How to write a white paper for your blockchain project

In the fast-paced world of blockchain, keeping up with the latest trends can be challenging. To stay ahead of the game, many companies are starting to develop their blockchain solutions. But developing a new software solution is much more challenging than most people realize. 

To successfully launch your blockchain project and get your white paper read by potential users and investors, you need to first think strategically about why you’re launching it in the first place. After all, not every project needs its blockchain. Before diving into development details and coding phases, you should have a firm understanding of what issue you’re solving with an independent blockchain. Then, once you’ve settled on these details and outlined your scope — you can get started on developing your white paper!

What is white paper?

White paper is an in-depth document that explains your product, its features, how it works, and the benefits it can provide to users. This is one of the most effective ways to inform your audience about your blockchain project.

A white paper can help you to achieve the following goals:

1. Start a conversation with potential customers. 
2. Establish your brand as an expert in the blockchain industry. 
3. Help businesses and investors understand the value of your blockchain project. 
4. Create a clear outline of your business model and overall strategy. 
5. Provide transparency to potential token holders. 
6. Increase your traffic and leads through the website.

A white paper is an effective tool to help spread awareness about your blockchain project. It allows you to explain your product in detail and create a solid foundation for your venture. A good white paper can help you connect with your audience, attract new customers, and even generate leads.

Creating a Solid Foundation for your Blockchain Project

Before you create a white paper for your blockchain project, you have to understand its purpose. This document should explain why your product is necessary, what problem it solves, and how it works. You also need to provide a detailed overview of your team and why they’re qualified to deliver such a solution. You need to identify your target audience and explain how your project can benefit them. Several components make up a solid foundation for your blockchain project. 

They include: 

Problem and solution – Solution overview – Why blockchain – Team – Marketing strategy – Token distribution – Roadmap 

• Conclusion Problem and solution — Before creating a white paper, try to analyze the issues that your product is solving. In this section, you have to explain why the concern is important to solve and how your product can solve it.
• Solution overview — Provide an overview of how your solution works. This includes the various stages of the process, how it integrates with other systems, and how it can benefit various stakeholders. 
• Why blockchain — This is one of the most significant sections in your white paper because you have to explain why blockchain is necessary for your product. You may also include information about the benefits of using blockchain technology.
• Team — A strong team with experience in the industry is essential for any project to succeed. Having a team that is qualified, experienced, and believes in what they’re doing is crucial. You also need to explain why each member is essential to the development of your project. 
• Marketing strategy — It is crucial to have a marketing strategy in place before you start promoting your new product. In this section, explain how you’re going to spread awareness about your blockchain project.
• Token distribution — Token distribution can play an important role in the success of your blockchain project. In this section, try to explain the various aspects of token distribution, including the type of token, the token supply, the token value, and the token exchange.
• Roadmap — The roadmap is a future-oriented representation of the project. In this section, try to outline your plans and how you’re going to achieve success.
• Conclusion — The conclusion provides a final summary of your product, including the advantages and disadvantages. It also explains how readers can benefit from your product.

White paper writing tips:

• Define the goals of your white paper. When you know what you want to achieve with your white paper, it becomes easier to write it. Also, you may use this goal to evaluate the success of your white paper. 
• Use different formats to engage readers. It is possible to write your white paper in an FAQ, an open letter to your customers, an interview with your team, or even an e-book.
• Create a narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Your white paper should have a clear structure, with an interesting beginning and an engaging storyline.
• Include relevant information, graphs, and visuals. Your white paper should be easy to read, but it should also contain interesting facts and figures. Visuals will increase the engagement of your readers, so make sure to include them in your white paper.

Tip 1: The best structure for white paper

There are many ways to structure your white paper, but one of the most effective is by using an inverted pyramid. An inverted pyramid starts with the summarized conclusion and gets more in-depth as you move down the document. An inverted pyramid also uses subheadings to break up the document into smaller sections for easier reading.

Define your objective

With so many industries and topics to cover, it’s important to define your objective. The way your white paper is structured is meant to make sure that readers get a specific idea or message from your document. Your objective should be measurable and specific enough so that you can see how much progress you want to make toward reaching your goal. It shouldn’t be too general or specific so that you end up writing a document that’s much less impactful than you intended.

What is your audience?

This is the bread and butter of your white paper. What is your audience? What problem does your white paper solve? Why do your readers need your product or service? Weigh these questions carefully, because they will determine the type of audience that your white paper should be aimed at solving.

