If you can believe it, there was a time when content marketers worked without formal workflows. I’ve heard it was an interesting (and somewhat disorganized) time. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case; we get to reap the benefits of effective content workflows that predecessors built on their own backs.
But that doesn’t mean that all modern workflows are made equal. Great ones run like a well-oiled assembly line: Everyone has a specific job at each stage, knows exactly what they should be doing, when they should be doing it and what to do afterward, which means less wasted time, effort and resources, as well as higher-quality work, fewer missed deadlines and happier employees (and customers).
Here’s how to achieve an ideal content workflow.
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What Is a Content Workflow?
In content marketing, a workflow transforms a hectic and disorganized to-do list — with lots of big projects and moving parts — into a more manageable set of smaller tasks.
For example, a writing workflow might include ideation, writing, editing, approving, optimization and publication. Each of these steps combines to create a workflow.
In our industry, a content workflow typically defines:
- Every step in the process of content creation, from planning to publishing.
- The teams involved in the project.
- The roles and responsibilities of each team member.
- Project deadlines.
A workflow can be demonstrated in an image. Here’s a basic one for an article. Notice that it clearly defines every step of the process, from ideation to reviewing the results after publication:
Content workflows can differ from company to company, even if they’re in the same industry. That’s because the teams that plan and produce content don’t operate exactly alike. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, which must be accounted for when creating your content creation workflow.
What Happens If You Don’t Use a Content Workflow?
Without a content workflow, things can become disorganized very quickly; team members could miss deadlines, content quality could be compromised or projects could be delayed.
Henry Ford said, “Nothing is particularly difficult if you divide it into small jobs.”
I use this quote a lot when talking about improving productivity, but it bears repeating because I think it’s at the heart of all its advances. It makes something that looks impossible not just realistic, but easy. Whether you’re the contributor or the project manager, utilizing workflows helps you accomplish anything — no matter how large and complicated the project looks at first.
4 Benefits of Workflows in Content Marketing
Content workflows are beneficial for any content marketing project, regardless of size. From a single social media post to the most detailed white paper, a workflow helps you get to the finish line quicker and with consistent quality. The way I see it, these are four of the best benefits of workflows in content marketing:
1) Improve Efficiency and Productivity
When everyone understands precisely what they’re expected to do, a content workflow gives them a way to view the larger project as a series of smaller tasks. This makes it more manageable and easier to accomplish.
They’re great for employee motivation, too. People like to get things done, and a content workflow makes every project look like a series of small accomplishments, with each task culminating in the end product.
2) Increase Consistency and Quality Of Content
As your team members get used to the content workflow, they’ll better understand what’s expected and when. This helps them stay on track and ensures a high quality of content because similar tasks are being done with each new project, depending on the type of content.
That ties into another core component of planning a workflow: Giving the right tasks to the people best suited for them. Consider an individual’s aptitudes and skill sets before assigning them a task.
3) Reduce Errors and Mistakes
Because content workflows improve efficiency, they also reduce waste. This means fewer rewrites, better planning and less guesswork.
4) Streamline Collaboration and Communication
How you collaborate and communicate might specifically have to do with the content workflow software you’re using, which should be able to either provide unified communication or integrate with a messaging service you’re already using.
How To Implement Workflows in Content Marketing
To implement workflows, you’ll want to assess your current content marketing process:
- Assess its strengths and weaknesses. Determine where it needs improvement.
- Establish a workflow plan. Define your goals and objectives, create a process map and assign individual roles and responsibilities.
- Implement it. Train team members on the new workflow. Test it out and make any needed adjustments. Continue to monitor and evaluate the workflow. Measure its effectiveness.
The Two Types of Content Workflows
There are two general types of workflows: task-based and status-based. They’re very similar in structure, but how they’re built differs:
Task-Based Workflows
These workflows revolve around tasks that teams must complete before another job can happen. Here’s an example from Narrato:
Note that the boxes contain an order of tasks, from conducting keyword research to proofreading and approving the article.
