Originally published October 26, 2022 , updated on January 17, 2023

Few businesses will be taken seriously without a whitepaper. But these assets do more than just demonstrate a company’s expertise. Working with professional whitepaper writing services can result in a range of benefits that ultimately boost the bottom line, especially when they’re part of a broad content marketing strategy. 

Some businesses might choose blog content writing services and forgo whitepapers altogether. After all, many think of blogs as a golden ticket to the first Search Engine Results Page when woven with the right keywords. 

So, which is better for businesses? Blog posts or whitepapers? Simply put, both content forms are important. Their outcomes depend on what you use them for. We recommend opting to use them in tandem with one another. This way, you can fully maximise all the far-reaching benefits these written pieces have to offer.

Clarifying the Content Forms

Let’s get clear on the functions of each content form.

A whitepaper is a report or guide that irons out an issue relevant to a product or an industry. It requires sound data and ample research to successfully solve a pain point. This in-depth written piece always adopts a reasonable and rational approach.

Blogs do more than just highlight a business’s products. These posts typically have a more versatile range of topics relating to an industry at large. On top of answering any industry-related questions, blogs tap into topical trending themes and can also answer questions that a target audience is likely to ponder. This means that SEO blog writing services shape copy with the reader in mind, offering a unique perspective that serves to humanise a brand.

The Power of Positioning

Here’s a key difference between whitepaper writing and SEO blog writing services: Their positioning.

Positioning can take on many meanings. For one, it relates to where we post the content. Professional whitepaper writing services usually offer their content in a downloadable PDF format. These PDFs can pop up on a business website, be linked in an email signature, or be distributed via newsletter. 

SEO blog writing services upload written text on the company website, too – but it isn’t common practice to offer blogs in a PDF format. After all, blogs play a crucial role in SEO and brand discovery. Most websites allocate website space to blogs specifically, and this will usually be a landing page that houses links to the various posts. That way, keywords sit on the webpage, drawing in the desired audience from all corners of the internet. 

Each content form’s perspective varies, too. Professional whitepaper writing services provide in-depth, objective, and informative pieces. In contrast, you’ll find that SEO blog writing services have more room to play. Opinion-based blog posts are used to add personality to a product.

Despite their differences, whitepaper writing and SEO blog writing serve similar purposes. Both are educational. Both are content forms. And both should be available on your website. And both are accessible with the help of a reputable content writing agency.

Nonetheless, it’s important that you know which services to use and when to use them. Let’s begin with professional whitepaper writing services.

Professional Whitepaper Writing Services Made Simple

Below are some of the common traits of what to expect from whitepaper writing services:

• Whitepapers are downloadable PDF documents.

• These written pieces present facts and logical arguments. Professional whitepaper writing services produce work that can be compared to a journal article.

• Whitepapers are product or service-specific. They almost always offer a solution to a problem. But they can also highlight the benefits of the product or service at hand.

• Whitepapers adopt a serious tone. They’re so in-depth and well-researched that they can take between 4 to 12 months to put together.

• More often than not, whitepapers are written by a technical writer. This is a very specific writing style that requires a high level of expertise.

• The whitepaper’s title and description can be SEO-informed.

• Professional whitepaper writing services adopt a very specific structure. So, working with these professionals generally grants access to a creative team that also offers expert graphic design services. This is so the research can be presented in the most aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-read way.

• A whitepaper has a longer lifespan than a blog post. It only needs to be rehashed every one to two years.

Now that we’re clear on the characteristics of a whitepaper, we’ll comb out the characteristics of SEO blog writing.

SEO Blog Content Writing Services Made Simple

Here’s what you need to know about SEO blog writing services.

• Blogs appear as posts on your website.

• The writing style is typically emotive and relatable to your target audience.
• While its findings are based on fact, a blog post covers topics beyond a business’s products. For example, a SaaS business might post about how to be more efficient at business online or cover the latest industry-specific trends.

• A blog post can adopt a variety of tones, but more often than not, these posts are written conversationally.

• A blog post can take up to four hours to write.

• Blogs don’t typically require a design team. Often, stock images are included in a blog post instead. 

• A blog post includes keywords to encourage online visibility and attract a wider audience.

• Blogs are shorter than whitepapers – usually between 500 and 2500 words.

• Most blog content writing services advise publishing posts regularly. We recommend uploading at least four blog posts every month.

The more blog posts on your website, the better. This enhances discoverability and encourages traffic to your site. Since blog posts are dated, they don’t have to be updated as regularly as a whitepaper. 

Same Same, but Different

Despite their differences, blogs and professional whitepapers still share similarities. Both educate and inform the reader, and both promote your brand. However, like different players on a team, they perform the job in their own way. Let’s look at where each content form sits in the sales funnel to clarify.

Let’s Look at the Sales Funnel

The sales funnel is the customer journey. It’s made up of different steps that guide your prospects to make a purchase. This journey highlights all the checkpoints your customers go through as they interact with your brand. 

Ultimately, the sales funnel leads your audience from one stage to another. The desired result? Warming them up to seal that deal and finally make that sale. Blog content writing services and whitepaper writing services play different roles in different stages of the customer’s purchasing path.

