It’s been said that the eleventh commandment is “Thou shalt not committee.” Personally, I agree with that – especially when it comes to gathering input for content marketing assets such as blogs, ebooks, and white papers.
From a copywriter’s perspective, here’s what happens when you have three or more subject matter experts on a call to discuss a single marketing asset:
- Spiraling discussions, as the conversation goes off on multiple tangents that have nothing to do with the topic at hand.
- Endless questions, as participants raise points that may or may not be relevant.
- Multiple approaches, as people suggest different possible “frames” for the asset.
- Information overload, as experts provide more information than could possibly be included in a single asset (and insist that it all be incorporated).
- Conflicting emphases, as disagreements arise on what is most important to include and why.
Unless you want to write a multi-chapter tome (not typical fodder for a marketing campaign), restrict your subject matter experts in most cases to one or two. That will keep your information tight, focused, and organized, and position your storytelling for success.
Author: Paula Marolewski