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Content Marketing Revolution
- 1. CATEGORY: MARKETING STRATEGY
Content Operations: The Hub for the B-to-B Content Process
On a factory floor, the foreman is responsible
dedicated content operations role rather
B-to-b organizations often
for managing the end-to-end production line to
than one of the participating functions. The
struggle with the cross-
help the business create the best product in the
changes cannot appear to be a land grab or
functional alignment and
most efficient way. In most factories, foremen
political ploy. Content operations must part-
shared vision required
act as operational coordinators and analysts,
ner with the leadership of each function to
for an enterprise-wide
overseeing complex processes and constantly
communicate internally the enterprise-wide
approach to content ideation,
looking for opportunities for improvement.
and function-specific value of the optimized
activation and curation
In the brief “Introducing the SiriusDecisions
content production process.
Content Model,” we introduced a best-in-class
No single function can
cross-functional workflow process to guide b-to-b
• Interlock. A process void within many
own the end-to-end content
content production. However, many b-to-b or-
organizations is the absence of formal,
process, but organizations
ganizations implementing an enterprise-wide
cross-functional interlock processes to sup-
must appoint a foreman
approach to optimized content production fail
port shared content initiatives. Content
who acts as the operational
because their content factories lack a foreman. In
operations leads the effort to remove
hub for process optimization
this brief, we define the four key responsibilities
redundant processes and define interlock
and measurement
of the content operations role, which acts as the
processes at key stages to indicate joint
foreman on the content factory floor.
ownership and delineate how and when
each function will participate. Formalizing
Content operations is an
emerging role within best-
ONE: PROCESS
these processes not only ensures that con-
in-class b-to-b organizations
Most b-to-b content roles are dedicated to
tent interlock will happen, but also provides
seeking to increase content
managing content within their own functions,
clarity and transparency to stakeholders.
quality and efficiency while
which can lead to redundant and wasteful
saving money by reducing
content siloes. Content operations is an emerg-
• Optimization. Once the enterprise-wide
content waste
ing role that implements and socializes an en-
content process becomes standard oper-
terprise-wide content production process, sup-
ating procedure, the process component
porting functional content strategies while
of the content operations role shifts into
reducing waste. Content operations should lead
maintenance mode. Conduct annual audits
the following process implementation areas:
to ensure process compliance and gather
feedback from participating functions. Day-
• Audit. Content operations is responsible
to-day operations should focus on iden-
for auditing existing processes and resources,
tifying process breakdowns, areas of rela-
mapping them to an interlocked cross-func-
tive strength and weakness, potential
tional process and making recommendations
improvements
for a phased approach to improvements.
process optimization.
and
requirements
for
• Internal marketing. Enterprise-wide con-
TWO: INSIGHT
tent process changes can be painful, partic-
The worst gap in most organization’s content
ularly when they involve assigning new
process exists between front-line content users
responsibilities, mandating new skills or
(e.g. field marketing, sales) and content origina-
removing sole process ownership. Because
tors. While originators often lack reliable meth-
of these sensitive issues, the process changes
ods for understanding front-line content
should be led and communicated by a
requirements, users are desperate for someone
© Copyright SiriusDecisions. All Rights Protected and Reserved.
1
- 2. CATEGORY: MARKETING STRATEGY
to pay attention to their requests. This disconnect can be resolved by
ing, and field marketing. Although content operations does not
content operations acting as a repository and delivery mechanism for
own the infrastructure, it must track internal content performance
feedback, insights and requests from the front line. Key considerations
to guide analysis of the reasons for content underutilization (e.g.
for gathering this insight include:
low content quality, poor categorization).
• Personas. Many portfolio marketing functions are shifting from
• Content workflow management. For organizations that have
exclusively product-centric content development to a combination
implemented a workflow management tool to support content
of product-centric and buyer-centric content – a necessary change
ideation, activation and curation, content operations should own
that relies on the insights gathered from buyer persona research.
this tool. The workflow system acts as the nerve center for the
However, portfolio marketing functions frequently lack insight into
enterprise-wide content process and ensures that clear roles and
personas’ content consumption habits (e.g. information needs,
responsibilities are assigned based on areas of expertise and
content asset preferences, tactic preferences). Content operations
requirements for content completion. This system also provides
should collect this insight from content users on the field market-
transparency and visibility into content-related activities and
ing, sales and Web teams and feed it to content originators in port-
ensures that content assets are distributed to all potential users
folio marketing and campaigns or programs.
within the organization.
