One of many extra thrilling developments in advertising is the rise in curiosity in participating workers as influencers and content material creators.
Latest analysis from company big Ogilvy finds that 89% of C-suite B2B entrepreneurs acknowledge that tapping workers as influencers “holds immense worth for his or her companies.”
Because of this, I see nearly everybody dashing to create content material to assist the enterprise.
That small earthquake you simply felt was the collective shudder of promoting practitioners in B2B companies throughout the planet. They’re apprehensive about little issues like consistency, tone, story, and high quality. You understand, every little thing that makes your content material and advertising technique work.
Is it potential to scale your efforts in a means that allows extra content material creators throughout the group without sacrificing the “little” issues? I believe there may be — and the mannequin comes from the leisure business.
Building a scalable content strategy is essential for companies looking to expand their online presence and drive engagement. One effective way to do this is by leveraging the power of an employee creator network. This approach not only distributes the workload across different contributors but also brings diverse voices and perspectives to your brand’s content. By fostering a well-managed employee creator network, you can significantly boost content production while maintaining quality.
Let’s explore how to direct an employee creator network and cover the six essential functions teams need to implement for maximum content production and quality.
1. Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities
To manage an employee creator network effectively, you first need to establish clear roles and responsibilities. This ensures that every employee knows their specific duties and understands how their contributions fit into the broader content strategy.
a) Content Creators
Your content creators are the backbone of the network. Employees in this role produce content such as blog posts, videos, social media updates, podcasts, or infographics. It’s important to identify employees with a talent for creating content and give them the resources they need to thrive.
b) Content Editors
Content editors ensure that all content produced is of high quality, aligns with brand guidelines, and maintains a consistent voice. They act as gatekeepers who polish the material before it goes live.
c) Content Strategists
Content strategists guide the direction of the network by identifying topics, setting content themes, and aligning the network’s output with broader marketing goals. They work closely with creators to ensure that the content aligns with the company’s strategic objectives.
d) Project Managers
A project manager oversees the workflow and ensures that deadlines are met. They coordinate with content creators, editors, and strategists to keep the entire content production pipeline running smoothly.
e) Social Media Managers
Social media managers distribute content across various platforms, ensuring it reaches the target audience. They play a key role in maximizing the visibility of content and driving engagement.
2. Provide the Right Tools and Technology
To scale content production effectively, your employee creator network needs the right tools. Providing employees with content creation, collaboration, and project management tools will streamline processes and improve output.
a) Content Creation Tools
Equip employees with tools such as Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, or video editing software to simplify the content creation process. These tools allow creators to produce professional-grade content with minimal effort.
b) Collaboration Platforms
Effective collaboration is vital in a distributed content network. Tools like Slack, Trello, or Asana allow teams to communicate, track progress, and manage tasks in real-time.
c) Content Management Systems (CMS)
A robust CMS, such as WordPress, Contentful, or HubSpot, helps streamline the content publishing process. It allows creators to upload content, editors to review it, and strategists to schedule it for publication.
3. Develop a Content Calendar
Consistency is key when scaling a content strategy. A content calendar helps your team maintain a steady stream of high-quality content by outlining what content needs to be produced and when. This ensures there are no gaps in content delivery, keeping your audience engaged.
a) Align with Business Goals
Ensure your content calendar aligns with the company’s overarching goals, such as product launches, marketing campaigns, or seasonal promotions. This strategic alignment keeps content relevant and impactful.
b) Diversify Content Types
To appeal to a broad audience, diversify the types of content your employee creator network produces. Include blog posts, social media updates, videos, podcasts, infographics, and interactive content to engage different segments of your audience.
4. Foster Employee Engagement and Creativity
For an employee creator network to thrive, employees need to feel motivated and supported in their content creation efforts. Encouraging creativity and making the process enjoyable is key to maintaining high engagement and output.
a) Incentivize Participation
Incentivizing employees to contribute to content creation can go a long way. This could be through recognition programs, awards, or even small bonuses for top-performing content.
b) Offer Creative Freedom
Allow employees some degree of creative freedom. This flexibility encourages innovation and makes employees more likely to enjoy the process of content creation, resulting in more engaging and authentic content.
5. Implement a Quality Control Process
Scaling content production can sometimes come at the expense of quality if not managed properly. To ensure that all content maintains a high standard, establish a clear quality control process within your employee creator network.
a) Content Guidelines
Provide employees with detailed content guidelines that cover the brand’s tone of voice, style, and formatting. This ensures that all content produced is consistent with your brand’s image.
b) Editorial Reviews
Content editors should review all material before it’s published to ensure that it meets the required standards for quality, accuracy, and consistency. Implement a clear editorial workflow that allows for feedback and revisions before content goes live.
c) Regular Audits
Perform regular content audits to assess the performance of your content. This helps identify what’s working and what needs improvement, allowing you to continuously optimize your content strategy.
6. Measure and Optimize Content Performance
To maximize the impact of your employee creator network, you need to track the performance of the content being produced. Implement a system for measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) and optimizing content based on data.
a) Track Key Metrics
Monitor metrics such as engagement rates, social shares, website traffic, and lead generation to determine the success of your content. These insights can guide future content production and strategy adjustments.
b) Feedback Loop
Establish a feedback loop where content performance data is shared with the content creators. This helps them understand what resonates with the audience and make necessary adjustments for future content.
c) Optimize for SEO
Ensure that content is optimized for search engines to maximize its reach. Train employees on basic SEO principles, including keyword usage, meta descriptions, and alt tags for images, to improve the discoverability of their content.
Conclusion: Scaling with an Employee Creator Network
Scaling your content strategy through an employee creator network offers a powerful way to increase content output while maintaining quality. By clearly defining roles, providing the right tools, fostering creativity, and implementing quality control measures, you can unlock the full potential of your employee network. Combined with consistent performance tracking and optimization, your content strategy will be poised for sustainable growth.
