White Paper Pundit

When you think about it, there’s a lot of pressure on a writer to come up with the perfect white paper title. Within a limited space that can only accomodate a few, carefully chosen words, the writer must effectively engage the reader, explain what is in the white paper, and deliver a competitive advantage for the client that can be passed along to their prospective reader/customer.

As with most things in life, there are two sides of the story. White paper titles unfortunately are no different.

At one of the spectrum, we see titles that are about as exciting as wall paper paste. You’ve seen them all too often: “Supply Chain Best Practices”, “The (XYZ Product) White Paper”, or “(X) Reasons Why (X Solution) Provides a Superior Marketplace Advantage”, blah, blah, blah.

At the other end, we see other white paper titles like the example below that reads like the first paragraph of the Introduction. This white paper from Fujitsu Corporation on cloud computing is anathema to the concept of the short, engaging title.

As you can see, this title is called: “Today’s Cloud services can be as secure, resilient and flexible as you need them to be. Just beware of hidden catches”. This ‘title’ is followed by a five line paragraph that further educates the reader about cloud services and what they will find in the white paper.

What part of this was the title and which was the first paragraph? Can a white paper marketer have this much text on the front cover? Can you have a title and an Introduction at the same time in this space?

So this example begs the question, “is there a limit to the size of a white paper title”? My answer is “YES”.

In my opinion, a white paper title should fit on one line. That will limit you to about 5 or 6 choice words. But you can also have a subtitle that has the same limitations. By combining the title and the subtitle, you should have about 10 to 14 words to explain the content, the solution advantage, and craft it in an engaging fashion. With a distinct title and subtitle, a writer should be able to avoid the pseudo-paragraph/title shown above.

If I was going to re-do this white paper title, I’d suggest a replacement such as:

The Hidden Catches Behind Enterprise Cloud Computing
How to create a secure, resilient, and flexible online environment

So go ahead a create a great first paragraph for your Introduction or Executive Summary page. But if you’re going to put it on your front cover, remember the short attention nature of your reader. Practice the KISS method which means, Keep it Simple and Straightforward, if you want that white paper title to generate the best results.

What’s your opinion? Is there a limit to a white paper title? How would you re-title this white paper?

Featured FREE White Paper of the Week:

Title: Cutting the Clutter: Tackling Information Overload at the Source

Sponsor: IDC/Xerox Corporation

Publication Date: March 2009

White Paper Pundit Comment: A good Executive Summary example that starts off with a bullet list and a healthy dose of charts on almost every page makes the research data and key messages easy to understand.

Download Link URL: http://twurl.nl/4yzyl6

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Welcome to the FREE White Paper List!

This list is a summary of the free white papers that have been posted during the past week on Twitter. Each white paper is completely FREE and does not require email registration or personal information. This is a great way to review white paper examples and learn new techniques from hundreds of white paper marketers. Simply click on the shortened URL link next to the file name and download the white paper.

