Businesses these days focus on creating digital marketing campaigns to engage with their prospects. One thing that can make or break a campaign’s effectiveness is the content. Among the biggest challenges in the content creation process is having a clear and strategic workflow, from documentation to responsibilities.
Without a proper workflow, planning and creating a simple website blog can be chaotic. Using a defined workflow can help ensure that the content isn’t only well-written, valuable, and relevant to your target audience. At the same time, you must designate the content responsibilities to your team members. Here are some suggestions on how you can create a defined content workflow for your marketing goals:
1. Focus on Prioritization
Changing priorities and heavy workload are two significant barriers in producing high-ranking B2B content. Shifting of tasks and responsibilities can confuse your people and cause delays in your content production. One mistake that many content teams make is accomplishing based on requests without proper processing. Remember that you must not attend to every content request because the requester said they urgently need it. Prevent this kind of disruption in your system by adopting a prioritization system. Prioritize tasks that are nearing their publication date. At the same time, be sure to consider the potential impact of the different types of content and how long it’ll take for your team to get them done.
2. Use the Right Content Tools
Another essential element of creating a workflow is incorporating the right content tools. Such tools can help make your entire content creation process easier, faster, and smoother. The first set of tools your team needs is for collaboration. Instead of using emails to talk about the projects or share files, you can switch to collaboration tools like Trello and Slack. These tools don’t just allow real-time conversations but also enable easy uploading and sharing of work files. After all, it’s rare for busy people to always check for new emails. With collaboration tools, the receivers can get message pop-ups. Other tools to include in your workflow are content scheduling and calendar tools, content management tools, and content storage tools.
3. Invest in Creator Equipment
Any content creator requires the right gear to create and publish the materials for your marketing campaigns. Suppose your in-house team handles excessive research, visual designs, and other complex content tasks. In that case, you’ll need to invest in powerful mini PCs for your team so they can easily tackle their tasks. Not only do mini PCs consume less space, but most manufacturers equipped them with the latest technology. This is ideal for saving on business costs as you won’t have to upgrade your team’s equipment regularly.
You’d also need a complete set of recording equipment to produce higher-quality audio and video content. Some of these tools are ring lights, backdrops, microphones, and flexible tripods. Other essential tools for a content marketing team are editing apps, graphic design software, and even phone accessories like smartphone camera lenses.
4. Build the Right Team
Besides tools and equipment, you’ll need the right team to put your plan into action. After all, your team is your best asset to the effectiveness of your content workflow. It won’t be possible to publish a significant volume of quality content without qualified people. Hire professional and experienced writers who don’t only have a background in digital marketing. They should also have the passion and interest for your chosen type of content. Suppose you don’t have the resources to build an in-house team of content writers. You can always opt to hire freelancers for your marketing activities. Many organizations these days are relying on outsourcing to manage their marketing campaigns better. Just make sure to outsource content writing services from companies familiar with your brand voice and overall marketing goals.
5. Have a plan for work requests
Speaking of work requests, it’s best to have a designated process to ensure proper organization and scheduling. To keep the requests easy to track, only use one method for request deliveries. You can use a work management tool, a web form, or an email. On top of that, make sure that everyone on your team understands the importance of following the process for making work requests. Assign one person per team to handle the request process. This doesn’t mean that they will handle all the tasks, but just act as an organizer.
Not having a content workflow cannot only lead to confusion in your team. You are also more likely to waste resources, money, and time. Remember that content creation isn’t cheap, so make sure your team has a clear action plan. Focus on the process, the tasks, and the people to craft a highly effective content workflow!
