In order to market their brand properly, most companies need to rely on content. Whether it is blog posts, videos, or animations, quality content is necessary to find a decent audience and cover them into paying customers. Therefore, it should come to you as little surprise that to be effective in content marketing, you need to fully use a content management system. Unfortunately, implementing a content management system is easier said than done. So, for this article, we will elaborate on all the dos and don’ts of proper CMS implementation.

Implementing a content management system

What we will outline here are the most crucial factors of CMS implementation. But, it is important to note that they are not the only ones. Implementing a CMS system can be a lengthy process. And depending on the amount of content you need to manage and how serious you are about your SEO, it can be arduous. So, don’t expect that you will know all about CMS implementation after reading this article. Instead, rest assured that you will have a good grasp of the basics and can start the implementation process without any major concerns.

Laptop with a CMS on it
Implementing a content management system will require ample research.

Understand your content needs

Different brands can have quite different content needs. Some brands only use the content as background marketing and focus mainly on establishing B2B connections. Others use the content as their primary marketing tool and invest heavily in their blog, knowing it comes with many benefits. As you can imagine, these two situations require different CMS. The more you plan to rely on your content, the more you need to invest in implementing a content management system. More robust systems will help you:

  • Content storage.
  • Content indexing.
  • Search and retrieval of content.
  • Format management
  • Revision control
  • Access control
  • Content publishing
  • Content reporting

Cheaper versions may have only some of these features. But, if content marketing isn’t your primary concern, you may not even need them.

A person making business calculations
CMS implementation is a business investment and should be considered as such.

If you wish to manage your budget carefully, first outline what features you’ll need for content management. That way, you can get a CMS that suits your budget and needs. Certain businesses get much more value from improved customer management than high-end content management.

Outline what type of content you will make

It is also important to understand that different types of content require different management systems. As you can imagine, hosting a blog and running a video streaming service are entirely different forms of content management. And, therefore, require different CMS. So, before looking for a suitable system, you should outline the content you will create. If you plan to make any content changes in the future, include them in your CMS. That way, you won’t have to upgrade your CMS or look for alternatives.

Involve your content creators and managers from the get-go

If you need to employ content managers and content creators in order to manage your content, you will likely need a more robust CMS. And before you opt for one, it is important to remember that these systems can be challenging to use. Experts from moverstech.com advise involving content managers and creators will help you create a system that is perfect for your content needs and is suitable for your employees. Furthermore, such professionals will likely have a CMS to recommend. And even if they don’t, they can use their experience to help you with the overall implementation.

A team working on implementing a content management system
The sooner you team up with your content managers and creators, the better.

Make room for testing

Content management isn’t solely about creating the content you find interesting. Any content manager worth their salt will keep a close eye on how the audience reacts to the published content and whether any changes in content management are necessary. If you are just starting to use a CMS, you should expect these changes to be often. Finding the right tone and style with your content can be a tricky balancing act. And you need to set your system up in such a way as to allow changes. The more your employees can experiment with content early on, the sooner they will find the most effective way to engage your audience.

Understand time limitations

Another thing to remember is that implementing a content management system requires time. You need time to find a decent system and learn its ins and outs. Then you must teach your employees and ensure they have a full grasp of it. Once that is done, you need to repurpose your old content and integrate it with your CMS. And you plan how to create future content and connect it to what you already have. All of this takes time. Therefore, it is crucial that you make a note of this and give yourself enough time for proper CMS implementation. Also, keep in mind that you need to keep your business operational and manage your customers.

Conclusion

By now, it should be pretty evident that implementing a content management system is not easy to complete in a day or two. Even if you follow all our tips for proper CMS implementation, you will still have a difficult process to tackle. This is why we advise that you consult with experienced content marketing managers. Depending on the type of content and the amounts you need to manage, you will likely run into unique issues that cannot be adequately covered in an article. Therefore, you should look for a marketing manager with prior experience managing the content of your caliber. You will avoid many mistakes and pitfalls if you consult with them and include your employees from the start.

Author’s bio:
Jack Brown has worked as a marketing manager and content creator for over 15 years. His work is still mostly about online marketing and how companies can look to improve theirs.