1. Insource, Outsource or Co-source: Which Model is Right for You? http://bit.ly/a5g3c6

2. Why Traditional CRM is Not Enough: The Changing Dynamics of Inside Sales http://bit.ly/9Okoum

3. Understanding and Selecting SIEM/Log Management http://bit.ly/bzXOVJ

4. Why Killer Products Don’t Sell (on Edocr) http://retwt.me/1OtuQ

5. 8 reasons to outsource document management (SlideShare) http://om.ly/rbOG

6. Why you should abandon your RedDot CMS Now http://bit.ly/9FY9Uq

7. Getting started with Google (PPC) http://bit.ly/aA1joe

8. Simply Accounting: How to tell when it’s time for a change. http://ow.ly/2m8UF

9. From Hype to Holy Grail: Location is the New Frontier in Digital Marketing http://bit.ly/cXBLzV

10. Social Media, Risk, and Policies for Associations http://bit.ly/893ci4

11. Amazon Web Services: Overview of Security Processes Aug 2010 http://bit.ly/9v5mlT

12. SAP White Paper: Global Trends in Sustainability Performance Management http://bit.ly/cERK3q

13. IDC White Paper: Optimizing Server Management http://bit.ly/9PibY8

14. IDC White Paper – HP BladeSystem Matrix: Delivering the Converged Infrastructure http://bit.ly/99AvIp

15. IDC White Paper – “Improving Power & Cooling Efficiency in the Data Center” http://bit.ly/c09fNW

16. Travel Agents on the Rebound: The Resurgence of Travel Intermediaries http://bit.ly/aldTcc

17. IDC White Paper: Cutting the Clutter: Tackling Information Overload at the Source http://twurl.nl/4yzyl6

18. Best Practices for Choosing the Right Thin Clients for your iSeries Environment http://bit.ly/a3He9F

19. Focusing Your E-Recruitment Efforts to Meet the Expectations of College-Bound Students http://bit.ly/bu1FUw

20. Social Engineering: Exploiting the Weakest Links http://scr.bi/bBvLyA

21. Optimizing Cloud Computing to Support Application Delivery http://bit.ly/clOtt7

22. THE VALUE OF A FACEBOOK FAN: AN EMPIRICAL REVIEW http://tlk.tc/IbN

23. The Unconventional Dividend Based Investment Approach 2010 http://bit.ly/akrCpM

24. Fast Forward: Mktg thru Leadership Change http://bit.ly/aHK0UW

25. A Blueprint for Clinical/Commercial Convergence http://bit.ly/bG6LRV

26. Payment Strategies for eCommerce Growth http://bit.ly/b3vS1W

You can learn a lot about white papers by monitoring the key words “white paper” or “whitepaper” on Twitter. This week I ran across a white paper technique that isn’t used very often but provides a unique way to differentiate your white paper marketing strategy. It’s called the ‘two-part’ white paper.

Essentially, a two (or more) part white paper is typically used for one of two reasons:

1. There is too much content to comfortably fit into one 10 page white paper or risk overwhelming the reader with too much information.

2. There is a need to reference a second, highly related topic to the first white paper that adds valuable insight and enhances the sponsor’s overall marketing advantage message.

This week I came across a white paper that fulfills #2 and provides an interesting example for white paper marketers.

This example is called, “The Big Box Dilemma, Part 1: Second Generation Big Box Retail”. What’s interesting is that Colliers International, the sponsor of this paper, is bold enough to use the label “Part 1″ in the title alerting the reader right up front that there are more ‘parts’ to come.

This first white paper addresses the issue of large retail locations (those with over 20K square feet) and the impact of maintaining these humongous and costly structures in light of today’s soft economy. The paper is chock full of interesting statistics, tables, pictures, and industry data.

The transition to the second white paper isn’t referenced until the last page of this paper where the reader is presented with a single, formatted line:

“In Part 2 of this report, we’ll examine some creative ways that landlords have adapted their retail big box space for reuse.”

So in this case, the second white paper is comprised of a series of case studies which will be interwoven with other relevant retail industry data. So the question that one must ask, is does the two-part white paper make good marketing sense?

My short answer is: YES!

One of the goals of online marketing is “retaining eyeballs”, or put another way, providing an incentive to get a new visitor to come back and revisit that website again in the future. If executed correctly (which for many is a big “if” assuming the first white paper provides both valuable content and an engaging presentation), the two-part white paper provides an excellent way to retain new readers and turn them into frequent visitors. Hopefully if done well, this can also spill over to increasing the number of social media followers on the marketer’s Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn marketing page.

It should also be noted that getting a reader to download the second part of a two-part white paper is contingent on the first one engaging the reader. This white paper provides an example of good visual and engaging content on many levels, namely industry relevance, design, visual enhancements, and timeliness.

If on the other hand, this first white paper was your garden variety boring, all-text, left-flush, Times-Roman white paper, it would be doubtful that a sufficient positive impression would be created to incent that reader to come back and download the second white paper.

Finally, kudos should go out to both Collier International and Retail Traffic Magazine’s website for distributing the white paper without requiring registration information. If they had required the capture of personal information, most readers would not come back a second time, thereby significantly reducing the number of visitors and exposure to that second white paper.

What do you think of the ‘two-part’ white paper? Have you created on for your marketing programs? How many additional ‘parts’ would be acceptable before it was considered too much?