• Localization. Almost every large, global b-to-b organization faces
• Sales portal. Like the content management system, the sales
enormous content localization challenges, including translation
portal or sales asset management (SAM) system should reflect a
logistics, delivery timing, sequencing of complex campaign compo-
common content architecture so that content assets support the
nents, and adjusting imagery and color palettes to suit local
sales process and sales methodology. Content assets can then be
cultural differences. Problems such as a discrepancy in market
archived intuitively in the SAM system to give sales insight into
maturity or industry focus can render a content asset unusable. The
their use cases. Content operations does not own this technology,
most common underlying problem is a lack of visibility into the
but should work with the SAM system owners to ensure alignment
realities of local content adoption. Global campaign and program
between all systems supporting content adoption.
teams cannot optimize content for localization until they understand regional requirements and the current state of content adop-
FOUR: MEASUREMENT
tion (and waste). Content operations must establish a consistent
Most organizations struggle to measure content performance, typically
process for the delivery of feedback and requests from far-flung
resulting in sporadic, one-dimensional content measurement (e.g. leads
content activation outposts to centralized campaign or program
created, views generated). Content operations must implement and
planning functions.
manage an ongoing, multi-dimensional approach to content performance measurement. Consider the following indicators:
THREE: TECHNOLOGY
Poorly architected content portals that fail to support the requirements
• Utilization. For most organizations, the first step toward a better
of all functional participants in the content process are a major contrib-
enterprise-wide content approach is gaining a comprehensive
utor to content waste. Organizations can fix this problem by re-engi-
understanding of how, when and why content is – or is not – being
neering content repositories to reflect use cases for content creators as
used internally and externally. Content operations should lead this
well as content activators (e.g. buyer needs, sales stages). Content oper-
utilization audit and use the findings to guide optimization and
ations should work with content technology owners (e.g. marketing
benchmark future improvement.
operations, sales operations, information technology, marketing technology) to architect the following systems to support the cross-func-
• Quality. Leading organizations have implemented a rating
tional content process:
system that encourages content users to rate the quality of
content assets through a ranking/review system in the content
• Content management system. In many organizations, internal
repository or qualitative surveys and interviews. However, getting
content transactions take place in a content management system.
content users to engage in rating activities can be a challenge,
The organization’s content creators use this system to offer content
particularly for groups such as sales or field marketing, who may
that is either adopted or ignored by sales, digital and social market-
believe the global marketing team does not listen to them.
© Copyright SiriusDecisions. All Rights Protected and Reserved.
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- 3. CATEGORY: MARKETING STRATEGY
Content operations must work with sales management to
and when specific content assets and asset types are particularly
overcome this reluctance, demonstrating marketing’s responses to
effective or ineffective.
sales’ operational feedback.
THE SIRIUS DECISION
• Process. Content operations must measure process adherence
Many organizations have created the role of demand creation content
and optimization, and success in influencing and optimizing the
strategist (see the brief “The Emerging Role of the Content Strategist”).
content process is a key performance indicator for the role.
Although this role helps align and create content to support the buyer’s
Measurement is typically based on short- and long-term planning
journey and fuel specific marketing programs, enterprise-wide content
objectives established at the role’s inception, based on current-state
problems persist. The role required to fill this gap is an operational leader
analysis and the organization’s specific requirements.
and center of excellence. Content operations leads process, infrastructure and measurement for all functions with a stake in content creation,
• Impact. Content should support the business, and content meas-
from ideation to activation and curation. Without a content operations
urement should identify which assets are connected to successful
role, organizations will continue to struggle with siloed content
deals and any patterns of content consumption associated with
processes, and they will fail to fully leverage the cross-functional expert-
success. Examine content usage by buyer personas at different
ise required to bring organizational insights to life through content that
points in the buying and selling process in order to understand how
supports buyers, sellers and customers.
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