02 CMS Considerations.pdf

A CMS controls content A CMS keeps track of content, who can access it, and how it relates to other content through functions like: State Dependency Search and Permissions...

A CMS controls content A CMS keeps track of content, who can access it, and how it relates to other content through functions like: State Dependency Search and Permissions management Versioning management organization and workflow Who can see Is the content How many Is the content How do I find the content? published? In times has the being used by content? draft? content other content? Who can changed? How can I change it? Has it been Is there unused group content archived? Does the or orphaned so it’s easier to Who can current version content? manage? delete it? differ from an older one? (Barker, 2016, ch. 1) 4 A CMS allows content reuse When creating content, it is important to be able to reuse it in other places o If you think about advertising you will see the same brand logo on most marketing material along with text, colours and more! o The same thing applies to content. If we write a new article, we may need to refer to it in different places such as headlines on the main page, images in future articles, the author’s image and biography to be used on future articles CMS’ empower the person or organization who is using it by allowing them to reuse content previously created (Barker, 2016, ch. 1) 5 A CMS allows content automation and aggregation Keeping all of our content in a single-location allows easier querying (searching) and manipulation o If we need to find all articles related to Covid-19, we can using keyword searching with the CMS We can also automate the publishing and distribution of content in forms such as web pages, PDFs, Word Documents, Images and more! CMS software also allows delivery of content multiple languages and for changes to be made and quickly re- distributed (Barker, 2016, ch. 1) 6 A CMS increases editorial efficiency CMS software allows editors to create/ edit content quickly and accurately This leads to increased “throughput” allow editors and creators alike to move through the editorial process with less hurdles CMS software even allows for notification of movement through the process called “Editorial Workflow” (more on this in later slideshows). o This lets each person along the chain know when it is time to do their part! (Barker, 2016, ch. 1) 7 A CMS does not create content CMS software can manage content, making it easier to view, edit and publish However this does not create the content. A person such as yourself must do that! The CMS however can use tools to analyze parts of your content such as hyperlinks to make sure they are working o CMS software can include pre-set styling for text to make sure you follow your website or organization’s style guidelines. But you need to make it amazing! (Barker, 2016, ch. 1) 9 A CMS does not create marketing plans Creating your content and using your CMS to publish it on a regular basis won’t provide value on its own The CMS doesn’t know a thing about marketing. o It could integrate with marketing tools but you or your marketing team need to setup the plan! (Barker, 2016, ch. 1) 10 A CMS does not effectively format content The CMS can help you structure your content – for example, it can help you use the appropriate styling to match your branding style guidelines However, can it can double-check and edit your content? o It cannot check if you article meets all points it should have, and it cannot tell if you if you are using bold too much (This is what an editor is for!) (Barker, 2016, ch. 1) 11 A CMS does not provide governance Governance provides access to and processes around your content – e.g. who can access and complete processes around it (create, read, update, delete or CRUD) However, the CMS doesn’t know who does what in your organization. o This must be configured and decided through your organization’s editorial process and workflow (Barker, 2016, ch. 1) 12 Target site type The nature of your business will determine the type of CMS software you or your organization will need o An education institution such as Conestoga College will need a Learning Management System (LMS) which is a type of CMS o A Graphic Designer entrepreneur may need software such as Canva for storing and creating images o A small law firm may need software such as OpenText to store all critically sensitive files for different cases and sensitivity (Barker, 2016, ch. 2) 15 System vs Implementations When reviewing Content Management Systems, it is important to remember that the software your company wants to use will not just magically appear The software is the end product, but also may require steps in order to install it – this is known as the implementation Implementations require planning, organizing of data, and coordination with software vendors and/or consultants (Barker, 2016, ch. 2) 16 Product vs Platform There is a difference between Content Management Systems Some act as single-use software, where it meets and serves a single-purpose. In many cases, this software has no customization or configurations available. o In this case, the customer changes their process to meet the software’s requirements. o This is known as a Product (Barker, 2016, ch. 2) 17 Product vs Platform (cont’d) Other software acts as a configurable and customizable during implementation. o It serves many cases of the business process for the customer. o In this case, the software is configured to meet the customer’s needs. o This is known as a Platform. Which is best for your business will be determine by budgets, time-frame, capabilities and resources (Barker, 2016, ch. 2) 18 Platform vs Product trade-offs There are many software packages out there. Vendors may convince you that they can meet every one of your needs and are easy to install and implement This is almost always false – the true value of a system is determined by the classic triple constraint of time, cost, and scope (Baratta, 2006) 19 Management vs Delivery Everything to do with creating, editing, managing, and securing before publishing is considered management Everything to do with publishing, updating, marketing, analysis, etc. is considered delivery (Barker, 2016, ch. 2) 20 Coupled vs Decoupled In many cases CMS solutions have both the management and delivery of content within the same system – this is known as coupled. Coupled systems are the most common and many people who use a CMS do not realize that they could be separate systems (e.g. WordPress) However in some CMS solutions, the management of content is handled in one system and the delivery is performed in another – decoupled Decoupled systems are becoming fewer and fewer and are more associated with high-availability or distributed publishing environment (e.g. Contentful) (Barker, 2016, ch. 2) 21 Installed vs SaaS Installed is where the software license is paid in full under a one-time fee and you have full access to the software in perpetuity. o The software is then installed on a local or controlled server based on your request SaaS is Software as a Service – you rent the software (usually for a monthly cost) and can continue to do so until such time as you no longer need the software o This software is hosted by the vendor and all the infrastructure is taken care of by vendor (Barker, 2016, ch. 2) 22