Featured FREE White Paper of the Week:

Title: Cyberbullying: Damage in a Digital Age

Sponsor: Common Sense Media

Publication Date: July 2010

Sponsor’s Description: While cyber bullying might start from home, it can quickly move to the school environment—and yet many schools may not be prepared to address it. This timely white paper from Common Sense Media is designed to help parents, educators, policy makers, and the online industry explore proactive steps to prevent cyber bullying, such as through digital literacy and citizenship education programs.

White Paper Pundit Comment: This white paper uses digital photography, colorful design, concept graphics, and headline screenshots to effectively educate readers to current events and statistics related to cyberbullying. Understanding that the reading audience for this white paper will be a consumer (as opposed to business) audience, this overall design and format is a good example of a B2C white paper.

Download Link URL: http://bit.ly/dunwnf

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Welcome to the FREE White Paper List!

This list is a summary of the free white papers that have been posted during the past week on Twitter. Each white paper is completely FREE and does not require email registration or personal information. This is a great way to review white paper examples and learn new techniques from hundreds of white paper marketers. Simply click on the shortened URL link next to the file name and download the white paper.

1. Compliance Guidelines for Financial Institutions in Healthcare http://bit.ly/bcXhUi

2. Dealing with the Enterprise Data Threat http://bit.ly/2p5PFO

3. The Big Box Dilemma PART 1: SECOND GENERATION BIG BOX RETAIL http://bit.ly/ago4Vy

4. How Everything DiSC® 363™ Fits into Contemporary Leadership Theory http://bit.ly/cTho7T

5. Transforming Collaboration Through Strategy & Architecture http://bit.ly/9CXCLJ

6. Mobile Applications & Social Media Marketing http://bit.ly/b7fPAh

7. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs http://ow.ly/2rjvZ

8. Cyberbullying: Damage in a Digital Age http://bit.ly/dunwnf

9. Dog Days and Degree Days http://bit.ly/d1H0mO

10. Lessons on Security Technology in Educational Institutions http://bit.ly/9kZ8hK

11. The Case for Thermoelectrics in the Data Center http://bit.ly/9Bzolh

12. Verizon WHITE PAPER: Transitioning the Public Internet to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) http://ow.ly/18C1rG

13. An Introduction to Service-Oriented Integration http://bit.ly/czv3YW

14. Apple White Paper: Apple ProRes video codec. http://ht.ly/2pr9U

15. Training and Team Communication in the Workplace Diaspora http://bit.ly/dlDXHJ

16. Google White Paper: The Brand Value of Rich Media and Video Ads http://bit.ly/10km3P

17. Painless SEC Reporting: Time to Modernize the Process http://bit.ly/buTK0j

18. MS White Paper: Work Without Walls: Best business practices to enable remote working http://bit.ly/c46o18

19. Sybase White Paper: Replication Server 15.5 Release Performance and Tuning Tips http://bit.ly/aButd6

20. Today’s Cloud services can be as secure, resilient and flexible as you need them to be. http://ow.ly/2q1tk

21. 3 Reasons Virtual Teams Fail- and How To See it Coming http://bit.ly/8ByaZ5

22. Travel Public Relations Sails Into Digital Waters: http://bit.ly/cNxqIc

23. Growing for Tomorrow: Using SharePoint to solve four key insurance business problems http://bit.ly/ayTU6j

24. IBM White Paper: Customizing HTML-Dojo Forms for Human Tasks in Business Space http://bit.ly/cU1IlM

25. UK White Paper: Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting police and the people http://bit.ly/d78t18

26. Responsive Process Management: Achieving Operational Responsiveness http://bit.ly/bkWv6H

27. MS White Paper: Key Challenges Facing Food & Beverage Manufacturers http://bit.ly/cpFz8f

28. Guaranteeing Silicon Performance with FPGA Timing Models http://ow.ly/2s8OX

29. EMRs and the “Last Mile” of Clinical Communications http://bit.ly/9urnId

30. PIM Facilitates Supply Chain Sustainability http://bit.ly/aDALNV

I got a chuckle this past week from a blog post by ‘Rod Writes a Blog’ called, “Your White Paper Sucks”. In Rod’s words:

The popularity of white papers as marketing tools is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because it means more work for guys like me. And it’s a curse because more companies use white papers the wrong way. I have increasingly noticed that lots of businesses, vendors, etc. are creating sales sheets and slapping the words White Paper at the top. Most are only about two pages.

