Rose recommended two things to get the technology and process piece of this in-line so you can move forward into an era of content that
First, think about what parts of the content technology and process need to be most flexible, and which parts need to be more thoroughly thought-out and approved.
The layered approach above tries to address that. According to Rose,
“We should be trying to move the content creation as close to the customer as we possibly can. … Content-driven experiences are today’s media buys. Flexible, lightweight and even disposable.”
On the other hand, your core data pieces need to be stable and fit into your copany’s IT infrastructure. These need to e done methodically and involve all the stakeholders. The system will likely be picked by the IT department, not content.
“It’s not about understanding what IT’s strategy is,” said Rose. Marketing and IT “need to have one strategy, a combined, joined strategy that develops the capabilities both need. … It’s not just an understanding, it’s a developed and joined strategy.”
With that in mind, Rose recommended these seven steps to choose technology that enables your strategy, rather than forcing you o chase its capabilities”
- Validate your need. Use best practices, case studies, etc. as input, but develop your actual strategy and change it only if and when it needs to change for strategic reasons — not technical reasons.
- Compile the business requirements. “Not just a wish list,” explained Rose, “but the actual requirements to meet the strategy you just created.”
- Determine the focal needs. What are the unique attributes you need to do what you want to do?
- Once you’ve identified those, then create your technology shortlist. You need the info above to do this successfully. There should not be more than 5 vendors on this list. If there’s more, you haven’t identified your specific needs thoroughly enough.
- Create a service provider list that can help you do this. rose highly recommends getting the help: “You cannot do this on your own,” he said. “A great CMS system, implemented poorly is a bad CMS system.”
- Conduct information exchanges with vendors and industry experts before the RFP.
- Then conduct the RFP, but make it scenario-based. The vendors should be able to demonstrate to you that their solution fits your focal and business requirements. “If you do all that,” said Rose, “the choice should become obvious.”
As you build your content marketing strategy and look for the tech stack to enable it, think about more than just how your content is going to change the market. Think about how this content journey is going to change you, your processes, your marketing.
Like many things, content marketing isn’t all that new. There’s the Michelin Guides, published since forever. The Betty Crocker Cookbook, even the old Mr. Boston cocktail recipe book. Creating content people actually WANT is the hard part?