A white paper profile form includes information about the white paper, its target audience and other data that may be used for the promotion of the white paper.

White Paper Title - The white paper title is the name that is provided on the white paper. This may be divided into the main name (better to have a short name) and a sub title (which may be longer but include keywords).

Creation Date - The creation date is the day that the white paper is released. It is important to update white papers every 2 to 3 years (even if the content has not changed much), as potential readers will likely avoid selecting white papers that were created several years ago.

Classification - White paper classification can range from basic subject classification to very detailed industry specific terminology. Selecting very specific classification topics may ensure highly qualified readers will discover and download the white paper. However, the potential audience may be very small. Choosing multiple categories or category subject areas that are more general may achieve more downloads, but the desired actions (conversion rates) may be lower.

Contributor - The contributor is the person or company that has submitted the white paper and has the authority to assign the publishing rights.

Contact Information - Contact information for the submitter of the white paper can be different from the contact information listed on the white paper. The contact information may pertain to a public relations firm that is an agent of the contributing company. In some cases, multiple contacts should be listed, such as the marketing communications manager of the contributing company and the public relations agency contact.

This figure shows a sample white paper profile form used by Althos Publishing. This example shows that the profile information includes white paper title, contributing company, authorized contacts and other information.