Look, if it looks like a sales sheet and it smells like a sales sheet, calling it a white paper makes you look, well, foolish. It’s embarrassing too. Plus, it gives white papers a bad name.

Don’t be the white paper who cried wolf. Ask for help. White papers are worth the investment because they work. But only if they’re actually white papers.

I wholeheartedly agree with Rod. In fact after a year and a half posting my weekly FREE White Paper List , I have had the opportunity to review LOTS of white papers. Sadly, most still look like they were created using Microsoft Word with default formatting. In other words, they look like your garden-variety, Times Roman left flush all-text document that could have been written using the free Notepad app in your accessories folder.

So why do most white papers suck? From my perspective, the answer to this question has a lot to do with the marketer’s personality and how that impacts their white paper decision planning and implementation. So with that as a starter, here’s my short list of the reasons why many white papers do indeed, suck:

1. You’re cheap. Price is everything to you and the word ‘value’ equates to the lowest possible price. You view white papers as just another business commodity, and you assume that every white paper writer and their experiences are all about the same. When it’s time to choose a white paper writer, price is the sole determinant. Then when you post the resulting four page, Times Roman all-text paper on your website, you can’t understand why it’s not generating the vast number of leads you had originally expected it would. As a result, you curse the writer and work on finding another low cost writer for your next all-text project.

2. You’re ‘old school’. You’re still operating on a 40 year of model of white papers. They were all-text back when you first started at your company, and by golly, you truly believe that it’s good enough for today’s business audience! Since you don’t like changing things all that much, you accept the fact that all-text white papers were they way you’ve always done them, and that you shouldn’t change horses in mid-stream now.

3. You’re a geek. You’re a technologist that likes to read large tomes of tech-heavy information. When it’s time for a white paper to market your product or strategy, you believe that everyone will enjoy reading a 25 page tech-heavy white paper as much you do. As you write your white paper you allow your creative mind to take you wherever it may go and you end up with a 35 page white paper instead. The more the merrier, right?

4. You’re unimaginative. White papers have always been and are still are a text-based document in your mind. The concept of using graphics and design for a white paper just doesn’t compute. You believe that the only form of graphics that fit white papers are network diagrams or a flow chart pasted from one of your PowerPoint presentations, but that’s about it. You see far too many white papers with page layout design, and view them as examples of sugary, marketing brochures. You are firm on the idea that real white papers are and will always be all-text as far as you’re concerned.

5. You’re fiercely independent. You believe that you can write a white paper just as well as any marketing writer who’s probably going to charge you an arm and a leg to do the same. As a result, you end up writing it yourself. You don’t have the skills to use Adobe InDesign or Quark XPress, so you produce the white paper in Microsoft Word. After all, from your prospective customers won’t see the difference so why spend the additional time and money?

6. You truly believe that your prospects will read every page. You believe that white paper readers are truly invested in what you have to say and will devote plenty of time to read your entire all-text white paper from beginning to end. You believe that you don’t need to add visual elements such as pull quotes or shaded text boxes since they will only get in the way of your message. You end up with a short two page white paper since you want to ‘cut to the chase’ and quickly tell them your solution story.

Now back to reality.

Let’s face facts. The reason that your white paper sucks is that you don’t want to spend the time or money to hire a professional with a measurable track record that has the experience to craft an well designed, easy to read, lead-generating white paper.

Sure, hiring such a writer will cost you more than if you did it yourself. But did you think about the impression you’re making with your prospective customer by distributing that homemade, all-text, hard-to-read white paper? How much business do you think you’re losing as a result? Was that a part of your decision making process?

When you finally decide that white papers are on par with every other customer-facing information resource, such as your website or your Facebook page, then you will find that both your white paper and the corresponding number of leads it generates won’t suck anymore.

