How can you accelerate your content approval process workflow with AI?

November 27th, 2023     Published By     Category: AI enablement

You are a global marketing team responsible for reviewing and approving content across multiple time zones. What would be your content approval process? 

To and fro emails, documents, and feedback iterations. 

And why not? 

After all, you want high-quality content that adheres to regulations and voices your brand appropriately.  

This results in: 

  1. Conflicts 
  2. Time delays 
  3. Version control issues 
  4. Reduced collaboration efficiency 

According to a Workfront and Brand Republic survey, 58% of marketing decision-makers go through 5 or more rounds of project reviews, with 14% enduring ten or more. If you need so many rounds for approval, the issue probably isn’t the content. 

So, what must be an ideal content approval process? 

Probably, you may say: 

  • Streamlined 
  • Quick reviews 
  • Maintain document versions 
  • Less or no human intervention 

And that’s right! If your content approval process slogs between 5-8 days, then you must improve your content approval process workflow. 

Here enters AI! 

AI helps to accelerate your content approval process through automation, data analytics, and intelligent workflows. With AI-driven content approval systems, you can: 

  1. Automate repetitive tasks like document routing, reminders, and basic reviews, freeing up time for human reviewers. 
  2. Predict which content might require closer review, helping prioritize tasks and resources. 
  3. Simplify collaboration, keep versions in check, and provide a clear audit trail. 
  4. Analyze feedback data to uncover trends and insights that improve content quality. 

So, how can you implement AI in your workflow and streamline your content approval processes?  

  1. Identify bottlenecks in your existing content approval process. 
  2. Choose AI-driven content management tools that suit your organization’s needs. 
  3. Connect your content sources and systems with the AI platform for data retrieval. 
  4. Implement AI workflows that automate routine tasks and facilitate seamless collaboration. 
  5. Use AI analytics to provide insights and improve the approval process. 
  6. Train your team in AI-driven processes and continuously monitor and optimize the system. 

Let’s drill down these steps into detail. 

Step –1: You are a small to mid-sized marketing agency in the U.S. You identified that your content approval process takes too long due to multiple review cycles and frequent delays. This delay is further hindering your content marketing strategy. 

So, basically, you have already identified your bottleneck. Once you know your pain points, explore AI-powered content management tools like Monday.com or Trello to automate task assignment and content routing. 

Step –2: Integrate your content sources, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or SharePoint, with your selected AI tool for seamless data retrieval. 

Here are some steps to integrate content sources in your AI tool.  

  1. Choose your apps: Pick the apps where your content is stored, like Google Drive or Dropbox. 
  2. Connect with AI tool: Use Monday’s features to connect these apps. It’s similar to linking your social media accounts to a new app. 
  3. Allow access: Permit the AI tool to access your content in those apps. 
  4. Customize settings: Set how and when you want the AI tool to grab content from these apps. 
  5. Test it: Make sure everything works smoothly. The AI tool will automatically bring your content into one place.

Step 3: Set up workflows within your chosen tool. For instance, on Monday.com, create a workflow template for content review and approval. 

  1. Choose template: Pick a workflow template like “Content Review & Approval.” 
  2. Customize: Adapt it to your needs. Add columns for tasks and deadlines, and assign team members. 
  3. Tasks: Create tasks like “Write Blog Post.” Assign them to team members. 
  4. Progress tracking: Use status columns (e.g., “To-Do,” “In Progress,” “Done”) to track progress. 
  5. Deadlines: Set deadlines for each task, ensuring everyone knows when it’s due. 
  6. Automation: Use automation features to simplify tasks. For instance, set it to move tasks to “Done” when completed. 
  7. Collaboration: Team members can comment, attach files, and communicate on each task. 
  8. Notifications: Receive notifications when tasks are updated or completed. 

Now, you have a visual, user-friendly workflow. Your team can easily see what needs to be done, who’s responsible, and deadlines. It’s like an advanced to-do list that keeps everyone on the same page, even if you’re not tech-savvy.

The example below shows how you can set up workflow automation on Monday.com. 

  • Log in to your Monday.com account
  • Create a New Board:
  • Click on the “+” icon to create a new board.
  • Choose a template or start from scratch based on your content approval needs.

  • Set up your workflow:
  • Customize your board by adding columns. Common columns for content approval may include “Task,” “Owner,” “Due Date,” “Status,” and “Notes.”
  • Add groups or categories for different stages of approval (e.g., “To-Do,” “In Review,” “Approved”).
  • Automation:
  • Click on “Automations.”

  • Create automation rules to automate tasks, notifications, and changes in status. For example, you can set up automation to notify team members when a task is assigned or changes in status.

  • Templates:
  • To create a workflow template, organize your board’s structure, columns, and automation to reflect your content approval process.
  • Save your board as a template to reuse for future content approval projects.
  • Invite team members:
  • Invite your team members to collaborate on the board and start using the workflow template.

Step –4: Leverage AI analytics from tools like Tableau or Power BI to gain insights into content performance and identify bottlenecks. 

Step –5: Train your team to effectively use the AI-driven system. Provide tutorials and resources on interpreting AI-generated insights. 

Step –6: Continuously monitor the AI system’s performance. If bottlenecks persist, modify workflows and rules within your tool. 

To summarize, streamlining content approval with AI involves identifying bottlenecks, selecting the right AI-driven tools, connecting content sources, implementing AI workflows, utilizing AI analytics, training your team, and continuously optimizing the process. By using AI, you can automate tasks, reduce manual intervention, and enhance the efficiency of your content approval process. So, get started today!  

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