A content workflow establishes the process for requesting, creating, reviewing and publishing specific types of content. We'll share a framework and tools for defining a content workflow to keep your content strategy on track.

1. Defining content workflows
Or, how to avoid content chaos
Content Strategy Singapore Meetup - April 27, 2017
Christine Oon, PebbleRoad
Maish Nichani, PebbleRoad

2. Agenda
Case study
What are content workflows
Why do we need them
How to create and use them

3. Case study

4. MOM website
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has a website. It
has a structure and the structure holds content.
The content is owned by different departments.
There is one team that helps publish content to the
website.
What should happen when a policy update is
announced?

5. 3 policy changes
There were 3 updates to the Employment Act.
1. Employers now had to issue Itemised Payslips
to employees covered under the Act.
2. Employers are to issue Key Employment
Terms (KETs) in writing to employees covered
under the Act.
3. Employers must keep the latest 2 years of
Employee Records for all their employees.

6. Is anything
wrong here?

7. The workflow followed
Write
new
pages
Publish
to
existing
structure
• Did not consider the target
user
• Put the pages in the wrong
place in the structure
• Did not consider existing
pages that needed to change

8. Existing relevant pages

9. What should have changed
New page under Salary
Paying salary page updated with info on itemised payslips
Contract of service page updated with key employment terms
New page under Employment Practices on keeping employee records

10. Content workflows

11. What are content workflows
A workflow is an agreed process to do something.
A content workflow, then, is an agreed process to do stuff with content.
Stuff with content includes:
Creating content (e.g., new product page)
Optimising content (e.g., adding a few more sections)
Automating content (e.g., publishing to social media)

12. Typical content publishing process (es)
Plan Create Publish Promote Measure Optimise
Review ApprovePlan Write ... ...
Plan Curate Test Approve ... ...

13. When to use content workflows
When content:
Needs to be optimised
Is complex
Is important
Involves many people
Involves many systems
Involves many changes

14. Easy peasy
“I was part of a team that was having a
devil of a time getting clear about the
QA part of our workflow. Everyone was
confused. I finally drew these stick
figures and sent this drawing out to
everyone. Someone else added the
wigs. Whoever said workflows can’t be
fun?”
- Marcia Riefer Johnston, author of
Word Up!
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2016/07/define-
workflow-content-production/

15. Layering the steps
Create
Step Write content Create infographics Create calculator
Who Christine Nick Merry
How long 2d 1d 2d
Output HTML (Gather
Content)
PNG HTML, CSS, JS
Tools Content style guide,
Editorial calendar,
Core model
Visual design
guidelines
Frontend pattern
library

16. Case study example
Plan Create Publish Promote Measure Optimise
The Plan step was skipped.

17. A planning tip: use core model approach
https://alistapart.com/article/the-core-model-designing-inside-out-for-better-results

18. A workflow to establish workflows :)
Identify key
process
Identify roles Identify steps
Layer the
steps
Automate
Do this in a workshop

19. Identify the problematic process
Your case:
A telco is releasing a new postpaid plan.
There are many parties involved in different stages of the process.
The telco wants to ensure that the campaign is successful and offers a high-
quality service experience for customers.

20. Identify roles
Postpaid plan owner
PR and communications
Web team
Social team
Marketing
Sales
Customer service
Legal
Resellers
Service centre
…

21. Identify steps
Plan Create Review Schedule
Publish Promote Measure
Create case Review Respond
Analyse Optimise
Before
launch
After launch
Support
case
Knowledge
management
Close

22. Layer the steps
Create
Step
Who
How
long
Output
Tools

23. Document the workflow
Content Strategy Toolkit by Megan Casey

24. Automate where possible
www.gathercontent.com

25. Summary
Identify the content type that needs a specific workflow
Invite relevant people such as subject matter experts, business owners, call
centre reps to a workshop
List out and agree on the steps, people, duration, tools and outputs
Educate and enforce the use of the workflow
Automate where possible

26. Resources
• PebbleRoad: Defining content publishing workflows
• Gather Content: How to create a content production plan
• Content Marketing Institute: How to Define a Workflow That Keeps Content
Production On Track