Featured FREE White Paper of the Week:

Title: Visual System Simulator: End-To-End System Design: Advantages of an Integrated Tool

Sponsor: AWR Corporation

Publication Date: July 2010

White Paper Pundit Comment: I’m struggling this week to find a free white paper that truly stands out. While this white paper is missing a front cover, an essential element needed for thumbnail marketing, it has a few elements worth noting.  The sidebar bio is a good way to build credibility for the white paper author up front. The consistent graphics along the right hand side make visual references easy to follow.

Download Link URL: http://bit.ly/9Lwdyq

_________________________________________________________

Welcome to the FREE White Paper List!

This list is a summary of the free white papers that have been posted during the past week on Twitter. Each white paper is completely FREE and does not require email registration or personal information. This is a great way to review white paper examples and learn new techniques from hundreds of white paper marketers. Simply click on the shortened URL link next to the file name and download the white paper.

1. Measuring the ROI of JCI Accreditation http://dld.bz/pqxS

2. End-To-End System Design: Advantages of an Integrated Tool http://bit.ly/9Lwdyq

3. Windows Azure Security Overview http://bit.ly/ceX620

4. VMware Host Profiles – Technical Overview http://bit.ly/djGGgC

5. How The Best Companies Differ From The Rest http://bit.ly/aKnj0u

6. Tips For Drafting And Prosecuting Patent Applications http://tinyurl.com/3aaxnue

7. A Programmable Revolution: A Compelling Alternative to Low Cost FPGAs http://bit.ly/bfDdtz

8. Meaningful and Cost Effective Climate Policy: The Case for Cap and Trade http://bit.ly/9BXsZ7

9. Implementing Resource Intensive Detection Techniques w Razorback Framework http://scr.bi/bmdG8i

10. Heat Sink Thermal: Resistance Changes with Length and Width http://bit.ly/cjQzSh

11. 8 Critical Steps for High-Availability Customer Contact Centers http://bit.ly/b0VndG

12. Engineering the 21stCentury Utility:A Changing Industry http://bit.ly/chmMnM

13. LED and Binning: What is Binning with respect to LEDs? http://bit.ly/ccBNiH

14. Information Communication Technologies for Development: Health  http://scr.bi/9skSnH

15. Ending Family Homelessness http://bit.ly/9N1iJs

16. Importance of Strong Integration between VMS and ERP for Human Cap. Mgmt. http://bit.ly/coXM2f

17. Integrating Bluetooth Capability into Your Design http://bit.ly/9OyjKO

Question: Why are captions important elements in a white paper graphic?

Answer: Your reader is a skimmer. Skimmers will quickly glance at each page of your white paper scanning for key messages and points of interest. If they find interesting items, (especially illustrations and graphics) they will be drawn into the content of your paper and read it in a more detailed page-by-page fashion. By including graphics with catchy titles and captions, you increase the probability of capturing their attention while they are in the initial skimming phase, and thereby increase the chances they will read your white paper.

Question: What’s the difference between a title and a caption?

Answer: A title appears at the top of the graphic, and a caption at the bottom. You should include both when you insert a concept or business graphic in your white paper. A title provides a generic description of the graphic and reinforces the descriptive text that surrounds it. A caption provides a one line description of the key “walk-away” message you want your reader to understand from that graphic image.

For example, the title of the graphic above reads, “Figure 1: The Retail Data Transfer Dilemma“, and the corresponding caption reads: “Without an effective task management system, problems are detected at a late stage, which can lead to lost business opportunities“. In this example the title provides a high-level overview to the retail situation illustrated in the graphic, while the caption provides an additional level of detail as to the root causes and the results incurred by the business dilemma.

Question: How long should I make the title and the caption?

Answer: You should choose your words carefully with both the title and caption. Try to make them fit on one line across the width of the graphic, without going beyond that line. Too many words turns the caption into a paragraph, diverting their attention away from the graphic image. The goal is to have short succinct descriptions that won’t deflect reader’s attention away from the graphic or illustration. You want to engage your reader and create an incentive for them to read the detailed content surrounding that graphic.

