When it comes to implementing a successful content strategy, coordinating efforts across your organization is critical. Having the right technology to manage a content operation is vital, yet 65% of B2C and 61% of B2B marketers don’t think their companies are taking advantage of technology for cross-organizational content management.
It’s no wonder content silos are so prevalent. Unfortunately, when your content operations function in the same compartmentalized structure as the rest of your business, your efficiency and effectiveness suffer.
The good news is that you can find those silos and kick down the walls to create a better experience for your content ops teams and audience. Let’s walk through how to get it done.
A Little Content-Silo Context
Much of what exists out there about silos in the realm of content talks about website architecture, where a siloed structure aids in SEO and user experience. That isn’t the kind of compartmentalization we’re talking about.
Instead, we’re referring to content compartmentalization across an organization, with teams operating in isolation and lacking organizational content management. Each team may feel like they’re chugging along just fine, but the reality is that content marketing silos often lead to:
- Duplicated efforts and topics
- Disjointed messaging
- Disparate brand voice
- Differing customer experiences
Another issue is locating content. When multiple teams have their own file management systems, searching for content is a nightmare.
You can toss content audits out the window (we know you’re probably thinking this could be an upside to content silos!). A disconnected system makes it hard to analyze your company’s content marketing efforts.
What Silos Look Like in Content Operations
Silos often occur when the content operations structure mirrors the business structure. Different arms of the business handle their own production, publication, and management processes, with little to no open lines of communication or collaboration between them.
Marketing does its own thing. The sales department does theirs. Customer service is also off in its own world.
You might also have content silos on each team, which creates even more chaos.
How Companies Build Walls
Silo walls are often a byproduct of growth. As a company grows and teams form around a particular function, each develops its own content marketing and production methods, using different tools and technology.
While technology can lead to better content management and collaboration, too often, companies don’t have the right technology or aren’t using their existing tech effectively. DivvyHQ is a content operations platform that helps connect content teams across your company to streamline processes and provide collaboration opportunities.
Source: Content Marketing Institute
A Cohesive Content Operation
Getting rid of content silos can improve content production and performance across your organization. Efficiency should increase as the walls come down and teams work together. Sharing ideas, insights, and processes opens the door to new opportunities to reach broader audiences and improve the customer experience throughout the buyer’s journey.
How To Identify Your Company’s Content Operations Silos
Now that you know how content marketing compartmentalization occurs, you can identify the silos in your company. Start by looking at which departments produce their own content, then identify the tools, technologies, and platforms they use.
You’ll also want to determine whether they have documented content strategies and production processes.
Another often overlooked silo is the barrier between content teams and departments such as IT that might have helpful information for content marketing. If you
How To Get Rid of the Content Silos
Once you find the barriers, you can work on removing them. Here are the steps to getting there.
1. Get the Right Technology
Cooperation and collaboration are the keys to breaking down the barriers. However, if everyone uses different tools, technologies, and platforms, working together is harder, and any efforts will likely fall flat.
The right technology is the foundation for connecting content teams across your company. You need a system that provides:
- A central hub for planning and scheduling content and campaigns
- Flexibility for working with internal and external stakeholders, with varying access permissions
- A structure for managing content throughout its lifecycle, including a repository for storing content assets
- Customization to meet your business’s unique needs
- Automated content production workflows
- Integrations that connect with the tools content teams already use
You should also use a platform that allows people to collaborate and communicate from anywhere and anytime inside the system. Divvy’s platform delivers, offering a central hub that organizes all aspects of content marketing and the teams involved around a single system.
2. Build Connections
Implementing the right technology won’t automatically dissolve content silos. Teams will need a nudge (or a push) to get them moving in the right direction.
You will need to establish structures and opportunities for collaboration. We recommend sharing content strategies and content calendars, and looking for overlaps where teams can share resources. Repurposing content across channels and for different audiences can reduce the burden for everyone.
Conducting a content audit can also allow you to uncover alignment issues and duplication of work. Your teams will likely discover new ideas and opportunities when they have a big-picture view of content marketing efforts across your company.
Divvy can help. Running audits, inventories, and reports within our system takes only a few clicks. Once the content silos are dissolved, and all assets are in our repository, searching for content takes a fraction of the time it took with content dispersed throughout the organization.
3. Construct a Unified Taxonomy
Everyone needs to be on the same page to reap the benefits of cross-company content marketing efforts. Develop a standard taxonomy, dialing in on your brand’s voice, vision, and values to ensure consistency in brand representation.
Likewise, you’ll want to standardize content organization, including establishing a unified metadata model. Our system makes setting up and implementing an organizational structure and metadata system easy.
Combining a unified taxonomy and metadata model gives content teams a solid framework for effective cross-organization content marketing and provides users with a better experience. It’s a win-win for everyone.
A Leg Up in Removing Content Silos
Having the right technology in place gives you the boost you need to eliminate content silos. Divvy’s platform provides the tools to bust down the barriers and unite content teams in a coordinated effort that benefits the teams, the business, and your customers. Request a demo today to see how it works.
