Why Reveal Your Secrets in White Papers?
October 30th, 2007, by Michael StelznerShould I keep my secrets to myself and my paying clients? Or should I use them as a marketing weapon?
These are very important questions that emerged while I was speaking at MarketingSherpa’s B2B Demand Summit yesterday.
Here’s the back-story.
MarketingSherpa was kind enough to ask me to host a lunch table on white papers (surprise!).
One of the folks at the table mentioned the dilemma he faces. His white papers are all very “high level” thought leadership pieces and really contain no juicy information that readers are really interested in.
He explained, his team’s concern was that the competition would read what is in the white paper. Turns out his company is the 800 pound gorilla in its world.
What I said to him is very important.
I explained that all of his companies “confidential” PowerPoint presentations are already sitting on a desk at the competitor.
I repeated the above statement in front of a few hundred people a few hours later. They all laughed.
The fact is that your competition knows more than you realize.
So what’s stopping you from using the great knowledge you have locked inside the company and getting that out to prospects in white papers.
I relayed that my editor thought I was nuts when I wrote a paper called How to Write a White Paper: A White Paper on White Papers because I gave away some of my best trade secrets.
This much is true: Had I not written that paper, I would not have Microsoft, FedEx, Monster and many other companies as clients.
My question to you: Why are you holding back your secrets?
(2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)
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October 31st, 2007 at 7:34 am
You are dead on. You become more powerful by sharing information not hording it. The law of the universe gives back to those who deliver value first. Great Stuff.
Jimmy Vee
October 31st, 2007 at 10:46 am
Thanks Jimmy!
October 31st, 2007 at 11:59 am
I’ve faced the same dilemma regarding how much of white paper writer’s trade secrets to give away. I decided to err on the side of openness rather than secrecy. Here’s why: almost everyone who can type thinks they can write. That creates a lot of potential competition for white paper business, and companies sometimes think they can develop them cheaper or better in house. By giving a glimpse of the process and the work that a professional writer puts into a paper, it increases my chances of getting the work, because clients don’t want to do that much themselves.
October 31st, 2007 at 12:22 pm
John - That is right and this goes way beyond us writers. Businesses need to do the same thing as well. - Mike