The only content creation workflow you need [10 steps]
Updated October 2024
Creating marketing content shouldn’t feel like herding cats. If it does, you might be lacking a proper content creation workflow. Without one, publishing a single blog post can quickly become overwhelming and time-consuming — let alone trying to tackle a larger project like a research report.
A well-defined content marketing workflow not only provides structure and clarity to your process, but also ensures that every step, from brainstorming to publishing, runs smoothly. With the right content workflow in place, you can streamline collaboration, avoid bottlenecks and maintain a consistent output of high-quality content that drives results. Here are 10 steps to follow to make it happen. In this guide, we’ll dive into each.
Determining your B2B content marketing strategy
Conducting customer research
Planning your content creation process
Finding the right content writer or copywriter
Stacking your bench with subject matter expertise
Creating a culture of curiosity
Understanding B2B content writing best practices
Copy editing for clear, compelling writing
Keeping up to date on industry trends
Staying true to your company values
What is a content creation workflow?
A content creation workflow is a process that outlines every step involved in producing marketing content, from ideation to publication. It serves as a road map to ensure that all team members involved, from writers and designers to editors and marketers, know their roles and timelines.
A content marketing workflow breaks down the production process into specific, repeatable stages like content planning, creation and distribution. Each stage is assigned to relevant team members with clearly defined responsibilities. The workflow also incorporates checkpoints for feedback and revisions.
Why use a content planning workflow?
There are many reasons to use a content workflow and content planning tools, but here are three of the biggest benefits you’ll see from doing so.
Improves organization and efficiency
Using a workflow to execute your content marketing plan helps everyone involved stay organized and focused. It enables team members to better understand their specific roles and responsibilities, minimizing confusion and making work more efficient. This is key whether you have many hands dedicated to publishing a high volume of content regularly, or you have a small team that’s strapped for time and resources.
Boosts collaboration
Having a workflow in place for website content planning or social media improves team collaboration. It allows writers, editors, designers and marketers to easily communicate and share feedback at designated checkpoints, fostering a collaborative and creative environment.
Raises content quality level
A structured workflow ensures that every piece of content adheres to established brand guidelines and quality standards. By using content planning tools and implementing processes for reviewing and editing, teams can maintain a consistent voice and messaging across all content.
10-step content creation workflow for better results
1. Conduct customer research
Before you dive into producing content, you need a strategy that will guide you to results. It should be rooted in customer research — an invaluable tool to help you gain the perspective and insight of potential buyers. This way, you won’t just be creating content you think your audience will want to read or watch. When you spend time consulting them, you can be certain about their needs, challenges and desires.
Once you’ve completed your customer research, you can begin to craft a content marketing strategy that will resonate with your market. But keep in mind that customer research is an ongoing process rather than a one-and-done activity.
Learn how to conduct different types of customer research.
2. Determine your content strategy
Craft your content strategy like you would a map — it should lead to your business goals, like driving sales or establishing industry partnerships. Then, as you determine the content channels and formats you’ll use, consider who you’re trying to reach and keep an eye on the competitive landscape. Use this information to plan content that stands out and attracts your ideal prospects.
After you’ve nailed down your content channels, formats and themes, it’s time to conduct keyword research for search engine optimization, generate topic ideas for individual pieces of content and map out a quarterly calendar.
Explore content planning tips for creating your content strategy.
3. Plan your content creation process
Assign roles and responsibilities so you know who on your team will do which content marketing activities, and when. Be clear about expectations and support your team to help them produce the best content possible, whether you’re working with in-house writers or an external B2B marketing writer.
Content creation is only half the battle, so be sure your process includes steps that outline how you’ll distribute and promote your content. Also determine how you’ll keep track of key metrics and repurpose your top-performing content in new ways. This can save your team time and effort, and improve your results.
Get ideas for content planning tips to boost efficiency.
4. Find the right content writer
You may already have a B2B marketing writer in house, but if you don’t, or you choose to work with an external specialist, you’ll need to find the perfect fit for your project.
Working with an experienced writer to help execute your content marketing plan can streamline onboarding and enable you to achieve better outcomes on a faster timeline. This can lead to a strong partnership with consistent, high-quality written content that supports your goals.
Find out what to look for in your next B2B marketing writer.
5. Leverage subject matter expertise
Establish your B2B company as not just another vendor, but as a true expert in your industry by providing your content writer with subject matter experts (SMEs) to interview.
Internal and external SMEs can help your writer explain industry-specific concepts and data, which they can then pair with captivating storytelling to create high-quality original content. Only 41% of bloggers rely on SME interviews, leaving a vast opportunity for you to go the extra mile and reap the rewards.
Discover how to conduct meaningful SME interviews.
6. Create a culture of curiosity
Give your marketing team the tools they need to thrive and avoid creative fatigue. Encourage them to experiment and have fun. By creating room to explore and draw inspiration from other companies and industries, you can learn new ways to apply B2B marketing strategies with fresh perspectives.
Leave room for flexibility, too. Your content calendar shouldn’t be set in stone. Maintaining some wiggle room to make changes as needed can help you accommodate great ideas and share your take on timely topics that may arise within your niche during the year.
Get inspired by these B2B writing examples.
7. Understand content best practices
While you don’t want to have to hold a content creator’s hand (and you won’t have to if you hire a pro), you should have an understanding of what constitutes a high-quality piece of content. Excellent content should nurture your audience, while evoking emotion in a way that clearly expresses the main points you want to communicate.
Make sure your content creator deeply understands your B2B company’s brand personality as well as the messages your content needs to convey. This, coupled with solid writing skills, will go a long way to getting you results.
Check out our top tips to improve your B2B writing.
8. Edit for clear, compelling content
Editing is a skill well worth honing to improve the impact of your content and avoid errors. Poor flow to a story, or spelling and grammar mistakes, can put off potential buyers.
Before you start editing, create an editorial style guide you can reference. This will help you and your team stay consistent. Include your brand’s voice and tone, as well as guidelines for formatting your content.
Get more insights to become a better copy editor.
9. Keep up to date on industry trends
Staying up to date and even ahead of the curve on trends can be the key to profitable content development. One way to do this is to scour industry reports and thought leaders’ content. This can help you strategize and implement new approaches to your content marketing.
Consider how industry trends and statistics impact your budget, outsourcing and the way you’ll execute new ideas as part of your website content planning.
10. Stay true to your company values
Your content should support and educate your audience so they know they can turn to your B2B company for trustworthy solutions. This is key in a world of political and economic turbulence.
By sharing and upholding your values, you can build stronger relationships. These well-established emotional connections will last longer than passing fads, considering that 82% of buyers are eager to support brands that align with their personal values.
Learn how to craft strong content using your company values.
Publish written content with purpose
Producing powerful long-form content can be an exciting, and even fun, process — if you prepare accordingly. Before you dive in, establish a content creation workflow that you and your team can follow. Research your audience, trends and best practices to make sure you can deliver content your audience will be eager to read.
Is 2025 the year your B2B company wants to start creating more targeted, high-value content that moves your audience to action? Get in touch with us to find out how Scribe National can help.
