A stand-out white paper is authoritative, well-researched, and detail-oriented yet concise. Blockchain technology companies face a unique challenge of educating an avalanche of novice investors who are eager to learn about digital ledgers and cryptocurrencies. These beginner-capitalists, in combination with the complex nature of white papers and the newness of a tech-based financial system, means your document must school people across cultures, age groups and a myriad of other demographic data. Your white paper should be professionally written and creatively edited to explain why your project is the best one to solve a pressing problem—one that affects your audience. Your copy should help your readers make an informed decision.
Here are six secrets to achieving that goal:
- Include a summary
The point of your white paper is to explain an issue and provide the solution in detail, but not everyone is going to read the whole document (even if they are interested in your company). Novice investors will crave a summary to help them baby-step into a mountain of new terminology and jargon. Tokens, mining, cryptography, nodes, private keys, public keys, Satoshi, cold storage, gas limit, smart contract, etc., many of these are terms that neophyte investors have likely never heard before (or have very little knowledge). Providing an easy-to-read summary with key points on will draw readers in and entice them to keep going for more information.
- Use sections with obvious titles
White papers are a long read for the average person. Use sections to break apart critical information. Introduce subheadings to make the purpose of each section clear to the reader.
- Be as brief but engaging—explain your jargon in an index
Get to the point. Why do you exist? Why are you the best at what you do? What is your business strategy? Explain it as passionately as you would to someone sitting in front of you.
There are more than 1500 ventures listed on coinmarketcap.com. The competition for attention is fierce and readers, though they want to invest and see high returns, have short attention spans. They don’t have tolerance for lengthy documents that have the audacity to also be bland. At its core, a white paper is a piece of marketing. It is up against hundreds of others, not to mention blogs, magazine articles, YouTubers, podcasts, Twitter, Fear Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD [see what I did there?]), and so much more. If English isn’t your first language or you usually speak in computer code (human language is for mere mortals, right?) be sure to hire a native English speaker and translator to edit the final document.
- Fact-check like your life depended on it – and use citations
Tron ($trx), a well-known project fell into a tailspin of negativity when it was revealed that a large part of their white paper was allegedly stolen from two other blockchain companies. Even if you have a squad of experts on your side, you must triple-check all content before publication. Independent research is paramount as are citations for using data that isn’t yours. Run all the text of your white paper through a plagiarism checker or hire a white paper editing service to do it for you. (Be sure to have that service sign a non-disclosure agreement before beginning work.) Back up all of your claims with credible research, so readers aren’t left to only take your word for it. Avoid soft sources such as Wikipedia and go for respected journals and professional publications.
- Usual high-quality visual aids to enhance the writing
Charts, diagrams, and other visuals are essential to creating a phenomenal white paper. Graphics make it easier to relay facts and figures. Photographs (used sparingly) can also make your white paper come across as culturally transcendent and competent. If your project is civic or one that could attract a wildly diverse audience, strategic use of non-data imagery can make your document memorable as compared to others. Keep in mind the overall tone and style as you blend the images with the written content. Everything should be consistent with your brand and organizational culture. The white paper for a gaming solution should look different from one focused on academics or healthcare. The former should look and feel FUN.
- Tell a story and think of complementary projects
Your white paper can be the springboard from which you launch animated explainer videos, podcast interviews, Q&A sessions, magazine articles, blogs, conference presentations, and even bite-sized posts for social media. Tell a better story than your competitors, and it will give you the lead you need to make multi-lateral moves.
These are only a few ways to make sure your white paper educates even the least sophisticated investor who wants to begin learning through blockchain. If you have an existing document that needs punching up or you are plagued with writer’s block, hiring a writing service might be your best bet. White papers can be from 5-12 pages—a sizeable investment in time and resources for completion, which is no easy feat for those who are not professional writers. Done incorrectly, this can be a huge waste of time because not every white paper is a success.
Technical teams and even business leaders are sometimes too far removed from beginners to understand what they need to hear the most. This couldn’t be truer than for blockchain right now. Everything is new—the projects, the ICOs, the investors—both small time and institutional—so why not position your project to attract as many advocates and supporters as you can?
At Phenomenal Writing, we bring to the table nearly two decades of creative and business writing as well as a personal fascination and interest in the power of blockchain. Our most recent assignments in this field were white paper editing services and speech writing services for a presenter at Blockchain West (March 2018). If you’re interested in our editing and writing services and want the benefit of a creative voice who understands technical documents, contact us today. We guarantee on-time delivery, zero plagiarism, thorough research and a commitment to making your white paper one that compels readers to act.
