Do You need a content Marketing platform?

This marketing era seems to change even faster than it did a few years ago, if that’s even possible. And we get it; it’s hard to know what your business might need, especially regarding available content marketing software. But the real question is, is it worth searching high and low for a platform in the first place? 

This ultimately comes down to a few things that are true about what your company needs: the volume, complexity, and maturity of your content marketing program. And It’s important first to note that depending on the complexity and maturity of your content marketing program, you may need something completely different than what others might already work with, and that’s perfectly normal. 

Organizations like the Content Marketing Institute and X have found that at least 77% of B2B marketers already have a content marketing strategy. However, as we know, it can be difficult to maintain all the content needed weekly and even monthly. So, where does one start to figure out what kind of software they need? Let’s back up first and determine:

What is a Content Marketing Platform? 

Content marketing software is the best solution for organizing the finer logistical pieces of your business to meet the demands of company growth and create smooth workflows. While even the most skilled content creators can build solid processes, they still need the assistance of a good Content Marketing Platform (CMP) to optimize their workflows and ensure deliverables are consistently met. 

By utilizing a CMP, your teams are enabled to collaborate across different digital silos and can organize themselves much more quickly. Teams can also build content creation and again target much more synced delivery times so that projects always meet their deadlines and ensure customer satisfaction. 

How Does a Content Marketing Platform Work? 

Several tools exist today, and with the ever-changing marketing landscape, it’s best to start with the basics of Content Marketing Software (CMS) and a Content Marketing Platform (CMP). It can be easy to confuse the two, and understanding the differences can help you refocus and realign your goals. 

A CMP is a specialized marketing tool designed to help marketing teams plan, create, and distribute content more efficiently. Its primary function is to support editorial planning and content calendar building and streamline the end-to-end content process. Contently is one option people may use to get the full range of options for a more in-depth experience. It also gives people complete control over how a campaign will be designed. 

A CMS is a foundational tool for helping teams build and manage websites. In this case, the primary function of this software is to help create, edit, and publish content in a user-friendly interface and customize the site design's appearance. WordPress, for example, is a great CMS used to maintain most of their website's backend organization and management. 

How to Start the Search For a CMP

There are several things that you should keep in mind even before you begin your search for the best CMP for your team:

• What is the goal I am trying to accomplish?

• What sort of budget am I working with? 

• Am I working with a smaller team and, therefore, a smaller content output? 

• What are the short-term and long-term goals that I want to maintain with my content? 

• What gaps am I trying to fill that are the most pressing currently and will be in the future?

Once you have an idea of what is most important and will be your focus, you can begin to consider your market options. 

So, Overall, Is a CMP Right For My Organization?

Once you’ve reviewed the above questions, it’s time to consider a few things. If you have a decent-sized team of content developers who post more than once a week, that will be one of the first indicators that you should look into the right Content Marketing Platform for everyone. 

Next, you’ll want to determine if that growth continues steadily when posting content, and if so, a CMP will help manage things effectively. Start looking into your data and determining if you can identify your content marketing ROI. If you are having trouble tracking this information, a CMP can help you understand how your content is performing to better plan for future campaigns and test new strategies for more engagement later. 

CMPs are also meant to help with developing content ideas by utilizing things like social data to identify new topics that can be used for your organization. Further, your team can explore those big questions again and help shed light on the proper functions you may need from your Content Marketing Platform. 

There’s never a need to rush when adding an important platform such as this to your organization, so it’s best to do the proper research, check out the options, and make decisions based on your intentions for what goals you want to achieve. Once these are considered, you can decide and move on to the next step in your process. Remember, marketing platforms and marketing demands will constantly change and evolve. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have the opportunity to take your time going through your options before making a decision. 

At Scribe and Script, we are dedicated to advising our clients with information that will empower them to succeed at their marketing goals with clear direction and guidance. For additional consultation or support in maintaining your content, you can contact us today to truly reach new potential in the way your business approaches its marketing.