Infographic: What It Takes to Create a Piece of Content

This story is part of Contently’s Accountable Content Series, a collection of articles, webinars, case studies, and events we’ve designed to help marketers deliver measurable brand impact and business outcomes with content. To see more content in this series, click here.

When you walk into Contently’s HQ, the first thing you see is a wall painted with the words: “Those who tell stories rule the world.” In addition to serving as permanent quirky fixture of our interior design, it’s become the defining message of who we are and what we offer.

As marketers get to know us better, they want to know how we help brands create content that has a meaningful business impact. Part of getting to that business impact involves fine-tuning the editorial process.

For brands, creating content involves elements of strategy, creativity, and compliance. And that combination often leads to challenges. If they include too many steps in the creative process, their best stories may get caught in the gridlock of approvals and never get published. Conversely, if too few people are involved, sloppy work that violates legal constraints and goes against brand guidelines can reach the public.

For us, the right editorial mix looks something like baking the perfect cake. (To the baking-averse, stick with me.) Before you step into the kitchen, the right ingredients are key. And without a recipe to follow, it will not only be difficult for you to begin, but it will also be nearly impossible for you to replicate your success when you do get it right. To run a full-fledged baking operation, you need the right system and team in place to regularly produce goods people want to buy again and again.

To illustrate how we work with brands to create content that drives engagement and leads, take a look at the infographic below. It goes over the eight steps that make up a good editorial process, all the way from implementing a strategy to distributing a story.