The biggest problem in content marketing

Hello, 2024! Change is calling. We’re in a new exciting disruptive era with AI. It’s blowing everyone’s mind, and it’s going to shake things up (finally!). 

And we’re going to have fun while doing it. I’m stoked, are you?

Why it matters

No need to explain that AI is disruptive in our industry; we’re just starting, and the options seem to be endless.

An amazing opportunity to change not only how we work, also the way we’re organized. In expensive words, ‘the organizational setup,’ in more human language, let’s break the silos. At least for content.

Organizational setup

This matters because of how we currently organize content; we’re leaving so much sh*t on the table. In budget efficiency, planning, processes, and time to market. I don’t even dare to mention the data stuff here...

Cutting corners here for clarity and highlighting the two things we can change.

1.     Content is based in Marketing, therefor by design, content follows marketing KPIs, marketing strategy, and planning

2.     All silos need and produce content; it’s everywhere. Unfortunately, there’s no integration and co-production by design (yet). Marketing for, well, marketing. Corporate communications need content for corporate brand stuff, PR, and reputation management. Sales piggyback on Marketing, yet they are an incredible source of help content (read: ‘They ask, you answer’). Employer branding urges content for selling the brand and company to get new talent in. And last, for sure not least, Customer Care needs content to answer questions and concerns and should be involved in giving feedback on what the customers actually think about all content created. And your customer just sees ‘the brand’ and doesn’t give a f*ck on what silo created which content with whatever objective.

Of course, we can change a lot more; I’ll stick to these as these are the basics. If you don’t have these set up, forget about the rest.

Give content a place of its own

Change the organizational setup. Create a designated content department with the silos as stakeholders.

The advantages:

• Proper content strategy to contribute to business objectives, year-round brand building, and activation content, and becoming accountable.
• Content team with the sole focus on creating the best content possible for the customer.
• All over storytelling. A solid content story everywhere, every time, consistent and recognizable. All content, in the end, is aimed at contributing to the business.
• One planning. With a nice side effect, this is worth gold in times of crisis if you have to act fast to adjust your communications.
• Becoming accountable. By having its own place, you step away from the micro campaign reporting, and you can zoom out. In the longer term, how do the content efforts contribute to the all-over business numbers? Are the overall sales rising?
• Agency management. One place for all content means one overview of all suppliers.

Easier said than done

I do realize it’s a thing to re-organize and take the sexy content out of Marketing. We all secretly know that content, with social as an extension, is the absolute fun playground; not any CMO wants to give up and hand it over to a CCO (Chief Content Officer).

Yet, with the rise of AI the organization is going to be shake-up and worlds turned around. We don’t know the true power of AI yet; all we know it’s going to be exciting. 

And we are more than ever in need of strategic guidance and solid planning.

Need help?

I’m stoked about the future. And hope we finally going to embrace the much-needed change in the content industry. 

• Over the last years, too much focus on the daily execution, campaign performance, and sales numbers. 
• Too little focus on the exciting overarching power of content. 
• And let's use content to its’ full potential, fueled by AI.

Currently, this reflects in the teams, so many juniors and mediors, so few true strategic seniors. Most Marketing Managers and CMOs rely on their agencies for the strategy part, yet those need to be briefed and managed (shit in, is shit out).

I also realize Content Directors are expensive, and you don’t need them full-time, like 40 hours weekly. The good news, I have a solution for you. Let’s chat.

Drop me a DM to jump on a quick call.