Identify the topics you’ll cover

For each section of your white paper, identify the topics that you plan to cover. What are the main points of each section? Is each section of your paper structured to give potential readers a clear understanding of the topic and the implications of your research?

Lay out your content in order of importance

After you’ve defined and selected your topics, it’s time to lay out your content in order of importance. Start with the easiest topics and work your way down the list. The hardest topics should be last. Whenever you have a choice between writing about two equally important topics, choose the one with the greater importance. This is critical because the more impactful your paper is, the more readers will remember and react to it.

Summing up

At the end of your white paper, tie together your main points with a summary. This is the culmination of everything you’ve written in your paper and gives readers a quick overview of both the benefits of your product and the steps you plan to take to bring those benefits to fruition. Focus on one or two key benefits of your product or service, and then deliver concrete details about what your plan is for achieving those benefits. If you want to go even deeper, you can always publish a follow-up white paper.

So what is the best way to structure a document

It’s influential to remember that a white paper is meant to be read by one person at a time. If the structure of your paper is off, readers will likely lose interest very quickly if they have to slog through pages of unhelpful abstractions before they reach the point they were looking for. The best way to structure a white paper is to provide a summary of each of your major points, followed by a list of the actions you plan to take to realize those points. You can also break your paper up into smaller sections to make it easier to read and make use of the multiple levels of subheadings to break up your content into smaller chunks.

Tip 2: The ideal length of a white paper

Let’s face it: there are so many white paper topics floating around the internet these days that some of them begin to feel like spam. If you want your white paper to stand out as something special and not just another piece of content in your prospect’s inbox, you need to make it stand out from the rest. 

Why is Length Important?

Although you may believe your white paper is incredibly compelling and that it offers a ton of value to your readers, if this is way too long, your prospect may not get through the entire thing. If it’s too long, you run the risk of losing them at the beginning, since they may not have the time or patience to read an entire long white paper. If your prospect is skimming your white paper because it’s too long, they probably aren’t getting the information they need. If they skim the paper, they probably aren’t getting the information they want. If they aren’t getting the information they want, there’s no reason for them to engage with you or your business. Length matters!

How Long a White Paper Should Be?

There’s no hard and fast rule for how long a white paper should be. As with most things in marketing, it depends on your goals and your target audience’s needs. To determine the ideal length for your paper, you first need to decide what the paper is trying to accomplish. For example, if your paper is intended to drive leads and build your mailing list, you may want it to include a call-to-action to sign up for your email list. If your paper is meant to educate your audience on the benefits of your product, service, or business model and why they should choose your product over others like it, then a white paper would be an excellent choice. If you’re not sure what type of paper you should write, you can always use a SWOT analysis.

4 Advices to Help You Decide the Ideal Length for Your White Paper

• Lead with the problem your paper solves — When you lead with the problems your audience faces, you let them know the value of your paper immediately and grab their attention
• Think about the length of your product or service — If you’re creating a white paper to explain the benefits of your product, you want it to be long enough that you can thoroughly explain its features and uses. But you don’t want it to be too long, because no one wants to read a 10,000-word product description. 
• Choose an appropriate format for your audience — While all white papers are about the same thing — the merits of your product or service — they are delivered in different formats.
• Ask yourself, “What do my readers need?” — If your paper is meant to educate your readers on a particular topic, then you want to make sure they get the information they need.

3 Key Ingredients to Ensure a Great White Paper Experience

• Customers must trust your brand and trust that the value of your paper will exceed the time and effort invested in reading it.
• Prospects must feel like they get value from your paper.
• Customers must feel compelled to share your papers with others.

2 Recommendations for Excellent White Papers

• Researching the subject thoroughly — You want to make sure your paper is as accurate as possible. If you make erroneous claims or if your paper is full of errors, your readers will lose trust in your brand and your paper.
• Creating a visually appealing paper — Your paper should be formatted in a way that is easy to read and understand. It should also be visually appealing so to want to read it.

Tip 3: Find an expert in the field of your white paper

A well-executed white paper should also give you more visibility in the industry, as it creates new opportunities for you to get quoted and interviewed as an expert. However, most people struggle to find experts to interview for their white papers. 

