This Automation and System Help a Content Marketing Agency Handle 98 High-Ticket Clients Each Month with Just One Operations Manager

Let me walk you through the whole setup step-by-step and show you how this fully automated system makes video editing and approval process run smoother.

1. Getting Started with Raw Footage So, the moment we get raw footage from a client, the Operations Manager steps in. She opens up Airtable—the project tracker—and adds a new record with all the key details: the video’s title, the client’s name, a link to the raw footage stored in google drive and other details. (We can automate this but operation manager prefer to do it manually)

2. Assigning the Editor After all the details are in Airtable, the Operations Manager assigns the video to one of the editors. She marks the editing status in airtable as “send to editor.” The second she does that, the automation send a slack message to the assigned editor with all the details they need: footage link, what the project is about, due dates, etc.

3. Editor Confirmation on Slack In that slack message, we’ve added a neat little “?” button. All the editor has to do is click it. As soon as they do, the airtable editing status automatically updates to “editor confirmed.” This means the Operations Manager (and anyone else, really) can see that the editor is aware of the project. No more chasing the editor with, “Hey, did you see that new project?” It's all visible at a glance in Airtable.

4. Setting Up the Project Folders We know it can be annoying to constantly create folders for each new project. So, we’ve automated that part, too. In Airtable, we have direct links to a main client folder structure. Inside the main folder, we have two key folders:

• “Pending” (this is for in-progress videos)
• “Ready to Post” (this is for finished and approved videos)

The automation creates a new subfolder inside both “Pending” and “Ready to Post,” each named after the video title. This means the editor will have a dedicated spot to upload their finished edit, and we’ll also have a place ready for the final, approved version. No more digging around or manually making new folders.

5. The Editing Process Now that the folders are set and the editor knows what’s up, they start working on the video. Once the editing is done, the editor uploads the finished version to frame.io in the “Pending” folder that was automatically created. We use frame.io because it makes the review process super easy.

6. Creative Director’s Review As soon as the video get upload to frame.io, Creative Director gets a slack notification: “Hey, there’s a new video ready for review!” The Creative Director checks it out. If something isn’t right—maybe the music is off, or the pacing needs tweaking—they can leave comments right in frame.io. After commenting, they change the video’s status in frame.io to “needs review,” which instantly triggers a slack message back to the editor saying, “Heads up, the video needs some changes.” The editor then fixes whatever needs fixing and re-uploads the revised video.

7. Getting the Final Approval (Creative Director) If the Creative Director likes what they see this time, they change the status to “approved.” Boom, the editor immediately gets a Slack message: “Your video has been approved!” No confusion, no back-and-forth emails. The status is crystal clear and everyone’s on the same page.

8. Moving the Video to the ‘Ready to Post’ Folder Once the Creative Director has approved the video, the automation takes the approved video and copies it over to the “Ready to Post” folder we created earlier. This makes it super easy to find the final, polished version that’s ready for the client.

9. Client Approval Finally, the client gets notified (also via Slack) that their video is ready for review. If the client loves it, they mark it as approved, and the editor gets a slack message that client approved it. If the client wants more changes, they set the status to “needs review,” and—just like before—the automation sends a slack message to the editor letting them know the client needs revisions. The editor updates the video again and puts it back in “Pending” folder for review. We can repeat this loop as many times as needed until the client is happy.

Explanation of the above automation workflow parts.

1 - Automation get trigger when the video status is updated in frame.io

2 - If the status is "Needs Review" and the video is in the pending folder, it will send a message to the editor that the video was not approved.

3 - If the status is "Approved" and the video is in the pending folder, it will:

• Send a message to the editor that the video was approved.
• Copy the video to the "Ready to Post" folder.
• Send a Slack message to the client that video needs your review.

4 - If the client updates the video status to "Approved", it will:

• Send a slack message to editor about the approval.
• Update the "Editing Status" in Airtable to "Client Approved".

5 - If the client updates the video status to "Needs Review", it will send a slack message to the video editor that the video was not approved.

In a Nutshell:

• Raw footage comes in, Operations Manager sets it up in Airtable.
• Editor gets a Slack alert and confirms.
• Automation creates all necessary folders.
• Editor uploads finished work, Creative Director gets pinged to review.
• Approved videos move to “Ready to Post” and clients get notified.
• Clients review and approve (or request changes), and the cycle continues until everyone’s happy.

What’s Awesome About This Process?

• No more constant Slack pings or emails like, “Did you see the footage?” or “Where’s the final video?”
• Everything is tracked in Airtable: Who’s got the project, what stage it’s in, and what’s needed next.
• Editors and directors get instant notifications when their input is needed.
• Clients feel in control and informed because they get a dedicated review step without having to ask, “Where’s the latest version?”

This setup keeps things running smoothly and saves a ton of manual effort. It’s basically a fully automated production pipeline that helps everyone stay focused on what they do best—editing and producing great content—without getting bogged down in the logistics.

Service we provide: We will automate and systemize your business operations, enabling your existing team to handle 20 times more work without hiring additional staff - If you're interested, email me at [email protected]