How to Fix Your Content Approval Process

As a digital marketing manager, you know the drill: you’ve poured your heart and soul into creating compelling content, only for it to vanish into the dreaded "review limbo." 

Days turn into weeks, deadlines are missed, and the once-fresh idea feels stale before it even sees the light of day. Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. The chaotic dance of scattered feedback, contradictory stakeholder comments, and a lack of clear ownership can turn content creation into a frustrating exercise in futility. 

But what if there was a better way? What if you could set up clear steps to get content approved faster, keep all feedback in one centralized hub, and define who approves what, and in what order?

This guide will help you untangle your messy content approval process, transform it into a well-oiled machine, and ensure your content gets published on time, every time.

Why Your Current Content Approval Process is Broken (And How to Identify the Cracks)

Before we can fix it, let's acknowledge the pain points that are likely stifling your team's productivity:

• Content Gets Stuck in Review Limbo: Content disappears into a black hole, often for days or even weeks, leading to missed deadlines and delayed campaigns.
• Scattered Feedback: You're chasing comments across email threads, Slack messages, Google Docs, and even verbal feedback in meetings. Tracking changes becomes an impossible task.
• Contradictory Feedback: Different stakeholders offer conflicting suggestions, creating endless revision cycles that frustrate content creators and burn valuable time.
• Lack of a Clear Workflow: There's no defined path for content approval. Who needs to approve it? In what order? By when? This confusion leads to bottlenecks and breakdowns.

You know you need a better way. But how do you actually implement one?

Beyond Social Media: Streamlining Content Approvals Across All Your Marketing Channels

While social media content often comes to mind first when discussing approvals, almost every piece of content your team produces requires a review process. 

To truly fix your workflow, it's essential to segment your approach by different content types and marketing channels. Each might have unique stakeholders and specific compliance requirements.

Here’s a look at common content types and recommended processes to streamline their approval:

1. Marketing Channels (Social Media, Email Newsletters, Paid Ads)

Social Media Campaigns

• Challenge: High volume, quick turnaround, and often multiple stakeholders (client, internal team, legal).
• Recommended Process: Implement a clear, sequential workflow. The content creator submits, then a copy editor reviews, followed by a brand manager, and finally the client (if applicable). 

Use a dedicated social media approval tool to centralize all comments and track changes. Platforms like Cloud Campaign offer robust features specifically designed to manage social media approvals, eliminating the back-and-forth email chaos.

• Tool Tip: For speeding up social media approvals, Cloud Campaign is the fastest way to automate this process. It transforms what often feels like a nightmare into a seamless experience. You can learn more about how to streamline your social media approvals by reading that social media approvals don't have to be a nightmare.

Email Newsletters

• Challenge: Ensuring consistent branding, accurate links, and legal compliance.
• Recommended Process: A structured review that includes a content creator, a copy editor, a marketing manager for strategic review, and a legal or compliance officer for disclaimer and data privacy checks.

Paid Advertisements

• Challenge: Strict legal guidelines, brand safety, and performance optimization.
• Recommended Process: Involve legal review early in the process. Include ad specialists for optimization checks and a brand manager for creative and messaging consistency.

2. Website Content (Website Copy, Landing Pages, Product Descriptions, User Guides)

• Challenge: SEO considerations, technical accuracy, and consistent user experience.
• Recommended Process: Content creator submits, followed by an SEO specialist, a product expert for technical accuracy, possibly a UX designer for user flow, and finally a legal reviewer for compliance.
• Tool Tip: For website content, consider project management tools like Asana or Jira for task assignment and tracking, or content collaboration platforms like GatherContent for structured reviews.

3. Creative Content & Brand Assets (Logos, Brand Guidelines, Videos, Infographics)

• Challenge: Maintaining brand consistency, ensuring high quality, and managing large file sizes.
• Recommended Process: Start with the creative team lead, then involve the brand manager for adherence to brand guidelines, and finally, executive stakeholders for final approval.
• Tool Tip: Review platforms like Ziflow or Frame.io (for video) allow for direct annotations on creative assets, simplifying feedback collection.

4. Public Relations Materials (Press Releases, Media Kits, Executive Statements)

• Challenge: Highly sensitive information, legal accuracy, and public perception.
• Recommended Process: These often require multiple layers of review, including the PR specialist, legal counsel, and C-level executives. The process must be highly secure and meticulously documented.
• Tool Tip: Secure document management systems with version control are crucial for PR materials.

5. Educational Content (Courses, Webinars, White Papers, Research Reports)

• Challenge: Factual accuracy, pedagogical effectiveness, and expert review.
• Recommended Process: Involve subject matter experts for accuracy, instructional designers for clarity and effectiveness, and potentially an external reviewer for unbiased feedback.
• Tool Tip: Document collaboration tools like Google Docs with strong version control and suggestion features can be effective here.