You may ask: Where do I find these people? How can I get them to agree to be interviewed? Do they need something from me that would make them willing to participate? And if not, how can I initiate contact and pitch my idea for a white paper at the same time? Finding the right people to interview for your white paper is one of the hardest parts of this process

Narrow down your topic before reaching out to potential experts

First, you have to make sure you are reaching out to the right people. This includes making sure the topic of your white paper is relevant and interesting to the people you reach out to. We’ve all heard the advice that you should follow your passion and find your true calling. While passion is undoubtedly important, keep in mind that to make a living with what you’re passionate about. In other words, you don’t want to spend your days working on something that only brings you joy. You want to spend your time on things that bring in money and provide value for other people as well. To find the right people to interview for your white paper, start by thinking about what problem your white paper will solve. What issue do you want to help people overcome? What question do you want to answer? This will narrow down the topic to something specific.

Reach out to people you know first

This is the first step in any kind of outreach campaign. It’s a great way to find experts to interview for your white paper because it allows you to reach out to people you know personally. This is the best option if you want to be certain that the person you interview is willing to be interviewed. Knowing each other already means that you don’t have to make a sales pitch or convince the person to participate. You can simply reach out to them and ask if they’d be willing to be interviewed for your white paper. If you want to increase your chances of getting a “yes”, make sure that you ask the person for help first. One way of doing this is by asking your friend to recommend someone who’d be a good fit for your white paper.

Find the right people using a research tool

If you can’t find the right people to interview for your white paper by reaching out to your existing network, you can use a research tool to expand your search radius to include people who are less likely to know you. There are three main ways to find experts to interview for your white paper — via social media, search engines, and industry conferences. You can find potential experts on social media by searching for relevant hashtags and groups that you can join and start engaging with. You can also use a social media management tool to search for experts in your industry by typing their names into the search bar or choosing a “people” search type. The second way to find experts is by using search engines like Google. Use Google’s search operators to find people who are connected with your industry and would be willing to be interviewed for your white paper. Finally, try to get in touch with people through conferences. Conferences are a great way to get in touch with experts in your industry and learn from them. The search engine allows you to find conferences that are related to your industry.

Ask current interviewees if they know others you can interview

If you’ve reached out to people and pitched your idea for a white paper and are still struggling to find experts to interview for your white paper, there’s one thing you can do — ask your existing interviewees if they know people who would be a good fit for your white paper. This can be a great way to get in touch with potential experts who are also willing to be interviewed. There are two ways of doing this — you can ask your current interviewees upfront if they know anyone who would be a good fit for your white paper. Another option is to wait until you’re done interviewing and then reach out and ask your current interviewees if they know anyone else you should include in your white paper.

Try using a services platform like Expert Finder

If you’ve tried everything we’ve discussed so far and are still struggling to find experts to interview for your white paper, there’s one last way you can find them — by using a service platform like Expert Finder. There are several online marketplaces where you can search for experts who specialize in a wide range of topics and are willing to be interviewed for your white paper. There are a few things you should keep in mind before you go ahead and use a services platform to find experts for your white paper. First, make sure you understand how the platform works. Get in touch with previous customers who can tell you how the process works. One thing to keep in mind is that not all platforms are created equally. Some are better than others, so pay attention to using a quality platform that has a good reputation and is easy to use.

Use Google search and LinkedIn to find prospects yourself

There’s one final thing you can do — use Google search and LinkedIn to find prospects yourself. This is the last thing you should try if you’ve tried all the other ways of finding experts and are still struggling to find them. If you use Google search, you can search for topics related to your white paper and then see who has written articles on these topics. You can then reach out to these people and pitch your idea for a white paper. You can also use LinkedIn to find potential experts to interview for your white paper. LinkedIn is a great place to find experts because it allows you to discover people who are interested in your topic and are willing to be interviewed for your white paper. To find potential experts, you have to first create your public profile. Then, use LinkedIn’s search and outreach features to search for people and pitch your idea for a white paper.

Tip 4: Make in-depth research for the white paper

A successful white paper relies on research techniques such as interviews, focus groups, surveys, document analysis, and user testing.

Conduct interviews

Interviews are an excellent way to learn about your audience. With them, you can discuss your white paper topic in-depth and also get feedback on your product. To find people to interview, look for experts in your field and bloggers who have written about similar topics. You can also reach out to people who have commented on your content or are in your niche on social media. Make sure to ask them if they’d be willing to be interviewed. 

If they say yes, follow these tips to conduct a successful interview. 