Status-Based Workflows
Rather than defining the individual assignments that stakeholders need to complete, a status-based workflow highlights the different stages. For example, the “drafting” phase leads to the “in review” phase. These continue until the project reaches the “published” status. Here’s another example courtesy of Narrato:
Best Practices for Successful Workflows in Content Marketing
Content workflows might be intimidating to create at first — a big, intricate plan that necessarily requires knowing all the different stakeholders’ capacities and adapting them to your workflow. But trust us: The effort is so worth it.
These best practices should help you avoid the common pitfalls involved in creating new workflows.
1) Choose Your Software
Technically, you don’t need any software to create a content workflow. Ideally, though, you’ll want to use project management software that automates and keeps track of the process.
There are a few choices out there that can help you create content workflows. Each has its own feature set, and you can narrow down which you like depending on what you need in your software.
Here are a few popular options to consider:
- Asana: Good for tracking tasks & workflows across teams, with integration and collaboration features built in.
- Wrike: Especially strong for more complex or scalable workflows; custom status, automation and dashboards.
- Monday.com: Highly visual board-based approach with 200+ workflow templates and strong automation options.
- Smartsheet: Spreadsheet-like layout for teams comfortable with grids, but supports workflow automation and tracking.
- Brafton Platform: Good for managing lots of projects with many phases; built based on Brafton’s 17+ years of experience with content marketing workflows. It’s how we organize every content project at Brafton.
2) Set Realistic Timelines for Each Task To Prevent Hiccups
Set realistic timelines and don’t overwork team members. One benefit of the content workflow is that it can help minimize burnout by separating a big job into smaller, more digestible parts. There’s no reason to sabotage your project by expecting more than your employees can reasonably handle. Practicing this also ensures accountability for the project.
3) Support Your Team Members
Encourage open communication and feedback among your team. If one of them sees an issue in any part of the workflow, they should feel encouraged to point it out. If any team member has a question, they should know who to direct it to. That person should be available to answer the question promptly to avoid hold-ups.
4) Know Who’s in Charge
There should always be someone to manage each team and another person to oversee and manage the project. Team leaders should be assigned to team members: Writers could benefit from someone keeping their assignments organized and offering general support, and graphic designers should have the same type of leadership. Project managers should monitor each phase (or task) closely to ensure the project is coming along as expected; if it isn’t, it could be that either a team member is having problems or the content workflow itself is flawed.
5) Adjust to Your (and Project’s) Needs
Organizations work differently from one another, and sometimes the strategy from project to project can change, too. You may need to adjust your workflow to meet expectations for any given project. For example, some blogs will require more research than others, so you’ll want to give extra time for that. On the other hand, some content may need visuals, so you can give the design team the proper time and resources to meet that expectation. Whatever your project requires, your content workflow should be amenable to changes.
6) Adapt Your Templates
Your workflow templates are the first building blocks of any cohesive plan. But because you’re a unique business with a wide range of people and tools at your disposal, there is no one-size-fits-all approach you can take. As you continue to use content workflows, adjust your templates accordingly.
7) Pay Attention to the Approval Phase
If projects are getting held up in the approval phase, you may be piling too many on at once. Left unchecked, your projects will be unnecessarily stalled right at the finish line. It’s a good idea to pay special attention to the approval phase to ensure you don’t have any projects held up, which can lead to missed deadlines and unhappy clients.
8) Practice Makes Perfect
Continue to evaluate and refine your workflow as you practice it. For example, you may find that your first few content workflows contained errors, such as expecting too much from one team member, which led to a missed deadline or poor quality. It will take some time and a few tries to get it down exactly right. Also, don’t be afraid to try a different type of workflow — switching from task-based to status-based or vice-versa — to see if another variety works better.
Celebrate More Wins With Content Workflows
Content workflows are a necessity of content creation projects. It’s OK to get your first few content workflows wrong. But as you continue using them, you and your employees will work out the kinks. Soon, you’ll have the best possible process for efficiently creating, publishing and measuring the success of your content.