If someone asked you how content is managed in your organization, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Most people would answer the use of a content management system, maybe even multiple content management systems. But there's a lot more to content management, and it all comes before the technology is chosen. Many organizations struggle with content management because their content strategy hasn't kept up with the digital experience landscape. That's the underlying theme of the Controlling Content Chaos report by VML and Contentful. What challenges are your organizations facing, and how do you overcome them?
Nicole France, Chief Evangelist at Contentful, shares the truth that many people don't want to hear: The answer to taking control of your content management process isn't to follow a generic framework with a list of steps. You need to understand how your organization works, she says.
The most overlooked reality about effective content functions is that there is no single right answer for what a content function should look like. The tech stack and organizational structure are most effective when defined by the unique requirements and priorities of a particular business or organization. And in all cases, effective internal communications and content operations play a key role.
The survey that powered this report revealed many challenges facing organizations of all sizes, including 81% of respondents saying that lack of centralized oversight and control led to inconsistent regional branding, while too much centralized control resulted in excessively slow content processes.
The overwhelming majority (80%) cited training, cultural differences, collaboration and lack of consistency in content across markets. And when organizations are talking about omnichannel content, there are challenges like managing real-time updates, tracking where content is published and accessing customer data across channels.
The report breaks down all the challenges found in the study into five clear categories.
Achieve content consistency across markets and channels. Align around the customer. Align internal organization – communications, collaboration, training, skills. Measure and track the impact of content effectiveness. Speed of delivery and decision making – Marketing.
These challenges, at least initially, are not technology-related.
Good governance
Half of survey respondents said their organizations have centralized content management. This centralized approach to achieving consistency can hinder the speed and efficiency required for content delivery today.
Alan White, senior enterprise solutions engineer at Contentful, says that to avoid consistency issues, you need to find the sweet spot between freedom and oversight: “If the process is too rigid, it slows everything down. Governance and sound process rules are needed to enable some autonomy while still maintaining the basic level of consistency you need.”
The report also points out that value and efficiency depend on how all the points are connected. Charlie Bell, senior director of solutions engineering at Contentful EMEA, says:
The answer is to find where the bottleneck is in your process. But the bottleneck isn't always obvious. You first need to understand where your content is in your organization, and then look at how it flows through it and all the processes that tie it all together. Once you've mapped that, you'll see where the delays are occurring — where there's duplication or unnecessary repetition. Then you can design workflows and build a tech stack that will make your content flow more efficiently and faster.
Content management for a time that no longer exists
How many of your organizations are managing content for a world that no longer exists? Gone are the days of managing content for a single website or marketing department. You're managing content for multiple digital and physical experiences across multiple departments (sales, marketing, support, success), and that content is delivered in many formats. Customer expectations have also changed dramatically. Traditional centralized content management just doesn't work.
The most important thing to do to curb content chaos is to recognize and treat content as a valuable business asset. There is currently a lack of understanding of exactly what a content strategy is and what it takes to create one. The report correctly points out that many organizations are treating their technology investments as a content strategy.
Organizations also need to look at content through an experience lens so they can define a content supply chain or roadmap that maps the end-to-end processes required for an overall content strategy, from planning to delivery to management.
“These are the kinds of things that are important to us,” said Elena Sarmiento, senior content strategy consultant at VML.
The starting point is always to ask both the users and the team what they need, and then build a system with the goal in mind. But often it's done in the opposite order, where the system is handed to the team and they're expected to make it work.
At the same time, content processes should be established and appropriate governance structures considered to ensure brand consistency. The report states that content rules should be embedded into supply chain operational structures, shared and monitored to ensure they are being properly adhered to.
My take
I agree that when companies encounter a content problem, they create a list of requirements and then search for a content management solution (or set of solutions) that supports those requirements. But then they often have to adjust their workflows and processes to accommodate new technology. If that technology only supports a subset of existing experiences and channels, they end up buying yet another technology. The result is a cluttered technology stack and an even cluttered content strategy.
Content is the foundation. It underlies everything your organization does. It's important that your organization takes content seriously and treats it as a strategic business asset. Yes, content strategy is much more complex than it used to be, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Put the technology aside and get started right away.
