# A Complete Guide to the Content Approval Process Learn what a content approval process is, why it matters, what should be included in a checklist, and the key players involved in it. ‍ #### Article Summary [What Is a Content Approval Process?](/content/post/a-complete-guide-to-the-content-approval-process#what-is-a-content-approval-process/index.html) [Who Is Involved in the Content Approval Process?](/content/post/a-complete-guide-to-the-content-approval-process#who-is-involved-in-the-content-approval-process/index.html) [Why Does a Content Approval Process Matter?](/content/post/a-complete-guide-to-the-content-approval-process#why-does-a-content-approval-process-matter/index.html) [What Does a Content Approval Process Look Like?](/content/post/a-complete-guide-to-the-content-approval-process#what-does-a-content-approval-process-look-like/index.html) [How to Define a Content Approval Process](/content/post/a-complete-guide-to-the-content-approval-process#how-to-define-a-content-approval-process/index.html) [How Do I Create a Content Approval Process?](/content/post/a-complete-guide-to-the-content-approval-process#how-do-i-create-a-content-approval-process/index.html) [Accelerating Content Approvals Using Wrangle and Slack](/content/post/a-complete-guide-to-the-content-approval-process#accelerating-content-approvals-using-wrangle-and-slack/index.html) The demand for business content is surging across all industries. According to HubSpot, 70% of companies now invest [in content marketing](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/visual-content-marketing-strategy#:~:text=General%20Visual%20Content%20Statistics%201%2070%25%20of%20companies,of%20investing%20in%20branded%20storytelling%20specifically.%20%28%20HubSpot%29), with video being the primary form of media. At the same time, businesses are also producing lots of blog posts, web copy, and social media copy in an effort to drive sales and improve visibility and brand awareness. That said, companies need to be very careful about quality control when publishing content at a high clip. For this reason, a trusted content approval workflow is critical for success. Read on to learn what a content approval process is, why the content approval process matters, and the key players involved in it. You’ll also learn how to define a content approval process and what to include in a content approval checklist. ## What Is a Content Approval Process? A content approval process is a plan to oversee all aspects of messaging, branding, format, quality, and costs during production. By establishing this process, companies are able to control the digital materials they publish for customers and ensure all of it aligns with their policies and expectations. There are several types of content approvals. For example, companies may require internal project approvals from marketing managers or department leaders, executive approvals for budget and strategy purposes, technical approvals from subject matter experts, and partner approvals when publishing press releases and joint marketing materials. ## Who Is Involved in the Content Approval Process? A content approval process brings together all stakeholders who have a hand in content production. This may include marketing directors, managers, editors, executives, and third-party producers and consultants. As businesses increase their content investments, many are putting more time and attention into quality control and strategizing. For this reason, more and more C-level executives and directors want to participate in content planning and production to add value. In other words, content is no longer siloed to marketing departments. > "A content approval process brings together all stakeholders who have a hand in content production." ## Why Does a Content Approval Process Matter? Here are a few reasons why companies need a comprehensive content approval process. ### Keep Content Pipelines Moving Just about every company today requires approval before posting content. But without an efficient system in place, content can hit a brick wall and wind up idling. In light of this, having a content approval process ensures that the right team members can access, review, and make a decision on content in a timely manner. This keeps content pipelines moving and prevents backlogs from accruing. ### Reduce Risk Content can be a tremendous asset for a company—something that can drive sales and influence customers. However, it can also be a major liability. Companies need to ensure the content they publish is free of material that could potentially damage their reputation or lead to lawsuits or complaints. This is especially important for companies in highly-regulated industries like finance and healthcare. A content approval process reduces risk by holding team members accountable for what they publish. Having multiple people review content for accuracy helps improve safety and increases confidence in business content. ### Control Costs Content approvals also help control costs. Content production is very expensive, particularly when producing material at scale. Companies must exercise caution to limit output in order to avoid going over budget. A content approval process aligns teams and production goals. It also gives management an opportunity to direct production and limit wasteful spending. ### Ensure Optimal Quality Companies have a responsibility to produce high-quality, impactful content. But content is often complex and requires careful scrutiny and polishing in order to be effective. By creating a content approval process, companies have an easier time enforcing quality standards for their content. This leads to stronger content and better ROI. ## What Does a Content Approval Process Look Like? A content approval process may sound complex, but it’s actually pretty simple. For example, the process might start with a marketing manager asking for a series of emails to help promote a product or event. This is a multi-step process that requires obtaining budgetary approval, assigning the right content team—like writers, designers, and product teams—and moving the content through production until it’s ready to publish and distribute. Ideally, the entire process takes place in one central location. While companies have traditionally managed this process via email, more and more organizations now manage content approvals using SaaS tools and collaboration platforms like [Slack](/content/post/task-management-in-slack-3-ways-you-can-do-it/index.html) and Microsoft Teams. If you’re using Slack, [Wrangle](/content/site-root.html) offers an extensive selection of process approval templates that can manage your entire content review process from start to finish. In this type of workflow, team members submit work for approval along each step of production. Writers and designers usually submit initial drafts, notify team members, and iterate until the product meets expectations. Content typically needs to move through multiple rounds of approvals before it’s ready to be distributed. Some companies tend to be stricter about approvals than others. A growing number of companies are also automating content approvals to streamline the process and reduce time to value. ## How to Define a Content Approval Process Content production varies across teams. For example, editorial departments have different workflows and [production environments](https://www.architect.io/blog/2022-03-21/production-environment-at-different-sizes/) than video departments and social media teams. With so many different workflows taking place, it helps to define a standard content approval process that all teams need to follow. With that in mind, let’s examine a breakdown of how to define a content approval process. > "With so many different workflows taking place, it helps to define a standard content approval process that all teams need to follow." ### 1\. Create a Single Source of Truth A content approval process must have a single source of truth in order to reduce risk and prevent internal confusion. This is important because producers and managers often want to move quickly when producing content, and approvals can take time. In some cases, team members may try to circumvent lengthy approvals by going offline or sending a quick message. When this happens, key stakeholders can lose visibility into approvals, making it difficult to enforce quality standards. To prevent this, it’s important to pick a single platform and require all team members to use it for approvals. ### 2\. Communicate Your Approval Standards It can be frustrating for content producers when companies aren’t clear about expectations like branding and style guides. This leads to rework, lengthy approvals, and project delays. Companies can avoid unnecessary slowdowns by communicating approval standards for production teams ahead of time. ### 3\. Outline Key Individuals The final step in defining your content approval process is determining who needs to approve specific types of content. For this step, it’s a good idea to consult with department leaders to outline key internal experts who need to have a hand in approvals. ## How Do I Create a Content Approval Process? Since your business is unique, you’ll want to create a custom content approval process that matches your organization’s exact needs. However, you can use the following checklist as a guide to get started: - Evaluate your current practices and standards. - Identify and eliminate issues that contribute to content approval bottlenecks. - Consider migrating your team to a central platform for content approval. - Communicate approval standards to team members and vendors. - Create an official approval hierarchy. - Establish alternate approvers to assist when team members are unable to grant approval. - Track content production KPIs and optimize your approval process over time. ## Accelerating Content Approvals Using Wrangle and Slack You’ve learned about why a content approval process is important. Now, let’s look at how you might set one up. Wrangle is changing the way teams communicate and make requests on Slack, with an automated approval and ticketing system that eliminates issues like channel babysitting and nagging for approval. With the help of Wrangle, content approvals on Slack are faster, easier, and more effective. The Wrangle application keeps a clear record of the approval chain making it easier to see where work is getting blocked.