By putting an extra effort into the planning of your graphic titles and captions, you can boost reader attention and ensure that they will receive and understand the key “walk-away” messages that are contained within your white paper. So use both in each graphic image in your white paper to ensure maximum message retention.

Featured FREE White Paper of the Week:

Title: Education and Development in South Africa

Sponsor: Amandla Development

Publication Date: July 2010

White Paper Pundit Comment: This all-text white paper uses fonts, font sizes, color and formatting to retain reader interest and draw them into key messages. For example, all bulleted messages are formatted in an orange-yellow color, which when presented on the page, makes you stop, take notice, and read each one. This paper presents several interesting ideas of which white paper marketers should take note.

Download Link URL: http://bit.ly/cs3DEl

_________________________________________________________

Welcome to the FREE White Paper List!

This list is a summary of the free white papers that have been posted during the past week on Twitter. Each white paper is completely FREE and does not require email registration or personal information. This is a great way to review white paper examples and learn new techniques from hundreds of white paper marketers. Simply click on the shortened URL link next to the file name and download the white paper.

1. How Microsoft IT Deployed Exchange Server 2010 http://bit.ly/cIjWAt

2. Things You Always Wanted to Know about Windows Profile Management http://bit.ly/8YiK4U

3. RDX Plugs a Hole in the Cloud http://bit.ly/b1gWnE

4. Ad-Funded Digital Signage: Is There A Future In It? http://bit.ly/bNGS6L

5. Measuring the ROI of JCI Accreditation http://dld.bz/pqxS

6. 7 Myths of Configurators http://tinyurl.com/7MythsConfigurators

7. Education and Development in South Africa http://bit.ly/cs3DEl

8. The Health Effects Associated with Wind Turbines and Low Frequency Sound http://bit.ly/crtb6V

9. Juniper White Paper: Network Fabrics For The Modern Data Center: http://bit.ly/9xRLpA

10. The Importance of Corporate Identity http://ow.ly/2k3RM

11. SAP White Paper: How Cutting Your SAP Training Could Make Bad Times Worse http://bit.ly/cyfQAH

12. Welcoming Peace: Letting Go of Fear http://bit.ly/aV5BCM

13. MS White Paper: A Holistic Approach to Energy Efficiency in Datacenters: http://bit.ly/clfdIr

14. SAS White Paper: Understanding social media: Science or Fad? http://bit.ly/bPAvGU

15. Yankee White Paper: Social Media Means Serious Business: 70% of consumers want it, 30% businesses are ready http://ow.ly/2hUmM

16. Why Social Networking is Relevant http://bit.ly/9Afjgq

17. Design for Patient Dignity http://bit.ly/csvbnk

18. High Impact Loyalty Programs for Franchise Operations http://bit.ly/bkA83l

19. Security for Government http://ow.ly/2jOda

20. HP Business Service Management http://bit.ly/amw06y

21. Motivating Accountability for Project Performance with Health Checks http://tinyurl.com/2vmfrsd

One of the downsides of business marketing that I have railed against for the past several years is the dramatically declining size of many white papers.

I know that this phenomenon is the result of tightening marketing budgets in light of the current economic recession. The thinking on the part of many businesses is that a 2 to 4 page white paper will be just as effective as a 6 to 8 page one, so why spend the additional money? After all, since most people don’t read documents anymore and have a short attention span, these shorter white papers will be just as effective as a larger one, right?

Actually, this type of cost-cutting approach to white paper marketing works against the very goals of the business. When a white paper is reduced to just two to four pages, there is scant little room for the very thing that attracts most customers to the medium, namely a thorough education and presentation of all facts related to the topic. Without a sufficient number of pages devoted to issues such as industry background dynamics and common business challenges, the limited presentation connotes a heavy-handed sales pitch focused exclusively on trying to sell something. At that point, a marketer’s hopes of moving a prospective customer closer to closure becomes more difficult.

The other day I ran across a “white paper report” (I use the term loosely in this case) that dramatized my point like the blaring of a car horn. This document is called, “The 10 Common Mistakes When Buying Gold: Don’t be a Victim”. It presents a fancy front cover to the reader, then when you open it…BAM….a one page document with nothing more than a laundry list of 10 items related to the topic of gold purchasing mistakes!

