Creating content material takes numerous planning, manufacturing, and publishing exercise. From the individuals creating it to the instruments they use and the processes they comply with, manufacturing schedules can go from manageable to chaos in a matter of days.
Content material operations templates and programs provide help to outline processes, decide schedules forward of time, handle duties, and finally make it simpler to scale.
Listed here are the very best free templates that received’t really feel like a waste of time.
monday.com: Artistic processes template
monday.com is a versatile relational database software for work administration and group collaboration. As soon as you determine primary content material operations, you should utilize it to handle your full content material manufacturing cycle.
Whether or not it’s blog posts, customized photos, podcasts, movies, or a combo of all of them, you’ll haven’t any drawback managing manufacturing schedules with monday.com.
Extra on monday.com: monday.com review | Asana vs monday.com | Airtable vs monday.com
monday.com’s artistic processes template is a superb possibility as a result of it acts as a single supply of fact for each operations and manufacturing.
Due to built-in mission administration options, you’ll get Kanban boards, Gantt charts, calendar views, timelines, and extra. This offers everybody in your group the chance to see every thing in a method that makes probably the most sense for them.
This template additionally features a full digital asset management (DAM) part that makes it simple to connect directions and specs to every merchandise.
Except for the template itself, monday.com affords a variety of configurable automations so you’ll be able to simply streamline each step of the method. For instance, you’ll be able to robotically connect related directions and course of documentation to a process primarily based on its content material kind.
ClickUp: Content material operations template for SOPs
Whether or not you’re working with a couple of individuals or a number of dozen, normal working procedures (SOPs) are a significant piece of your content material manufacturing machine. With out them, you might sacrifice high quality, effectivity, price, or the entire above.
This content material creation SOP template from ClickUp comes with all you might want to create and retailer your documentation.
Extra on ClickUp: ClickUp review | Asana vs ClickUp | ClickUp vs monday.com
Not like different SOP templates, this one is constructed particularly for content material. You received’t should make many adjustments earlier than including your content material operations framework and documentation.
It lets you outline the aim of your processes, the scope of your initiatives, and step-by-step directions for every thing you’re producing.
The template works rather well for explaining learn how to do issues inside a specific software, like Canva or WordPress, in addition to tips, stylesheet info, and finest practices. There’s additionally a spot so that you can hyperlink to different sources as wanted.
Wrike: Full content material operations system
If you happen to handle a number of initiatives concurrently, Wrike makes it simple to plan and execute these plans inside the similar platform. It’s notably helpful for mission portfolio administration and tying mission particulars into higher-level enterprise targets.
Though Wrike’s free plan is restricted in comparison with different platforms, groups utilizing it are possible in a position to justify paying for it.
That stated, lots of its templates can be found on the free plan, together with its content material operations template.
Extra on Wrike: Wrike review | Wrike vs monday.com | Wrike vs Asana
Not like different templates, this one’s an entire system with a number of modules that can assist you streamline operations.
To start out, you’ll be able to add your group and set roles, making it clear who’s answerable for what.
There’s additionally a piece request kind others can fill out once they want one thing from the content material group. It’s absolutely customizable to match your workflow and helps management how requests are added to your backlog.
Except for that, you should utilize the system to create content material briefs, distribute them, and handle approvals with big-picture knowledge a couple of clicks away.
Every consumer has a personalised productiveness dashboard that outlines their to-do checklist, necessary paperwork, and progress on owned initiatives.
Airtable: Content material monitoring and operations template
Airtable is one other nice possibility to contemplate when dealing with content material operations at scale.
As a strong relational database answer, it’s nice for organizing advanced content material programs that don’t match into different templates. It has a strong automation engine and loads of customization alternatives to show it into precisely what you want.
Extra on Airtable: Airtable review | Airtable vs Trello | Airtable alternatives
From summarizing campaigns and filling your content material pipeline to monitoring workload and monitoring key metrics, this template has a little bit of every thing.
Not like different Airtable templates you’ll have seen, this one consists of pre-built interfaces with modular access controls. As an alternative of accessing all your base knowledge, customers can solely see and work together with the weather you need them to.
It additionally comes with content material request kinds, content material marketing campaign administration capabilities, a calendar view for big-picture operations, and AI-powered instruments that can assist you make data-driven selections.
I personally use Airtable for managing a lot of the workflows throughout my enterprise and may truthfully say it’s a greater match for individuals who wish to get their palms soiled.
Stackby: Content material operations template
Like Airtable, Stackby is a no-code on-line spreadsheet and database answer for companies. It’s similar to Airtable in numerous methods, albeit a bit extra user-friendly for individuals who don’t need to customise each single aspect.
The platform has greater than 500 templates for simply about each use case you’ll be able to think about.
Stackby’s content material operations template is an all-in-one answer for planning, administration, and content material creation.
What’s distinctive about this template is the truth that you’ll be able to sync knowledge from totally different campaigns, instruments, and process boards for high-level outcomes monitoring in a single view.
Say you’re managing content material in your weblog. In a single click on, you’ll be capable of see vital KPIs like the typical time guests spend on the web page, estimated variety of guests, and precise guests when you’ve hit publish.
There’s additionally a pre-built tab for outlining and monitoring advertising targets, together with which sorts of content material you’re going to make use of to attain them.
The actual-time knowledge syncing is a key part of this template, making it an amazing selection in order for you that degree of element at your fingertips.
