What is Content Operations?

Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a drastic increase in digital campaigns and communications. This is not merely a trend but a full paradigm shift in how we consume, produce, and distribute content. Today, audiences and customers expect content to be easily available, personalized, and up-to-date, increasing the need for effective Content Operations. 

In order to offer the right content, to the right people, at the right times, modern marketers and communication professionals can no longer be tied down to single-purpose applications. Instead, they must invest in Content Operations Platforms (COP), offering a seamless data management experience.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Content Operations, explaining what it is and why you need it. 

What is Content Operations? 

First off, what is Content Operations? In short, a Content Operations Platform (COP) is the technical setup for successfully creating, managing, measuring, and distributing content across relevant channels and devices.

An effective COP should include tools for all tasks related to content operations, including the management of metadata, rights & licenses, and the assets' approval status & lifecycle stage. Additionally, the platform should facilitate a free flow of digital assets and function as a brand portal where content is easily searchable, with relevant data intact. 

Following this definition, it’s easy to see that very few - if not none - software providers can claim to offer best-of-breed tools encompassing every demand of today’s Content Operations Platforms. Therefore, a COP should be API-based and easily integrated with other core systems, such as design software, Master Data Management (MDM), Content Management Systems (CMS), Multi-channel Marketing Hubs (MMHs), and so on. 

LEARN MORE: What can a DAM system API do

As emphasized by Gartner in the report: “Drive Agility and Scale for the Future With Content
Operations” published 19 May 2022, Content Operations is not understood as one singular type of software but as the aggregation of multiple technologies facilitating scalable and agile content management. 

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Why enterprises need a Content Operations Platform 

In today’s marketing landscape, we know a massive amount of content is being consumed digitally. Therefore, to stand out, marketers must ensure their content finds its way to relevant people at the right time and channel. In other words, you must facilitate an unlimited number of channels, considering that the popularity of these may change rapidly. Additionally, marketers must leverage data to ensure the content is relevant, up-to-date, and easily available. 

For this to be possible, the marketing & communications departments must invest in systems that gather and manage data, organize digital assets, and facilitate content distribution across multiple channels and devices. 

LEARN MORE: 6 Challenges All Marketing Teams Face when Managing Digital Assets

This is not done by investing in a single out-of-the-box software. Rather, it is considered best practice to build a scalable ecosystem for your content: a Content Operations Platform. 

Since a COP is ABI-based, your team can configure and scale the system to fit their needs and leverage emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), Predictive Analytics & Algorithms, etc. 

 

Want to learn more? 

If you’re looking to enhance your content ecosystem, we suggest starting with the core of your content operations, namely your Digital Asset Management (DAM) or other media management tools. Ensuring that this can be integrated with your other systems, and enables an effective flow of content, is key.

At FotoWare, we help enterprises across industries streamline their Content Operations as we deliver scalable, API-based tools for digital asset management. Book a meeting with one of our experts to learn more about what we can do for your organization.