Many have come across Whitepapers but don’t know what they are. What are white papers according to you? Whitepapers are reports that are meant to give the readers a solution to a problem, present new issues to the readers or help the readers make some informed decisions. Their main feature is the authority or weight they contain. They are meant for the general good of the public. Whitepapers are used in two major fields, in government and business.
Government Whitepapers
Governments have used whitepapers since the early times. Their main purpose is to present a proposal of new law to the public. Although these proposals are usually authoritative, they give the public a chance to air their opinions regarding the law.
In different countries, the white paper has different uses or powers. In some countries, it is only a proposal for discussion whereas in others it is a policy document. Its purpose is therefore different depending on the country.
Importance Of Government Whitepapers
There are a number of importance or benefits of using the white papers by the governments.
1. Educative – The white paper is educative to the public regarding the laws that govern the land. This is because they have the proposals that will become laws in the future.
2. They are used by the government as a measure of the public opinion regarding a certain policy or law before it is implemented.
3. The white paper creates awareness to the public and provides a way of analyzing information. It encourages exchange of ideas.
Business Whitepapers
In the field of commerce, whitepapers have a different purpose. It is used a tool for marketing different ideas, services, products or solutions to a given business problem. As a sales tool, white papers are used to give the public information that is useful to them.
They can argue for a certain opinion or product. White papers are also used for giving the results of a certain research that was conducted with a certain purpose. Also included in a white papers are the tips about a certain issue or product or that is necessary to the public.
Importance Of Business Whitepapers
In the commerce field, white papers are very popular and are used in the normal course of business. Their benefits are listed below.
1. White papers are used for generation of sales leads.
2. They are also used to give information to the prospective consumers about a new product or service in the market. This ensures that the consumers have up to date information regarding the product or service.
3. White papers are also used to give the results of a certain research. The research may be about a certain product, service or any business related issue that is important to the consumer, investors or stakeholders.
4. White papers contain the way forward regarding a certain business problem. It will recommend the solution to the problem and also give the arguments for the solution.
White papers are therefore important both in the business and government fields.