White papers: Knowing when fewer is better
One of our clients was in a collateral quandary recently. One to which, we’re proud to say we called attention. In the crush to create killer content about their technology, they had assigned us to generate a relatively generous number of technology white papers. As we drew closer to preparation, we grew concerned about quality vs. quantity.
Now we are the first to cite the utility (read: value) of white papers, despite some claims that fewer of them are being downloaded these days. In the I.T. world, the workhorse white paper remains a standby of marketing. Customers expect them and read them (the good ones). And, admittedly, we welcome the opportunity to show off our chops. In this instance, however, there simply was not enough there to justify and support the volume documents originally called for. Upon closer scrutiny at our invitation, the functional VP agreed that as impressive and elegant as his products are, a smaller number of more comprehensive documents would suffice.
How does your team decide when and if a white paper is justified? Are you publishing more of them today or fewer? Is the volume of downloads greater, smaller or about the same as a year or two ago? How does this compare to competitors? What’s the process you use to determine white-paper ROI?