An introduction to building a high-performance, enterprise-level, content marketing operation

The dream is to have a content marketing team that performs with the skill and discipline of a Formula 1 pit crew. 

Multi-disciplinary experts from Writing to Design to SEO, Email, Social, and more, operating as a singular, cohesive unit that produces high-performing content like clockwork. 

No fluff. No duds. No filler. 

Just top-notch work that hits its mark every, single, time.

But that’s not reality, is it?

You’ve got the experts. The talent is great, but there’s something that stands in the way of getting everyone to perform at a higher level. You just can’t put your finger on it.

If that sounds right, keep reading. 

First, we need to visualize what your content marketing operation looks like now.

Pretend these are blog posts being written off-screen and you’ll see how most enterprises approach their content operation. 

• First, the blog posts are produced within a bubble
• Second, they’re passed along to SEO
• Next, they’re passed along for images.
• Finally, they’re set to publish. 

In this model, everyone contributes by doing their part and passing the baton. But is anyone actively engaged?  

The problem is the machine itself.  

If it moves too fast, everyone does their part with minimal effort. If the machine goes too slow, everyone ignores it and works on different production lines that have better short-term gains

At which point, the person who championed content does this: 

Both scenarios, for different reasons, underperform, and the company inevitably decides to scrap its content program, potentially leaving millions in LTV on the table.  

And this has nothing to do with the content itself, it’s just how it’s made. 

But what if things were a little different?

Second, visualize what your content operation could be.

Chances are likely you don’t have dedicated resources, so you’ll need to be extra efficient when working with adjacent teams.

 Here, everyone is still working on their specialty, but there is a clear difference in how the end product is achieved: 

1.  The driver lets the crew know well in advance what they’re coming in for
2. The pit crew has well-practiced choreography around getting that specific task done
3. The “lollipop man” oversees the crew and lets the driver know when it’s ok to take off 

Transparency, coordination, and governance; it’s no different within a content marketing operation. 

So what do we do with all of this? 

Turning operational visions into interactive reality.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading the last 408 words. That means you’ve stuck with this article almost 4 times longer than the average blog post.

There is so much more to cover but I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so I’m going to summarize the first 4 steps in this process and do a deeper dive in a series of follow-up articles.

That said, turning your vision into a reality breaks down into 7 key steps: 

1. Identify your key players
2. Find out how they work
3. Analyze software options
4. Build a prototype
5. Invite a small group and build slowly
6. Build feedback loops
7. Test, iterate, and maintain a changelog

If this looks like product development, it very much is. 

Step 1. Identify the key players in your ideal content marketing operation.

I’ve always started with a sketch that shows the relationship between the adjacent teams.

Under this, I'll write out a more detailed description of how I envision the teams working together because if those relationships aren’t already in place, I’ll have to pitch the concept to get their buy-in

An example of that might be:

“Would like the design team to help produce data visualization templates for regular use, X bespoke images/ month, and a custom ebook monthly. Once a quarter, we’d like to release an infographic which we could then share with the Promotions and Social teams to drive more qualified visitors to the blog.”

Make no mistake, what we’re talking about here is a massive undertaking.

By the end of this process, we’ll be asking people to retool how they work, and more than likely, bring that workflow into a new project management system to promote transparency.

That is why throughout these early steps, you have to approach these conversations with a strong vision, enthusiasm, and communication strategy on what you’ll be able to achieve together in the future.   

Step 2. Find out how your players manage their own work

But right now, there’s likely a content operation that’s working for your stakeholder. At this stage, it’s your job to find out what they’re doing and how it’s being used.  

To do this, you’ll want to set up the equivalent of a user-testing session and ask them to think aloud as they’re walking you through getting something done from start to finish.

Ideally, you’ll only be asking questions that get them to go beyond just showing you the steps, but also what they like about the process, what they dislike, and any workarounds they use because of the limitations of the system. 

Some questions you may ask:

• What’s working for you?
• Where are your biggest pain points?
• In an ideal world, how would this be better?
• How, if at all, is this limiting your ability to work as an individual?
• Is this limiting your ability to collaborate with your direct or adjacent team members?
• Do you have any "hacks" that you use that don't happen within the system?
• Why do certain steps exist?
• How do these steps come about?
• What pain are they trying to solve for? 

As you learn more, you can also ask questions about how to perform tasks like finding an item or storing an asset, that may not be involved in the daily workflow.

Building the ideal content marketing operation keeps the best of what’s working for your stakeholders while eliminating the pain-points within the individual’s workflow. Delivering on the vision while making life easier for everyone makes you nothing short of a superhero.

Step 3. Analyze software options

There are several different project management software options, but in my experience, there are four main contenders for content marketing: 

• AirTable
• Trello
• Monday
• Asana

It’s very likely at least one of your teams is already using one of these, which, in that case, you should start by seeing if the tools you already have can achieve your goals. 

As you would expect, some project management tools are better suited for different teams, and there is a possibility a team may have to change their toolset. 

If that is the case, make a point to pick the tool that balances solving the big transparency and collaboration problem without also requiring the team to completely change the way they work. 

Step 4. Build a prototype

Each of the project management software choices listed above comes with a light featured free plan, with the exception of Monday.com which has a free two-week trial. Each of the links above will sign you up for the free plan. 

With all of your research, a handful of free plans, and a broad vision of where you want everything to go, you have everything you need to build your first prototype.

To be continued…

In my next article, I’ll walk you through the exact steps I’ve used to build a prototype for one of our content management operations, as well as link you to workable assets you can use for yourself.

These next few articles are going to be a lot more hands-on and will give you more than enough to get started.

If you’d like to get this set up for your content operation right away, send me a DM and we can talk about how I can help.