Clients Slow to Publish Content

[kchandler]

Hey Mozzers,

Recently i have been working with some larger corporations and i have quickly found that publish new content is a nightmare. Whether re-writing current content to be more targeted or getting brand new content published on their blog it goes through an insane approval process something like this:

• Approval from Marketing Manager (main point of contact)
• Revisions
• Approval from Legal/Quality Control
• Revisions
• Approval from someone on the C team (CEO or CMO)
• Revisions
• Depending on content, translation for other language sites
• Then go live

With this crazy process i have barely gotten 5-10 pages of content approved and live since the launch of the project. Now I am getting the questions of why we aren't seeing any results.

The quickest and most direct answer is - we aren't publishing any new content! But you can't always blame the client.

Does anyone have any suggestions, approaches, or strategies to help slow moving clients speed up? Perhaps other techniques to show your value other than publishing new/targeted content?

Cheers - Kyle

[CatalystSEM]

I prefer to stay away from ranks unless its a document that says we did "x" and as a result our ranks improved by "z positions" and "traffic grew by o%" and "sales or leads increased by n%."

Think of it as a 1, 2, 3 or 4 process flow chart with the money on the end result.

I include annotations on algorithmic updates, new/updated content uploads and outbound marketing activities. Basically anything that can create a social or normal link to your website. If the activity creates links then it should be annotated on the graph. This includes web development changes to your website.

It's difficult to communicate results when one tries to show what their plan was or is. I stay away from things like that because the purpose of that graph is to communicate results.

The line graph should be simple, visual and full of impact.

See if you can get one or two high quality articles out the gate. If you can measure the process like I mentioned above then show the resulting positional movement on the SERP and conversions. See if you can add $dollar figures to your numbers. Try to educate the client and show that 'x articles' can result in 'y leads' or 'z dollars.' Then probably put together a document that says if we produce this many articles then this is how much we can get in sales.

Make the business case. It's always a constant battle. Sometimes I like to do the reverse, especially when the client is so slow moving that I'm either losing faith in myself or getting downright frustrated. For these type of clients, I put together a business case that shows how much money they are losing and have lost since I've started working for them because they haven't moved fast enough.

Simply calculate the number of articles that produce x amount in sales for a single month. Multiply it by 12 or how many months you've been employed by them or say something like - "You've been leaving xxxxxxx dollars on the table every year because of x, y and z."

Try this tactic only if your numbers and calculations are solid and if your numbers are substantial and you will usually get a good reaction out of them. I hope this helps.

[kchandler]

"To get them going, I would do the research and come up with ideas and topic summaries for them to then write from. "

Chris i really like this idea! I have always done this kind of backwards. They would be writing articles then i would assist in targeting them and then run outreach. Perhaps i'll try this to keep showing my value.

Thanks!

[Chenzo]

I have the same problem - and what I have done is try to allow the content to illustrate more of a behind the scenes of the company.

Creating a specific author or blog to the site - to also eliminate the "thin" content issue in a post panda/penguin world.

A once a week post - labeled "John's Corner" or whomever the content author may be and allow the content to illustrate a day in the life of one of their employees or what one of their customers may be able to relate to.

Stimulating a social engagement as well and hopefully creating that "sticky" factor.

If that doesn't work - shock therapy!

your pal

Chenzo

honesty.im

[creybot]

I feel your pain. I've worked with some very large companies, and getting anything done, especially content generation, was a slow role.

You're always going to be dealing with a "committee" with a larger company.

I worked with a large healthcare client on their blog, among other things. To get them going, I would do the research and come up with ideas and topic summaries for them to then write from. Granted, it was more work for me, but after a while they started catching on and getting more proactive.

Plus, it helped when they saw the positive effects as a result of some of the content (specifically in the social realm).

[kchandler]

Oh the troubles of agency side SEO... i wish i could transfer to in house

[kchandler]

These are some great tips! I know you cannot share your internal documents but just to pick your brain a bit more, what are somethings you commonly include?

I normally try to keep to this structure (along with ranks/traffic/conversions):

• What i planned to do this month
• What i actually did this month
• What i plan to do next month

With all my other clients it worked great but with this client it just keep on building up to what i planned to do and the actual trickled off since we could never get anything published?

[CatalystSEM]

I use a twist on George's technique. I create use a project management tool where I assign the document to the initial person and upon approval ask them to assign it to the next individual in the chain of command. In creating such a system, you can focus on writing many documents and have them reassigned back to you as they get completed.

The other option is to spend time educating your client. We have a document here that I can't share. It's basically a time line with algorithmic changes and content calendar uploads that are annotated onto an organic traffic graph that's located on a collaborative environment like Google Docs.

Every time we have a win (traffic uptick), I share it with all involved parties. If the traffic declines, I report on it during the client presentation. But overall, I make sure that all stakeholders have access to that document and ask them to bookmark it and I reference it each time people question me to the point that individuals will go to that document when they have question.

As you do this, you will have people coming to you and asking all the whys and hows of the organic traffic flow. If you patiently answer their questions and evangelize SEO, then over time, you will create a culture where people start asking questions about why the traffic isn't moving up and how it's growing quickly and this conversation will eventually flow back to the senior management.

If you are consistent in your efforts, eventually you will gain access to an executive level champion like a CMO or a VP of Marketing. When you gain access to this individual, its very important to ask that individual how you can expedite the process mentioned above. If you can provide a strong business case then that executive level buy in will trump all your problems and things will become tremendously easier for you.

[EGOL]

Recently i have been working with some larger corporations and i have quickly found that publish new content is a nightmare.

This is why I only work on my own sites.  

[donford]

HI Kyle,

The process you described is similar to what happens here. I have had an updated website (Theme and functionality) done as of December 2011, it is still being approved through various channels. Technical information must be accurate and approved by engineering, legal wants protection and marketing wants SEO godly-ness.

I'm not sure what particular job you are trying to fill within this company, if its SEO or Web Development or Content / Copywriter or all three. I think the best solution is to help your client understand exactly what you do and what results are obtained. If they don't understand the process of publishing content then you may be responsible for teaching them, so you can actually function without them harassing you.

Me, I'm mostly the web developer here, but also do some marketing work. When we get technical mumbo jumbo back from the engineers we are responsible for staying true to the jargon but still using our keywords and SEO optimizing the information and presenting it in a pleasing manners to our customers.

The short answer is your client must understand the process, what your role is. They must also understand that your service is contingent on certain needs that you don't control. They have to share the responsibility of making things happen.

[GeorgeAndrews]

Since you know your content will need to be reviewed by everyone in your list above, perhaps you can suggest the content have just a panel review (Marketing Manager, Legal, and QA) before being sent for executive approval. If Legal/QA is always involved, they may as well be involved right away; this can reduce one iteration of revisions.