That’s it! No introduction, no background information, no solution strategy…nothing else! To call such a document a white paper or even a report is a real mockery of the medium. It also shows that the marketer feels the reader won’t mind receiving a simple one page list masquerading as a white paper report and that there will not be a repercussion for their business. Such a slight of hand will probably do more harm to this marketer’s image that if they hadn’t produced one in the first place. After all, do they really think anyone will be impressed by this document? My goodness, there isn’t even any contact information on the back cover!

At least a 2-4 page white paper made some attempt at providing worthwhile content. This is a joke.

So, my bottom line is this: If you can’t devote a minimal effort to produce worthwhile content, then don’t bother producing a white paper at all! It’s better to do nothing, than to distribute an outline and call it a “white paper” or “report” with a fancy front cover.

Featured FREE White Paper of the Week:

Title: From Numbers to Action: Improving Travel Program Management

Sponsor: Advito

Publication Date: July 2010

Sponsor’s Description: From Numbers to Action: improving travel program management through strategic KPIs and meaningful savings measurement. Travel program managers are increasingly being asked to measure their success against corporate objectives. This white paper by BCD Travel’s consulting unit, Advito, provides travel managers with clear guidelines for directly linking travel program performance with corporate objectives using strategic key performance indicators, or KPIs.

White Paper Pundit Comment: Normally I don’t like landscape oriented white papers, but this one seems to work for me. The format fits the many comparative tables, workflow diagrams, and callouts used in this paper. Unfortunately, since the page height is shortened, the size of the paper balloons to 34 pages, far too large for most ‘short attention’ readers. Nonetheless, this paper is a good example of how visual elements can be used to educate the reader to a complex subject.

Download Link URL: http://bit.ly/bB9EQx

Web Landing Page: http://bit.ly/atnhpP

_________________________________________________________

Welcome to the FREE White Paper List!

This list is a summary of the free white papers that have been posted during the past week on Twitter. Each white paper is completely FREE and does not require email registration or personal information. This is a great way to review white paper examples and learn new techniques from hundreds of white paper marketers. Simply click on the shortened URL link next to the file name and download the white paper.

1. HR Service Delivery with Case Management http://cot.ag/dzqY3i

2. The Impact of Social Media on Corporate Security http://bit.ly/atsAgF

3. Why driving while using hands-freecell phones is risky behavior http://bit.ly/c9pszL

4. Photometric Measurement of LED Luminaires http://bit.ly/cVrLOp

5. From numbers to action: Improving travel program management http://bit.ly/bB9EQx

6. Five New Workplace Issues That You Should Know About http://is.gd/drXVy

7. Why traditional CRM is not enough http://tinyurl.com/yh67kk2

8. IDC White Paper: Social Business Framework: Using People as a Platform to Enable Transformation http://ow.ly/2hMlX

9. FileMaker Go for the iPad iPhone & iPod Touch http://bit.ly/9HIuAG

10. Executive Search: Retaining Senior Executives http://bit.ly/99mfDj

11. Outstanding Brand Narratives http://bit.ly/d8G6cm

12. Moving Forward: Transportation and the Massachusetts Economy http://bit.ly/bP64L

13. HP White Paper: Configuration best practices for StorageWorks EVA and VMware vSphere 4 http://bit.ly/9c54jY

14. Adobe White Paper :”What’s new in InDesign CS5 EPUB export” http://bit.ly/bjFtf7

15. Retail Analytics: Competitive Differentiation http://bit.ly/9GNRp3

16. It’s a jungle out there http://su.pr/1FHUXQ

17. Single Fiber Pluggable Transceivers http://bit.ly/18Nsor

18. A Multifunctional Approach to Improve Monitoring Access in High-Performance Networks http://dld.bz/fXSK

19. Demystifying Slot Machines and Their Impact in the United States http://bit.ly/b3BQeh

20. The Psychology of Marketing http://bit.ly/cfTCow

21. An invitation to shape the Nature of England http://bit.ly/bksamZ

22. Bad Medicine: A Guide to the Real Costs & Consequences of the New Health Care Law http://shar.es/mMAg1