White papers can work for any stage of the buying cycle

Different specific subjects or concerns arise at different stages of the buying cycle so it's important to have a different white papers to address them. You should also target your white papers to different members of the decision making unit, who tend to be engaged at different stages of the cycle.

1. Awareness stage - addresses major concerns of end users of your product or service; they tend to be highly engaged in the beginning of the buying process e.g. provide research or insights into a broad industry trend or your prospects’ operational challenge which your product or service helps manage.
2. Research and negotiation stage - answers questions for influencers on the buying committee, such as IT personnel who install or manage new software e.g. overview of the implementation process of the specific technology with existing enterprise systems.
3. Purchase stage - speaks to the economic decision makers e.g. outline cost savings, efficiency improvements or increased revenue customers have experienced.