An ICO white paper aims to attract investors and buyers. And the White Paper should provide all of the information these target audiences need to make decisions.
However, many crypto founders are not skilled in producing White Papers. If they attempt to produce their own, they often end up with an unconvincing document that will not attract investors or buyers.
Every cryptocurrency that has successfully attracted investors has done so on a global level – attracting those investors and buyers from a myriad of countries. What this means is that there is an additional challenge for crafters of ICO White Papers.
The challenge is this: Investors want to review White Papers in their own native languages. If they have to struggle through a document in a foreign language, and perhaps use translators to do so, they will most likely abandon the review and move on to other investment opportunities.
Smart founders will have their White Papers translated into as many languages as possible, once they identify their target audiences.
Project’s founders have two major tasks before them. They must first craft a compelling White Paper in their own native language and then see to it that they have the professional translation expertise to be compelling in those target languages they have selected.
Begin with the Native Language White Paper
Keeping in mind what the White Paper must include and the fact that it must be translated, here are some critical considerations, as that document is crafted:
- Both the Language and the Structure Must be Simple
A White Paper will have structured sections – sections that relate to the commercial, financial and technology of the offering. Readers must be able to easily understand all of these details.
Keeping the language as simple as possible will allow for much easier translations, once they occur.
Within each section, information and data should be provided in small sub-sections, for easier absorption. Long paragraphs with sophisticated vocabulary just don’t work. People can easily become overwhelmed with lengthy verbiage that can confuse and discourage.
One recommendation that is often made is that White Papers be crafted by founders and then sent out to a professional writing service that has experience in these documents, for purposes of editing and proofreading.
- Show Don’t Tell
A key component in White Papers is a visual representation of the information and data that founders are trying to portray to their readers. Charts and graphs that show statistics and performance goals will allow readers to “see” rather than “read.” And charts and graphs are easily translated.
- Begin with the Non-Technical Information
Most investors and buyers are not technology experts. If you begin with the technology behind your ICO, then you will lose them immediately. They want to read about your goals, the prospects for success, and your plan of action to get your crypto “off the ground and running.”
This is where you engage your readers and motivate them to continue reading. If you opening information is not compelling, readers will exit and move on.
If you are not a creative writer who can capture and intrigue (and most founders are not), then find those creative writers elsewhere. It will be worth the rather reasonable cost to do so. You can find creative freelance writers at places like Freelancer, or even at a professional writing service like Get Good Grade.
- The Audience Wants Projections
ICO White Papers are really all about finance. Your audience wants to understand what your projections are and exactly how you have arrived at those projections. How can you justify your forecasts? Are you connected to one or more fiat currencies? And, if so, how stable are those currencies? Is there a market cap? These must be clear, and, when they are translated, clarity will also be critical.
- About the Technology
You must hit upon the technology behind your ICO. But do this as simple as possible. Keep the explanation and language simple and elementary. Most investors and buyers see technology as a secondary matter anyway. And, when this section must be translated, the less sophisticated the better.
- Team members
A critical section of any ICO white paper is information related to who the founders are, what backgrounds and experiences they have that make them good risks, and what specific talents each bring to the project.
This is especially important when dealing with foreign audiences who have no idea who you are. So, when this personal information is translated into multilingual White Papers, it must be done very well. Each language into which a white paper is translated will come with its own cultural biases and unique terminology, idiomatic expressions, and language styles. These must be honored.
Get the Visibility You Need through a Multilingual White Paper
As mentioned before, no cryptocurrency has achieved success without an international audience for investment and purchasing. You can begin with an amazing White Paper in your native language. Once you have that, however, you must look to translating that document into multiple languages for a much wider reach. When targets can read and review your White Paper in their own languages, they have a higher comfort level, are willing to “stay” with the reading, and are more prone to sharing your document with their peers.