• Develop a script — Make sure you’re prepared with a list of questions. You don’t want to be thrown off if the interview takes a different direction. 
• Interview in person — You’ll get better results if you interview in person rather than over the phone or with an online survey. 
• Have guidelines for the interview — Let your interviewee know how long the interview will be, what the goal is, and what you’re hoping to get out of it. 
• Write up a summary — After you’ve interviewed your guest, write up a summary of the interview. This is especially helpful if you’ve interviewed more than one person.

Run a survey

Another way to get feedback on your white paper topic is by conducting a survey. You can put your survey online or create a paper survey. You’ll want to make sure your survey is short and sweet. It should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. You might want to survey more than one group. If you’re surveying your current customers, you may want to survey both current customers and potential customers to get different perspectives.

Do document analysis

Document analysis can be a great method for researching your white paper topic if you’re looking for reading material that’s already published. This method involves analyzing documents like studies, reports, industry statistics, economic forecasts, and other data that have already been compiled by experts. You can find your reading material by searching online or checking with your local library. Document analysis is especially helpful if you’re researching a topic that’s hard to find information on.

Hold a focus group

A focus group is a great way to find out what your target audience is interested in and what they want to see in your white paper. You can either invite people to a face-to-face meeting or host an online meeting via platforms like Zoom. Once your group has been assembled, ask them questions about your white paper topic, your product, and what they’d like to see in it. You can also do some polling and ask members to rank items on a scale from 1-10 or 1-5.

User test your white paper topic

You can also test your white paper topic by creating a prototype and user-testing it. This method is a great way to find out if your topic is interesting and useful. To do it, create a prototype of your white paper and get feedback from users. You can have someone participate in a moderated usability test or have them fill out a survey after reading your white paper prototype. You can also have someone read your white paper online and provide written feedback about what they liked and didn’t like.

Wrapping up

Creating a white paper is a challenging process. However, it’s a worthwhile effort that can help you build your brand and generate leads. Before you get started, make sure you’re prepared with a good topic and plenty of research to back it up. Create a plan for your research and stick to it, and you’ll have plenty of information to work with when it comes time to write your white paper.

Tip 5: Existing templates for white papers

It is invaluable to base your ICO white paper on a template used in previous successful ICOs. Ethereum has been the biggest of the 10 most successful ICOs ever and therefore provides an excellent template.

The ICO white paper is well written, so it should be the first ICO white paper template you consider. Remember, though, that these are just examples. Your white paper should stand out, so make it unique.

Ethereum White Paper

Although this paper is still an exceptional example of a white paper, it has become a much-copied format, so investors will not be as impressed as they were the first time around.

Note how well this white paper is presented. It includes quick-access links to each of the appropriate sections, as well as all the details I have given above.

The introduction is engaging and includes the clever use of dramatic language to lure customers. It defines the project and lists potential consumer groups. While listing various applications, it tantalizingly states, “among many others that we have not yet thought of.”

Investors become hungry to invest in a platform after seeing the vision statement because they believe that the project managers understand their market well.

Despite a large amount of information in this white paper, it is written quite well. The inclusion of diagrams, lists, and code helps readers to understand Ethereum and why it is such a good solution.

The paper ends with links to additional information that helps to fill in any gaps that it did not have time to address.

ICONOMI White Paper

The Ethereum white paper contains all the information an investor needs to decide whether to invest in an ICO project. However, some companies may find the volume of information too much to handle without any guarantee of ICO success.

ICONOMI proved that it is possible to produce a white paper for an ICO with much less technical information included. Their 2016 ICO raised over $10.5 Million, becoming the 11th most successful ICO ever.

It covers all the points listed in this article and entices investors by using dramatic language and examples. Because this project is of a different sort, much of the technical information has been removed (because this paper aims to list objectives and targets that the project expects to achieve).

Before showing how a project meets market needs, the white paper establishes those needs. Throughout the paper, the project's unique advantages are reinforced so that investors are certain that this is the one that will succeed by the end.

Tip 6: Enrich the visuals of a white paper

Do you find that white papers are often overlooked and underutilized? Many businesses create them to help drive lead generation, but they’re not always as effective as they could be. White papers are one of the most common pieces of marketing content available today. However, they’ve also got some stiff competition. If your white paper isn’t cutting through the noise, it might be time to take a critical look at how you’ve crafted it so far. There are many ways to improve your white paper’s effectiveness by adding visual aids and other features that may not have occurred to you before.