Common Questions: Unlocking a Faster, More Efficient Approval Process

Now that we've covered different content types, let's dive into the practical solutions for the common pain points you're experiencing.

How do I create a content approval workflow that doesn't slow everything down?

The key is to define clear steps and assign specific roles and deadlines. Start by mapping out your ideal workflow, then identify who needs to approve what and in what order. 

Use a centralized platform to manage the process, allowing for parallel reviews where possible to speed things up. Automate reminders for reviewers to keep things moving.

What tools can help manage our content approval process?

The best tools centralize feedback, provide version control, and offer clear visibility into the approval status. 

While Cloud Campaign's social media approval tool is ideal for social media content, other tools like Wrangle.io (for workflow automation), Planable (for social media and other content types), and Kontent.ai (for enterprise content platforms) are also excellent for managing the broader content review and approval process. The goal is to move away from scattered emails and documents.

How many people should be involved in approving content?

Ideally, as few as necessary, but as many as needed to ensure accuracy, brand consistency, and legal compliance. 

Over-involving stakeholders can lead to content approval workflow process bottlenecks. Aim for a maximum of 3-5 core approvers for most content, with others brought in only for specific expertise.

How do I handle stakeholders who always miss review deadlines?

This is a common frustration! Set clear expectations upfront with firm deadlines. Utilize automated reminders from your chosen approval tool. 

If delays persist, schedule a brief meeting to understand their challenges and brainstorm solutions. Sometimes, a quick chat about the impact of delays on campaign launches can motivate faster responses. 

You might also consider building in a "default approval" if no feedback is received by a certain deadline, but this requires careful consideration and upfront agreement.

What's the best way to document feedback during the approval process?

Centralize it! Tools designed for content approval allow reviewers to leave comments directly on the content itself, eliminating the need for separate email threads or documents. This creates a clear audit trail and ensures all feedback is tied directly to the relevant content.

How do I deal with conflicting feedback from different approvers?

This is where a designated "decision-maker" comes in. For each piece of content, identify one person (e.g., the marketing manager or project lead) who has the final say when conflicting feedback arises. 

This person should weigh the different perspectives, prioritize the most critical feedback, and make the ultimate call to move the content forward. It's also helpful to facilitate direct communication between conflicting reviewers to find a common ground.

How do I get an entire team to stick to the approval process?

Change management is key. Clearly communicate the why behind the new process. Highlight how it will save them time, reduce frustration, and improve content quality. 

Provide training on any new tools. Regularly review the process for pain points and solicit feedback from the team. Lead by example and consistently enforce the new workflow. Gamification or small incentives for adherence can also help initially.

Addressing Common Content Approval Bottlenecks

Even with a well-defined process, some bottlenecks tend to pop up. Here's how to proactively address them:

• How to Handle Disagreements: When reviewers can't agree, the designated decision-maker steps in. Encourage respectful debate, but ultimately, someone needs to make the final call to avoid endless revisions.
• How to Reduce Revisions: Implement clear content briefs before creation. Provide reviewers with specific guidelines and expectations. Early feedback sessions on outlines or rough drafts can prevent major overhauls later.
• How to Prevent Delays: Strict deadlines with automated reminders, clear communication about process changes, and a culture that prioritizes timely reviews are essential.

Legal and Compliance Considerations in Content Approval

For many organizations, especially those in regulated industries, the marketing content approval process extends beyond brand voice and accuracy. Legal and compliance review is a critical step:

• Ensuring Accuracy: All claims, statistics, and factual information must be verifiable.
• Avoiding Legal Issues: This includes copyright infringement, trademark violations, defamation, and deceptive advertising.
• Addressing Regulatory Requirements: Industries like finance, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals have strict regulations regarding marketing communications. Ensure your approval process includes a designated legal or compliance reviewer for these materials.

Managing Content Approvals for Global or Multilingual Content

If your organization operates globally, the content approval process becomes even more complex:

• Translation Accuracy: Beyond linguistic accuracy, ensure the translated content resonates culturally and is legally compliant in each target region.
• Local Market Review: Involve local market teams or subject matter experts to review content for cultural nuances and regional relevance.
• Centralized Source of Truth: Maintain a single source of truth for original content and its translated versions to ensure consistency and easier updates.

Conclusion: Your Path to a Streamlined Content Approval Process

Fixing your content approval process isn't an overnight task, but it's an investment that will pay dividends in time saved, stress reduced, and content quality improved. 

By segmenting your approach for different content types, leveraging the right tools, and proactively addressing common pain points, you can transform your current chaos into a clear, efficient, and ultimately more productive workflow. 

Start small, iterate, and celebrate your successes as you move towards a world where your content gets published on time, every time.

Ready to start improving your content approval process? Click here to begin your free two week Cloud Campaign trial now!