Content Workflows

Before setting up your ContentCompass workflow, document your current process:

Process Discovery Questions

1. What are the distinct stages your content goes through?
2. Who is involved at each stage?
3. How long does each stage typically take?
4. What are the decision points and approval gates?
5. Where do bottlenecks usually occur?

Once you understand your process, create statuses that match these stages and set up your calendar to reflect realistic timelines.

A typical solo creator workflow might use:

1. “Idea” - Initial concept capture and brainstorming
2. “Research” - Gathering information, sources, and supporting materials
3. “Draft” - First written version or initial creation
4. “Edit” - Revision, refinement, and polishing
5. “Scheduled” - Ready for publication with timing set
6. “Published” - Live content available to audience

Each status represents a clear milestone with specific deliverables and completion criteria.

A collaborative team workflow might include:

1. “Assigned” - Idea given to specific team member
2. “In Progress” - Active work being done
3. “Review” - Editorial review and feedback stage
4. “Client Approval” - External stakeholder review (if applicable)
5. “Scheduled” - Approved and ready for publication
6. “Published” - Live content

Multiple people can be involved at different stages, and the status history tracks all changes and contributors.

Content Dependencies

• Use related ideas to link dependent content (e.g., a blog post that requires a supporting infographic)
• Create content series by linking multiple ideas with consistent tagging
• Plan campaign content with coordinated scheduling across multiple pieces

Milestone Scheduling

• Schedule multiple statuses for the same idea to create milestone deadlines
• Example timeline: “Draft due March 1, Review due March 5, Publish March 10”
• Buffer time between stages for realistic planning

Content Organization

• Use tags systematically to create content series or campaigns
• Leverage team assignments to route content to appropriate team members automatically
• Create templates as “idea blueprints” for recurring content types

Editorial Workflow

1. Pitch - Initial concept proposal
2. Approved - Editorial approval to proceed
3. Assigned - Writer assignment
4. Draft - First complete version
5. Copy Edit - Grammar, style, and clarity review
6. Fact Check - Accuracy verification
7. Final Review - Editor final approval
8. Scheduled - Ready for publication
9. Published - Live content

Marketing Campaign Workflow

1. Concept - Initial campaign idea
2. Strategy - Campaign strategy development
3. Creative Brief - Creative requirements defined
4. Content Creation - Asset development
5. Brand Review - Brand compliance check
6. Legal Review - Legal and compliance approval
7. Campaign Ready - All approvals complete
8. Launched - Campaign is live

Social Media Workflow

1. Idea - Content concept
2. Content Creation - Copy and visual development
3. Hashtag Research - Tag and engagement strategy
4. Visual Design - Final visual assets
5. Scheduled - Timing and platform assignment
6. Published - Live on social platforms
7. Engagement - Community management phase

Performance Monitoring

• Review status distribution regularly - Too many items stuck in one status indicates a bottleneck
• Use “late” indicators to identify chronically problematic stages
• Track time between status changes to set realistic estimates
• Monitor team workload to prevent over-commitment

Process Improvements

• Set realistic time estimates between statuses based on historical data
• Create standard operating procedures for each status to ensure consistency
• Use comments systematically to document decisions and maintain context
• Regular retrospectives to identify and fix workflow issues

Automation Strategies

• Consistent naming conventions for easier sorting and finding
• Template ideas for recurring content types
• Batch processing of similar content through the same stages
• Calendar bulk actions for efficient scheduling

Pro Tip: Start with a simple workflow and evolve it based on real usage data. It’s better to have a workflow that works 80% of the time than a complex system that’s ignored. Use your dashboard analytics to identify where your workflow needs refinement.