Manage digital content effectively in 7 important steps

Content management refers to the process of creating, collecting, editing, and presenting any form of information across any platform. There are many types of content; Such as images, video, audio, multimedia and text.

With every content there is a life cycle that must be managed well, from creation to storage or deletion.

The content management process has many different names, practices, and goals from one industry to another and from one organization to another. But it is mostly a collaborative process aimed at managing and supervising the different pieces of content throughout their development from the initial version to the final version.

Effective content management

Digital content is usually managed through software called a Content Management System (CMS). There is also an “enterprise content management system,” which is known by the abbreviation ECM, which is Enterprise Content Management. It is the content, documents, and details related to the company’s organized operations. Its purpose is to manage unstructured information in the company, in all its forms and locations, which will be discussed later.

A content management system helps individuals and organizations streamline workflows and collaboration throughout the content lifecycle.

Each category of digital content has corresponding tools for managing it. Generally, these categories include social media content, web content, mobile content, and enterprise content, the latter usually coming in the form of data.

No matter what industry or category an organization is in, most content management systems share some common features.

These features revolve around the most important points in the content lifecycle and aim to eliminate any bottleneck or disruption. These points include format management, version control functions, publishing, and other features.

Content management process step by step

Content management practices and processes can vary depending on its purpose and also by organization. Therefore, you may find differences in steps or terminology. In general, the stages of the content management life cycle are:

• Organization: The first stage, where categories are created, classifications are designed, and diagrams for each classification are developed.
• Construction: Here the content is classified into architectural categories.
• Storage: Decisions about content format and storage are made based on accessibility, security, and other factors depending on the needs of each organization.
• Workflow: Rules are designed to keep content moving across different roles while maintaining consistency with organization policies.
• Editing and reviewing: This step involves managing multiple versions of the content and making some changes to refine it.
• Publishing: Here the content is delivered to the users. These could be website visitors or perhaps internal employees, or mobile app users.
• Archiving: The final stage, in which the content is deleted or transferred to the archive when it becomes obsolete or its importance and the usefulness of its publication are not certain.

Types of Digital Content Management

For almost every category of digital content, there is a tool or process to manage it.

• Social Media Content Management: Social media content management tools help in creating a marketing strategy with specific goals and analyzing engagement. Among the content management systems for social networks; are Sprout Social, Google Analytics, and BuzzSumo.
• Web content management: In this type of content management, the focus is on creating, managing, and displaying web pages. There are many web content management programs available that provide organizations with a way to manage digital information on a website without prior knowledge of web programming.
• Mobile content management: Mobile content management provides secure access to company data on phones, tablets, and other mobile devices. It mainly works on storing and sharing files.
• Enterprise content management: The system in this case contains components that help organizations manage data effectively. An enterprise content management system is designed to achieve goals such as simplifying access, reducing overhead, as well as version control, routing and archiving.

The most popular digital content management systems

In addition to content management platforms that specialize in specific types of content, there are also general content management systems that provide automated processes for managing and creating digital content. Any content management system is expected to include features such as format management, publishing functions, and the ability to update content. The system also allows the user to create a unified website design, but the only drawback may be the need to train employees to use the system.

• WordPress
• Joomla
• Drupal

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What we look for in the best CMS

No matter what type of website you want to create, the CMS you choose should have certain essential features. Here are the things I focused on that are most important to you and your website:

• Great customization options: A good CMS should make it easy to create a unique website with flexible templates that allow you to customize almost every aspect of your website.
• Ease of use: All of the CMSs on my list have easy-to-navigate dashboards and no coding requirements to create a fully functional website that displays everything it should display – so you can spend more time on your work, and less time understanding HTML tags.
• Apps and Extensions: Apps that enhance your website’s e-commerce capabilities, security, and track SEO performance can give your website an added edge. It’s almost impossible to provide every feature individually for every website. So the ability to install plugins is a must for any CMS.
• Advanced Developer Features: All of the CMSs on my list allow you to add custom code. Or hire someone to do it for you, so you can create a website completely customized to your needs. It should also provide the ability to add custom code if you need specific functionality or design elements.
• Available support channels: If something goes wrong outside of standard business hours. You need to be sure that you will be able to find help to resolve the issue. Whether that’s via live chat, email, phone, or a comprehensive knowledge base.