If only there was a company that could do this for you.”
#8 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: Samsung’s “Digital Transformation in the Insurance Industry”
For this B2B whitepaper, Samsung wants its readers to know how technology is reshaping the insurance industry.
To be more specific, in the health, homeowner’s, and auto sectors.
The table of contents spells out exactly what points will be discussed in depth.
Samsung wants the reader to know that mobile devices, wearables (such as smartwatches), and virtual reality are all changing the way insurance is perceived by consumers.
For example, more than 50% of insurance customers want to get quotes electronically.
And 77% of buyers under 35 want to buy insurance through their smartphone
The whitepaper not only discusses key stats to generate demand for Samsung’s services, it provides real-world applications for how tech changes the insurance industry.
As you can see, mobile phones allow homeowners to keep up to date with inventory records.
And smartphones and tablets allow claims adjusters to accurately account for damages of auto accidents on the spot.
The whitepaper goes on to show examples for how wearables and AI influence the insurance industry too.
For example, smartwatches can monitor health status, thereby allowing medical staff to gain deeper insights into patient health and deliver more personalized messages (e.g., follow-up due).
And Samsung doesn’t forget to utilize infographics either.
Just before the conclusion, the whitepaper exemplifies Samsung’s propositional value through three services—Samsung Knox, Samsung Pay, and Samsung Gear VR.
Consistently, Samsung brings home the fact that the insurance industry has changed—and that it’s time to try new ideas.
#9 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: Alexander Kesler’s “10 Best Practices for Writing Effective Whitepaper Titles”
Alexander Kesler is a B2B digital marketer with over 15 years of experience.
So he knows a thing or two about how to craft quality whitepaper headlines.
And he uses his expertise in his own whitepaper.
If you look below, you can see how he uses color contrast so that the opening is catchy.
You see, Alexander grabs the attention of the average marketer by stressing the importance of needing a solid headline.
This makes you want to learn more.
And another great thing about this whitepaper is the use of a numbered list.
Why is a numbered list a good idea?
It makes for a much more simplified reading experience—on top of the fact that Alexander keeps each section short and sweet.
According to Backlinko’s research, listed posts get 218% more shares on social media than “how to” posts and 203% more shares than infographics.
So this means it’ll be easier for you to promote your whitepaper on social channels if it’s in the form of a numbered list.
#10 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: Vanson Bourne’s “How Banks Can Win New Small Business Customers”
Vanson Bourne provides marketing research insights for its clients.
For this whitepaper, it’s targeting banks.
What Vanson Bourne does well is narrowly define its ideal reader.
The title hones in on a highly specific niche: banks looking to acquire small business clients.
That way, there’s no confusion as to who should download the whitepaper.
And the whitepaper includes a “Methodology” section so that readers understand where the proceeding data is being pulled from.
By explaining where the data comes from, Vanson Bourne shows transparency—something that 86% of Americans say they want from brands, according to Sprout Social.
Lastly, the whitepaper incorporates numerous visuals that turn vast amounts of information into something more manageable to read.
#11 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: Tableau’s “Top 10 Business Intelligence Trends for 2017”
To put it simply, Tableau helps organizations leverage data to solve problems and make more informed decisions.
So back in 2017, the firm created a whitepaper for business intelligence (BI) trends.
One of the best parts of this B2B whitepaper is the use of color.
The dark palette sets the serious tone for the discussion.
And the numbered list makes it organized and easier for the reader to skim through.
Furthermore, Tableau’s whitepaper references Gartner and LinkedIn in the article as some sources of information.
Now that’s a big plus.
Because, according to Demand Gen Report, 96% of B2B buyers want content with input from industry thought leaders.
#12 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: Yext’s “The New Wave of Customer Support? AI Search”
Yext’s whitepaper is a little different from the other ones we’ve been talking about.
So far, we’ve been looking at PDF-formatted whitepapers, which are the norm.
But Yext’s whitepaper is integrated right onto its website.
This, in turn, allows Yext’s marketers to gather more information about how readers interact with the whitepaper via heatmaps.
See, with a PDF file, the user downloads it, and you have no further insight.
And incorporating the B2B whitepaper on its website allows Yext to optimize for mobile.
Let’s face it, PDF files and mobile do not get along.
And consider this: according to Boston Consulting Group, 60% of B2B buyers report that mobile plays a significant role in their purchasing decisions.
Another thing to note is that Yext allows for an interactive reading session—by allowing the reader to click on sections and be brought straight to it without having to scroll.
One more thing is Yext’s use of consumer research to agitate the problem.
Every stat, fact, or trend throughout the whitepaper tells the reader that they need better customer service.
And it explains how AI search and automation can solve this problem (one of the selling points of Yext).
#13 High-Quality B2B Whitepaper Example: Adobe’s “The Definitive Guide to Account-Based Marketing”
Adobe’s B2B whitepaper on account-based marketing (ABM) is a lengthy one.
52 pages.
But it’s well done.
Adobe knows that the demand for ABM content is rising as more companies start using this process.
According to HubSpot, 70% of marketers use ABM, up 15% from 2020.
So this is a good example of ensuring that the whitepaper’s focus is on a topic that’s actually in demand.
Just like when conceptualizing a new product or service, you must ensure that there’s a market need. Same goes for your whitepaper.
Make sure it’s actually something people care about.
Other than that, the whitepaper is thorough in explaining the backstory of ABM and providing a definition for those that are still new to the concept.
Then, Adobe explains why the reader should care about ABM by explaining the benefits.
For most of the body sections, the text goes into how to get a company buy-in with ABM, how to implement it, and finally, how to actually use it effectively.
It’s incredibly in-depth.
And it really provides a great amount of value for marketing and sales teams that are looking for improved solutions.
As a bonus, the download page itself is well done too.
The description tells the reader exactly what to expect from the download. And the opening paragraph mentions how 97% of marketers using ABM achieve higher ROI.
That gets the reader thinking they should learn more about it.
Additionally, there’s related sources recommended on the side of the page.
Conclusion
There you have it. That’s 13 examples of quality B2B whitepapers.
And you may have noticed three common themes. Quality whitepapers tend to do the following:
- Clearly address the ideal readers and hook them in the opening
- Agitate the pain points throughout the whitepaper using research
- Use smart color schemes for an easy reading experience
B2B buyers are out there just waiting to be your next customer.
But they need to see that you’re a credible brand.
And a high-quality whitepaper is one way to establish trust with them.
If you’re ready to create some new whitepapers but you’re still not 100% confident going forward, then consider outsourcing your projects to AutoGrow.
We regularly help our clients with whitepapers of all types—from design to copywriting and everything in between, we’ll take care of it all for you.
Feel free to check out some of our past work on whitepapers on our examples page.
But let me ask you...which example do you think was the best?
Let me know in the comments below.
Keep AutoGrowin’, stay focused.
Mark
