What Is a Content Operations Framework?
A content operations or content strategy framework is an organizational roadmap for how to define, manage and evolve content operations at your company. It involves developing a system for codifying the role of content across the organization: who’s responsible for it, how to resource it, what processes are in place for it, and even how to talk about it. It outlines the people, processes, and tools that must be implemented to drive and integrate content strategy, planning, creation and management at an organization.
How to Create a Content Operations Framework
To begin the process of putting together an operations framework, it’s important to assess your organization’s content maturity. Start by interviewing representatives of different groups within the organization. These groups may include marketing, UX, design, and any other discipline that touches content. During this process, you may discover (for example) that content marketing and content strategy are siloed, or that content strategy at your organization is reactive or tactical rather than truly strategic. You may hear that content strategy should be brought in earlier in the workflow, or that different groups disagree on what the broad term “content” includes. After this discovery phase, you can develop recommendations based on your findings.
Elements of a Framework
A content operations framework will vary from company to company, depending on the current state, needs, level of understanding and target audience for the framework. It usually consists of:
- Definitions of key content-related terms
- Proposed operating model and structure
- Roles and responsibilities
- Workflows and processes
- Goals and KPIs
- Tools, technology, and resources
- A recommended roadmap for evolution
Why Content Operations Frameworks Matter for B2B Marketing
A strong operational framework is essential to support and govern the people and processes involved in creating and maintaining content. Yet a significant number of content management professionals report that they lack the right technology to manage content across the organization, that communication between teams is an issue, or that their organization’s leadership doesn’t prioritize a strategic approach to content. If your organization experiences similar problems with its content management, a content operations framework can help you figure out how to formalize and mature your content strategy discipline and make a case for the resources you need, allowing you to more effectively market your products and services.