Think Big, Start Small: Getting Up & Running with Xyleme CCMS

Bringing in a Component Content Management System (CCMS) and moving to a reuse-driven content strategy is no small undertaking, with new tools to learn, new processes to develop, and new strategies to implement, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start small. In sales and marketing, this is often called a “land and expand” approach, and […]

Building a Cohesive Content Strategy

What Exactly is Content Strategy? Put simply, a content strategy is a business plan for your content.  According to Val Swisher, Content Strategy Guru and CEO of Content Rules, Inc., “Content strategy helps you identify what content you need, what content you don’t need, and where to put your resources for the most ROI.” Ultimately, […]

How a CCMS Supports the Extended Enterprise

What is a CCMS? A Component Content Management System (CCMS), is a CMS that segments content into discrete, self-contained components which can easily be shared and reused across any number of publications and channels — from internal and external corporate communications to product training, technical documentation, learning & development, customer education, and everything in between. […]

Personalizing Content At Scale: Solutions to 3 Common Challenges

Now more than ever, organizations are feeling the pressure to not only deliver content quickly, but to also personalize it. Tailoring content to meet the needs and preferences of each individual audience is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s an expectation.  Whether an organization is serving content to internal or external audiences, end-users […]

Misadventures in Content Production: Copying & Pasting is Not Reuse

Overcoming the Never-Ending Maintenance Menace The term “reuse” gets thrown around a lot in regard to content management and maintenance, particularly when dealing with content at scale. But did you know that most content authoring and management tools that tout reuse are essentially just copying and pasting?  Let’s be clear: copying and pasting is NOT […]

Misadventures in Content Production: Why “Rapid” Tools Aren’t Really Rapid

Why WYSIWYG Tools Aren’t the Hero No matter the type of content, whether a how-to knowledge article, blog post, printed manual, or an entire eLearning course, the process of developing and creating content takes time. Organizations typically turn to off-the-shelf tools such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Google Docs, or other HTML-based authoring tools, such as […]

Rethinking Content Strategy: The Building Block Method

Bringing Reuse & Flexibility to Enterprise Content Management We all played with them as kids… maybe we still do as adults. Those famous building blocks we know and love spark our creativity and provide limitless opportunities for reinvention. From a cityscape to an alien ship to a cozy cottage, the same pile of blocks can […]

Centralized v. Decentralized Content Management: Pros, Cons & Getting the Best of Both Worlds

Centralized content management models have traditionally been the most prevalent among enterprise organizations — at least on paper. The reality is, most large organizations have what can best be described as “hybrid” content management models, incorporating both centralized and decentralized functions.  And it’s easy to understand why — both centralized and decentralized content management models […]