Define Your Audience and Why They Need Your Product

At the outset of your white paper, before any of the meatier topics are discussed, you should identify the target audience of your white paper. It better tailors your message to this specific group of people, and you may craft a message that resonates with them. You can add a section where you outline who this audience is and what their pain points are. This will contextualize how your white paper can help them. If you don’t define who your white paper is for upfront, you risk losing your audience before you even get to the good stuff. The same goes for why your product or service exists. You need to clearly outline what problem it solves for your audience as well.

The show, Don’t Tell

This a common piece of advice given to budding writers, but one that also applies to white papers, shows, and doesn’t tell. This is especially important when you’re outlining the pain points of your target audience. You don’t have to write out a long paragraph explaining the pain points of your target audience. There are several other ways to show these pain points and make them more relatable. One way to show how your product solves a pain point is via data or examples. Provide statistics or examples of how your product has helped other customers in the past. Another way is to show how your product solves a problem practically, visually, or by using metaphors. Another great way to show, not tell, is to use infographics.

Add Rich Media

Rich media, like data, is another great way to show, not tell. Data is one of the most common types of rich media, but there are many others. You can add images, videos, graphs, and other types of visuals to your white paper. When you add rich media to your white paper, you’re giving your readers a more immersive experience. This helps them to better visualize the points you’re trying to make and remember your white paper more effectively. You can also add links to additional content or resources in your white paper, which will help to further your objectives for the paper and engage your readers.

Use Infographics

Another great way to add rich media to your white paper is by using infographics. An infographic is a visual representation of data or information that is often presented in a chart or graph format. You can use an infographic to break down complex data points or explain how your product works. Infographics are a common tool used in marketing because they’re highly effective. They’re a great way to add visuals to your white paper because they are often more memorable than other types of rich media like graphs or charts.

And More!

Lastly, you can use storytelling, interactive content, quizzes, polls, or other interactive elements to add more to your white paper. You can use these elements to help keep your readers engaged and help them better remember your white paper. Storytelling, interactive content, and polls are great ways to show how your product or service helps customers. With marketing content like white papers, you want to do everything in your power to make them as effective as possible. Using visuals and other elements in your white paper can help you to achieve this goal. White papers are an excellent way to drive lead generation. However, they’re not always as effective as they could be. These tips will help you improve your white paper and maximize its effectiveness so that you can reach more people and grow your business.

Tip 7: Effective distribution of a white paper

In the age of social media, one negative tweet or Facebook post can destroy your company’s reputation almost instantly. This is why it’s so important to think outside the box when it comes to lead generation strategies. How you market your business, brand, and products will have a direct impact on how successful you are as a company.

Why Lead With a White Paper?

As we’ve already discussed, white papers are a great way to position yourself as an industry leader. Additionally, they have some other benefits:

• Informative: White papers offer readers a comprehensive overview of the challenges they face and how your product or service can help solve them.
• Long-form: White papers are long-form content and can run for thousands of words in length. This means readers can learn everything they need to know about your product/service in one place. 
• Written by industry experts: When you write a white paper, you’re not just sharing your product/service, you’re also sharing your expertise and knowledge. This can help readers learn from your mistakes and avoid making costly errors themselves.
• High-value: Readers are attracted to white papers because they’re high-value pieces of content. When compared to other lead generation strategies, white papers provide a ton of value for very little effort.

3 Easy Ways to Distribute Your White Paper

There are many ways to distribute your white paper. Some are more effective than others, though. Here are a few ways you can effectively distribute your white paper and increase your lead generation. 

• Give a free copy away. One of the best ways to distribute your white paper is by giving it away for free. Why not do this by hosting a webinar, publishing a PDF on your website, or distributing it via email? When distributing your white paper for free, make sure it’s accessible to as many people as possible. 
• Include it in your email marketing campaigns. Another excellent way to distribute your white paper is by including it in your email marketing campaigns. This will ensure your white paper reaches the inboxes of potentially thousands of people. 
• Host a webinar and make it the focus. If you want to distribute your white paper and generate leads at the same time, consider hosting a webinar. Use the webinar as a vehicle for distributing your white paper and invite interested parties to download it during the call.

Conclusion: what is the main goal of a white paper?

A white paper is an important tool for any blockchain project. It can help you engage your audience, establish your brand as an expert in the industry, and create a clear outline of your business model and strategy. It’s essential to create a solid foundation for your project before writing a white paper. With the help of this article, you can understand how to write a white paper for your blockchain project. Now, it’s time to write an engaging and informative white paper for your project.