Here are the stages of the sales funnel:

1) Awareness

2) Consideration

3) Action/Conversion

4) Engagement

5) Advocacy

Guide That Online Journey

The sales funnel starts with the “awareness” stage. This is how your prospects find your brand. Most often, it’s through a selection of social media and online digital strategies. Examples include promotional posts and mailing campaigns. Blog content writing services are perfect for attracting a wider audience, too.

Once you’ve piqued your readers’ interest, they move on to the “consideration” stage. During the “consideration” stage, your prospects decide whether or not the brand has what they’re looking for. The information is more in-depth – aiming to nudge your prospect towards making a purchase. 

Next, we move on to the third stage, the “action stage.” This is where the leads are encouraged to take action. It’s where conversions are (hopefully) generated. It’s also where you make a sale.

Note that the online journey doesn’t just end there. After making a purchase, you move on to the “engagement” phase. During this stage, you nurture and follow up with your customers. This can be in the form of instructional manuals, training courses, or in follow-up feedback and reviews.

Your satisfied customer then moves onto the “advocacy” stage. This is where they recommend your products and services to their peers and online audiences. It’s a great form of free marketing too.

Image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-people-near-wooden-table-3184418/

Let’s Put It Into Context

So, where do whitepapers and SEO blog writing services fit into the customer journey?

The whitepaper fits in very early in the sales cycle, usually during the “consideration” stage. However, it could also be used in the “engagement” stage in the form of product guides and other product information. Additionally, whitepapers can be beneficial to reinforce loyalty amongst your existing customer base. By generating insightful reports, your customers are reminded of why they became your customers in the first place.

The whitepaper offers sound and authoritative information regarding your product or industry while educating the reader and subtly inviting them to invest in your brand. But the approach here is key.

Note that professional whitepaper writing services never use a direct sales pitch. Rather, it is an informative text that empowers the reader, shifting the focus to how they could benefit from a business. They use data and research to guide and support an informed purchasing decision.

How Blogs Boost Your Business

SEO blog writing services play a different role in the sales funnel. They’re used during the “awareness” stage to attract leads. This is done using keywords strategically. By adding blog post copy into your wider social media and digital streams, you invite the readers to learn more and visit your website.

Since they’re informative and enticing, SEO blog writing services can also help with the “consideration” stage. They explain, often in their call to action, what the reader can do to learn more about the product or where they can make a purchase.

Interestingly, it is during this phase that the whitepaper and the blog roles intercept. For example, the call to action at the end of a blog could be to download a whitepaper. 

Alternatively, the call to action can encourage the prospect to provide their contact information instead in exchange for the valuable information in the whitepaper. This is also a clever way to develop your mailing list.

Did you know that SEO blog writing services can inspire future whitepapers? Simply analyse which blog posts performed best and tap into those trends in well-researched, thought-leading whitepapers. Voila!

The Trick Is to Use Them Together

The content from a blog post often informs the wider social media strategy. But a single whitepaper can be used to inform a multitude of blog posts. This is why investing in a professional whitepaper writing service is so sensible.

They provide thorough and accurate research that can be reiterated and recycled in smaller, easily-digestible chunks. These are then distributed on your website., which can have a positive domino effect. The same information can then be shared in even smaller chunks with your online audience through other digital streams, like social media.

In a nutshell, a whitepaper is the central pillar of an effective content marketing strategy, and some of your blog posts can be the by-product of that content. Blog posts inform future whitepapers, and whitepapers can inform multiple blogs.

By now, it probably sounds a little complicated. But don’t worry. There’s always the option to outsource.

Outsourcing Is Easier

Outsourcing whitepaper writing and SEO blog writing hosts a multitude of benefits. For one, you can save your team precious time and energy. What’s more, you’re exposed to an objective and fresh perspective from a reputable source of expert content creators. And, of course, since you’re hiring experts, you’re pretty much guaranteed a return on investment.

Whitepapers are an incredibly important investment, considering that they can drive an entire content marketing strategy. And let’s not forget that in the modern market, your online digital strategy is where you’re going to be making most of your sales.

Another benefit of outsourcing is that whitepaper writing requires a team. It requires data acquisition methods, up-to-date research, informed technical writing, and graphic design services. On top of that, it is still a pitch. So even though it is not a direct sale, it makes sense that it is written by somebody who understands the intricacies of varied modern marketing methods.

Opting to have your whitepapers written by an agency also means you don’t need to manage the project. It’s even better if your agency is in charge of your blog posts and other forms of online media, too. This way, you can rest assured knowing that your content works in synergy – that it’s cohesive enough to tell a multi-faceted brand story.

Let’s Connect for SEO Blog Writing Services

Looking to level up your content game but unsure where to begin? Outsourcing from an expert agency might be helpful. 

Our team at Goodman Lantern is more than happy to work with you. We offer professional whitepaper writing services, complete with full design and research services. We also offer in-depth SEO blog writing services that are sure to pique your prospects’ interest.

Get in touch to breathe new life into your copy today.

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