Every organization produces content. Content is the reason some organizations exist. Think media producers: broadcast and cable networks, Netflix, radio stations, movie studios, book publishers. Each of those companies has a single person who is accountable and responsible for what content is produced and delivered and how successful the content is. That person has lots of people reporting to them spread across various roles. None of this is new, just more widespread.

In the twenty-first century, organizations that don't exist solely to publish, deliver, or broadcast content still produce and deliver enormous amounts of content. That content comes in the the form of this these types of content and more:

websites
blogs
podcasts
event sessions
magazines
journals
product help
videos
white papers
courses
annual reports
webinars
news releases
newsletters
in-product and -app text
tutorials

All this content is delivered via an ever-growing list of delivery channels:

email
web
apps
video channels
audio channels
social media
community platforms
text messages
search engines
print collateral
smart speakers

And yet, most non-media organizations have no strategy for dealing with all of this content being consumed in all of these delivery channels, let alone a single person who is responsible and accountable for its production, delivery, and success. Why is that?

Because the leadership at these organizations do not think of the organization as a content organization. We are past time for this to change.

Recognize the need to manage and have a strategy for content

Some signs that content is not strategic or managed well:

There is no one at the director level or higher whose job description includes being responsible or accountable for the success of content
You have more content that you can manage
Stakeholders across the organization duplicate content because they don't know it already exists
Inconsistent messaging across channels, products, and web pages

(Hilary Marsh put together a list of 40+ signs your organization lacks a content strategy. It's not hard to notice if you look.)

The first step in solving a problem is acknowledging that you have one. Most of you reading this have already done that. This is a problem at the highest levels of leadership.

For those who understand what happens when there is a lack of a cohesive content strategy, there is hope! One thing you could do is share this post with your boss or someone at the highest level of leadership you have access to who also wants to do things that help your organization become more efficient and effective.

Just do not do nothing. Do not sit back and complain that things are hard or you can't do anything. Do your best work that provides a win for your organization and share it. Have conversations with others who are doing content and share your pain. Find advocates who will advocate for doing something about the rampant content problems in your organization.

Solving the content puzzle

Content may not be the only thing your organization does, but is mission-critical. With that recognition, you can start doing something to become a more mature content organization. It's kind of like doing a jigsaw puzzle. You have to start with getting the pieces spread out appropriately.

For the content puzzle, you need to get a view of what types of content are being produced and published and by whom. In a recent content operations workshop, I had participants come with a list of all the people who publish content and all the types of content they have in their organization. The length of this list astounded everyone. One person, who works for a Fortune 500 organization couldn't even complete the assignment because it would have taken too long.

With all the pieces face up and perhaps sorted by edge and inside pieces, you can start putting the pieces together. Maybe put together the most obvious and easy to connect pieces first.

Now that you see the sheer volume of content across the organization, someone needs to be put in charge of putting some order to it. This cannot be some junior or mid-level content strategist. It needs to be someone who understands all aspects of content strategy and how it fits into the organizational culture, not just the tactics that make content more strategic. This person needs to understand what skills are needed to make content successful. They need to know how to work across disciplines. They must be comfortable working all levels of leadership. They must be a leader, not just a manager.

That person who gets put in charge of the content puzzle needs to have some quick wins, just like those first few puzzle pieces that are so obvious you barely have to think. Unfortunately there is not any one activity or tactic that will give someone a quick win. It depends on the organization, its goals, and the resources (human and otherwise). This is why experience is required. The 2019 report Association Content Strategies for a Changing World includes a Mapping a Content Strategy Journey section. (This is a great resource for any type of organization; don't let the name fool you!)

Keep it going

Unlike doing a jigsaw puzzle, the work of a content leader is never done. But as content becomes integrated into the rest of the organization, you can settle into better routines. When content is considered a strategic asset or an essential part of everything else you produce, the work is second nature for people at all levels. Executives know that content work is as important as IT and accounting and isn't considered a thing that involves hiring a few writers. People in the middle levels of the organization regularly work together to consider the role content plays in every initiative, not just marketing campaigns. Content roles are infused through every department and team, not sectioned off and consulted now and then.

Content pervades every aspect of an organization when it reaches an advanced maturity level. This doesn't happen overnight. Organizations who are serious and put the right person in charge, give them authority, and allocate appropriate resources could see this happen in one or two years. For other organizations, it will take longer. Either way, there will be plenty to celebrate along the way.

Finding the right person

There are plenty of people who can serve in a head of content role. They are folks who have been doing this work for a long time (I suggest at at least 8 years) and have had leadership roles or at least evidence that being in a leadership role will suit them. You might be able to identify someone internally or you may have to look far and wide. Most likely they need to be a full-time employee. But you could start by hiring a consultant to do the first couple of steps so you can understand the magnitude of the problem and what the solution looks like.

I offer this sample job description as well as myself for serving in this role or getting you started on the journey to become a mature content organization. Get in touch if you want to talk about what a partnership could look like.