A white paper is a report that provides new information on some aspect of your business or industry, or the business or industry of potential customers. It is generally from 10 to 15 pages with a few graphs or charts.

White papers are valuable because they create awareness of your company in a particular industry. They establish you as an expert. And, they give you a chance to speak with decision-makers about a topic they care about, without giving them a sales pitch to buy or products or services.

A white paper is not a blatant promotional tool that talks about what you are selling. Rather, it shares new information about a problem, solution or trend. It can be about industry growth trends, new product innovations or pending legislation that affects a particular industry.

To learn more about how you can use white paper to your advantage, see Special Report 19, "How to Use Polls, Surveys and White Papers That Brand You as an Expert"