Types of Content Production & Management Software

As stated, content production & management software is a combination of two key functionalities: content production/creation and content management. Both these functions are also offered as standalone solutions: the content creation software and the content management system or CMS. But there are other software solutions that belong in this category as well, which you can learn about upon further reading.

Content creation software

Content creation, alternatively referred to as content production, is one of the key components of content production & management software. However, it is also offered as a standalone product and it allows businesses and organizations to create all sorts of digital content to go along with their marketing initiatives. These content pieces may include infographics, written content, videos, images, quizzes and surveys, among others.

Content creation software focuses on promoting collaboration and consistency among the creatives and the marketing team members, which also includes the copywriters, editors, graphic artists and sales reps. This type of software provides users with features that are designed to facilitate project planning, activity tracking and task management for all parties (both internal and external) involved with the production of digital content.

Content management system (CMS)

The content management system (CMS) is the other equally important component of the content production & management software solution. CMS helps businesses and organizations manage their digital content on websites without having to rely too heavily on HTML knowledge and experience. This type of management software is designed to help establish a more organized and categorized content database, while also allowing for the creation, modification, storage and removal of all forms of digital content and assets, such as images, videos, written content, documents and more.

Some of the typical features of content management systems include collaboration tools, which give users the ability to easily share files, communicate with other members associated with the content development process and work with internal and external collaborators. A content management system also offers document management, web content publishing, full-text search functionality, text editing tools and permission-based access controls.

Web content management (WCM) software

The truth of the matter is there is not much difference between content management systems and web content management software, as there is no clear or definitive industry standard that helps to differentiate one solution from the other. What we do know, however, is that a web content management system works very much like your traditional CMS in the sense that it also enables users to create, modify and publish any form of digital content on the web, including written or text-based content, embedded video and audio files, infographics and interactive graphics.

WCM systems are designed mainly for users that don’t necessarily have extensive knowledge or expertise with coding, as this category of content production & management software is equipped with tools that make the process of creating and publishing digital content to the web way easier and more convenient. It makes processes simpler by providing users with theme-oriented templates with unique designs, so there’s no need to write code just to be able to publish content for websites.

WCM solutions shine in a collaborative setting where multiple team members are working together, remotely or otherwise, to accomplish a variety of content production management processes and tasks.

How to Choose Content Production & Management Software

There are a couple of key factors that one has to consider when evaluating the different content production & management software products on the market. Ease-of-use, cost and scalability are the primary deciding factors when it comes to this type of management software, or any software product for that matter. The following are two considerations that a lot of people often forget when trying to choose the right product for their specific requirements:

Deployment method

With content production & management software, you will have three main deployment options to choose from: on-premise, cloud-based or hybrid cloud deployment. There is no right or wrong choice for this one, as it all depends on your specific use case and operational requirements. Each of the three options has its own advantages and disadvantages. An on-premise solution, for example, typically comes with a higher upfront cost and may require IT expertise for implementation. However, it provides businesses with more control and customization when compared to its counterparts.

The cloud-based deployment option, on the other hand, means all the tools and the resources are available via the cloud, i.e. they can be accessed online, through a web browser or a mobile app. This option charges clients on a subscription-based pricing model and typically has a relatively low recurring subscription cost when compared to the other two deployment options. A free trial is often offered by the vendor, which enables prospective customers to familiarize themselves with the product and all of its features and capabilities.

You may also find a vendor that offers a free version of their content production & management software product, but you find out later that in order to get full access to its features, you’re going to need to upgrade your subscription to a premium version.

The third deployment option is the hybrid cloud. Hybrid deployment means that some of your content and data are stored locally or on-premise, while the tools, applications and other resources are offered via the cloud. This option effectively combines all the strengths, and perhaps some of the weaknesses, of both on-premise and cloud-based solutions.

Integration capabilities and plugins

Your content production & management software solution’s ability to seamlessly integrate with third-party applications can help expand its functionality, going beyond what it’s offering natively. For instance, integrating your content production and management system with Google Analytics will enable you to keep track of key performance metrics within a single dashboard. You may also incorporate your project management tools with your CMS to streamline content creation and distribution for different projects.

Benefits of Content Production & Management Software

Easy social content management

Social media has become a critical aspect of sales and marketing, as well as other business processes. It is also one of the main distribution channels for virtually all forms of digital content. If you want your content to get as many eyeballs as possible, you put it on social media. A good content production & management software solution will help make managing content for social media a lot easier and more efficient.

Simple mobile content management

If you manage a fast-moving mobile workforce, content production & management software that offers mobile content management can help make things a lot more convenient for you and your mobile team. They can easily manage, collate, organize and even create digital content using their mobile device, anytime and anywhere. They can also collaborate with other team members in real-time without being tethered to a desktop computer in a cubicle.

Streamlined search and visibility

With feature-rich content production & management software, you can find files, images, videos and graphics in your database as fast as you can type in the search parameters. You can perform full-text searches within documents and other resources to find what you’re looking for. Keep in mind that this kind of software is all about managing digital content as well as creating them. So it’s no surprise that one of its many benefits is helping with data searches and visibility, especially when it comes to large content databases.