Web content management system - The hub for multichannel pipeline growth
Web content management system - The hub for multi-channel
pipeline growth
Today, WCM ( Web content management system) platforms incorporate a host of capabilities that
expand their original scope. Next-generation platforms combine Web content management system with integration services for digital asset management and social collaboration.
Together, these capabilities empower CMOs to deliver media-rich,
community-oriented customer experiences that increase brand awareness, drive
customer engagement, and build customer loyalty and campaign success. Serving
as the marketing hub for CMOs, next-generation WCM platforms provide one
central location for permission-based access and publishing of marketing
messages and programs across all types of digital channels. In this way, these
platforms have evolved into systems that help CMOs grow their pipeline of
qualified buyers across different channels.
One look under the hood of these next-generation WCM
platforms leads to instant appreciation for the extra content control and
interactive capabilities that they afford. CMOs should consider the following key
components when seeking a next-generation WCM platform.
Multi-channel marketing
—Those CMOs that succeed with multichannel marketing do so
by developing strategy for each channel that enables them to maintain brand
equity while satisfying customer expectations. The most essential tool for
pursuing such a strategy is an online marketing platform that enables CMOs to
deliver multichannel customer experiences and campaigns. Look for capabilities
to perform permission-based publishing across a range of output channels,
including email, mobile, social networks, web, and print. This helps ensure
that customers are fully engaged, independent of the channel, device, or
geography.
Standards-based repository
—Unlike stove piping, which can result from using
proprietary solutions, advanced, standards-based solutions help stave off
obsolescence. Perhaps more importantly, they ensure platform viability across
and outside your organization. Make sure that the WCM platform you choose
supports standards such as Content Management Interoperability Standards
(CMIS), Representational State Transfer (REST), and the Osage framework.
Adherence to these standards future-proofs, and even enhances, your investment
by providing access to a rich ecosystem of applications and utilities that are
prebuilt to interoperate with the multichannel engagement platform.
WCM agility
—A short ramp-up time is a major factor in digital
marketing. Tools should be intuitive and require little training so that they
can be used quickly and widely across your organization. In addition, the WCM should
feature easy-to-use workflows to create the parent-child relationships
necessary for the multisite management that is typical in online marketing.
Digital asset management
—On today’s websites, rich media—including images, video,
and online presentations—is what most attracts and engages audiences. As you
repurpose digital assets to address multiple devices, formats, encoding rates,
and metadata, you’ll find yourself dealing with an explosion of assets. Uneasy-to-use
system helps tame this chaos and enables syndication of assets across multiple
channels.
Social collaboration
—Every brand has a fan base, but not every CMO is leveraging
it. Next-generation wallows you to create a network of relationships between
prospects and the loyal customers that can influence potential customers’
purchasing decisions. These online communities also serve other benefits. They help
build brand loyalty, which in turn leads to more repeat sales, and they
potentially offload customer support functions. Features to look for include a
shared calendar, the ability to comment, reviewing functions, rich media, and
document sharing.
Search engine optimization (SEO)
—Most site visitors find you via search engines. Tuning
content to keep pace with top search terms is critical, but it can be a chore.
Next-generation WCMs are built with hierarchical architectures that support the
generation of search engine friendly (SEF) links out of the box to boost page
rankings in search results. In addition, look for platforms that provide APIs
to databases like Alchemy for keyword enhancement and are involved in efforts
like the Interactive Knowledge Stack that aim to make content more visible to
search engines.
Content targeting
—Unlike old media, digital channels offer a range of
information that marketers can use to better target their messages. Whether it
is as simple as geography or as complex as past buying behavior, a solid
marketing platform enables you to tap into critical data and customize messages
so that every experiences engaging and optimal.
Campaign optimization
—Sense and respond is the mandate for today’s CMOs. With
support for A/B testing in a platform, marketers can sense audience preferences
and promote or pull campaigns based on response rates.
Analytics
—Because CMOs live (and die) by reports, gaining an instant
and historical view into campaign performance is critical. Best-of-breed
solutions include integrated analytics that can interface with leading
standalone analytic offerings.
Localization
—Marketing has no geographic boundaries and, like online
commerce, is global. As a result, younger to adjust to local audience needs
without compromising your brand. An advanced WCM solution allows single change
to be proliferated across sites without delays.