Smartsheet + Excel: Primary operational plan template
Smartsheet has almost a dozen content-specific templates in addition to operational planning templates that you would be able to both use straight inside Smartsheet or obtain for Excel.
Excel is the way in which to go if you happen to don’t need to pay for Smartsheet as there isn’t any free plan.
Nevertheless, you’ll be capable of simply create a high-level operational plan throughout your content material group, division, or whole enterprise with both model.
Extra on Smartsheet: Smartsheet review | Smartsheet vs Wrike | Smartsheet vs Airtable
Though this template is fairly generic, it’s simple to customise it and make it work for content material operations. It’s also possible to simply adapt it to incorporate content material operations as part of a bigger operational plan.
It leaves loads of room so as to add your personal contact to match your wants. The draw back of utilizing it with Excel is that you just’ll miss out on Smartsheet’s built-in mission administration instruments.
However you’ll be able to nonetheless handle primary duties and initiatives in Excel if you happen to favor.
SmartSuite: Advertising plan and useful resource administration template
SmartSuite is a collaborative work platform that’s versatile sufficient to assist groups maintain monitor of absolutely anything. Along with having mission administration options, you can even use it to handle customers, bills, plans, sources, and extra.
It ought to come as no shock that SmartSuite has some helpful content material operations templates that mix many of those parts collectively.
Extra on SmartSuite: SmartSuite review.
The advertising plans and sources template is likely one of the finest due to its clear and intuitive dashboard. It gives an at-glance-look at your most necessary info. It’s also possible to see what’s lively, the duties totally different groups are engaged on, what’s full, and work within the pipeline.
There are separate areas for roles, picture requests, social media account info, instruments and login knowledge, model property, company contacts, and extra.
Each kind of merchandise permits you to set an proprietor, connect hyperlinks and different sources, monitor the standing, and take notes.
Not solely do you get high-level stats, you additionally get every thing you might want to handle the small print.
Asana: Excessive-level operational plan template
Asana is a extra conventional mission administration software, making it nice for people or companies searching for one thing less complicated with much less room for error and customization.
As an added bonus, it has probably the greatest free plans available on the market. You’ll get limitless duties, initiatives, and messages plus the power to collaborate with as much as ten group members for gratis. Each plan additionally consists of Kanban view, calendar view, and checklist view of all of your duties.
Extra on Asana: Asana review | Smartsheet vs Asana | Trello vs Asana.
Asana’s free operational plan template is nice for goal and strategic alignment. You may take it a step additional and monitor targets, initiatives, and duties, multi function place. The perfect half is that you would be able to join all of those parts collectively for a totally synced content material operations system.
Constructed-in kinds make it simple to standardize content material requests, manufacturing, and data sharing throughout your group too.
Past content material, this template consists of instruments for KPI reporting and common evaluations, making a real operational plan answer for groups that want to remain organized from the highest down.
BONUS Template (Paid): Notion content material operations for businesses
This Notion template is constructed particularly for businesses. If you happen to’re managing content material for a number of shoppers, you’ll be able to simply create a brand new house for every one and customise their client-specific wants from there.
Then your group can rapidly confirm the precise operational necessities primarily based on which content material they’re producing content material for.
For instance, one among your shoppers may need you to quote sources a selected method and solely use knowledge from the previous yr. One other shopper might particularly ask you to publish three new posts on LinkedIn per week, and a 3rd shopper will not be tremendous specific about something.
Irrespective of how massive you get or what number of shoppers you begin working with, your group can proceed counting on this template as their centralized supply of fact for any particular necessities.
It’s also possible to use the template to plan targets and measure KPIs in your shoppers. There’s even a spot so that you can maintain monitor of upcoming conferences and handle timesheets for hours spent engaged on totally different initiatives.
Not like the opposite templates, this one isn’t free. It comes with way more options and capabilities than all the opposite templates and the $75 price ticket is well justified if that is one thing you want. This template can also be frequently maintained, which may’t be stated about most free choices.
What’s the distinction between content material operations and content material technique?
Operations and technique are necessary items of creating an effective marketing plan. Though they sound related and are carefully associated, they’re not the identical factor.
A content material technique identifies big-picture targets and plans in your content material itself. Content material operations refers to the way you’ll get the work accomplished. Going after natural site visitors to drive conversions could possibly be a part of your content material technique whereas operations consists of the group, instruments, and sources you’ll must make that occur.
How to decide on the precise content material operations template
There’s numerous variation from one template to the subsequent. Some are easy and light-weight, others are extremely customizable programs with dozens of views and tables to maintain monitor of several types of gadgets.
Maintain the next standards in thoughts as you make your remaining choice:
- Operations complexity: Easy content material operations can possible be outlined in a one or two-page template, whereas advanced flows want one thing extra superior.
- Constructed-in mission administration: Decide if you happen to simply need to use a one-off template to stipulate your operations or if you wish to proceed managing content material manufacturing from the identical platform.
- Group measurement and scalability: Some templates are high quality for people and small groups, and others are constructed for a number of departments that collectively work on content material at a excessive quantity with numerous shifting parts.
- Consumption requests and content material briefs: Not each template comes with consumption kinds and/or mission briefs, each of that are good to have — particularly if you happen to frequently get content material requests from outdoors groups or shoppers.
One of the simplest ways to be sure you have the precise one is to shortlist a couple of, obtain them, and check out them out. Plenty of the choice comes down to private choice, so it’s a good suggestion to see them in motion earlier than selecting.
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