“White paper” is a term business-minded individuals will come across at some point in their careers. Whether it's serious or meme-driven, the white paper has become a staple in the crypto industry. Even retail investors have grown accustomed to reviewing white papers before investing in a crypto project.
But what is a white paper? What is an example of a white paper? This article will show you the answer.
What is a white paper?
White papers have been around for circa 100 years. Today, the white paper is a marketing tool that's used to persuade and influence decision-makers. So why is it called a white paper? It's a British government designation. The color "white" indicates that the document is available for public access.
These papers are neither flashy presentations nor are they too salesy. Instead, the white paper is presented as a "serious" document akin to a scientific paper. So what is the purpose of a white paper? The original purpose of the paper was to educate.
Because white papers are usually published on websites, they're considered a form of inbound marketing. In business-to-business (B2B) marketing, white papers are used for various purposes. Businesses use white papers to achieve several goals, such as promoting thought leadership and growing an email list. White papers are also used to establish brand legitimacy and convert prospective customers. These documents are still produced by government authorities. Still, the white paper enjoys a wide range of use cases throughout the public and private domains.
Before writing the white paper
Many people look for a white paper template, but templates aren't necessary. Templates, in general, act more as guidelines. As long as a writer understands the structure of a white paper and how all the sections work together, the paper should sell the target audience on the project in question. The paper doesn't have to be lengthy, but it shouldn't be written like a blog post. Blog posts tend to be shorter. Yet, even the lengthier ones may have objectives that differ from those of a white paper.
These actions don't cost the audience any money, so the aim of writing, and thus the type of writing, differs significantly. Before writing a word, or even before performing the research, the writer must identify the target audience. This way, the writer can quickly determine the language they should use in the paper, as well as the psyche of their audience. This approach should also aid in the research direction. On the other hand, research is the cornerstone of a great white paper. The research includes diving into the project team, the technical aspects of the product or service to be offered and why it’s the best solution to an old problem.
What should a white paper include?
The white paper should start with a problem or challenge that the reader is experiencing. Doing so is the easiest way to grab the target audience's attention and hit their pain points.
Once they're reading further, the aim is to present statistics, diagrams and facts to drive home the main points of the paper. Finally, the paper presents the solution, which is the service or product offered by the project team. If the author has produced a work of quality, then the solution will tie in nicely with the problem.
Once the solution has been presented convincingly, the next step is to showcase the team. This section should persuade the reader—without resorting to salesy language—that the team is capable of delivering on the project's promises (i.e., the solution).
The team section may include real photos, short biographies, and LinkedIn and Twitter profiles links. Sometimes, the team includes NFTs as their profile photos, although this might not be the best approach to gaining trust.
White paper formatting and design
Once the white paper is complete, formatting should be a top priority.
Because the mainstream adoption of crypto is taking place, it's also important to consider beginners in the audience. People new to crypto will not know many terms that are ubiquitous in the crypto lexicon. It’s always best not to assume that your target audience comprehends crypto terms and concepts when writing for them.
Another formatting consideration is white space. Some white papers are hard to read because the lack of white space overwhelms the reader.
Writers should confirm that there is enough padding on all sides. It's important to pay special attention to the spacing between paragraphs and other elements. Other elements may include graphs, illustrations and other visual assets that help to drive the main points home.
By giving the reader enough white space, the paper is helping them "to breathe" as they pause and take a break before moving on to the next section. It may seem counterintuitive, but these breaks allow readers to digest the information and continue reading until the end.
What is a white paper and what is an example of a white paper? Hope this article can provide you with some new ideas.
