How to Create Content at Scale

Content creation on a small scale is challenging enough. Try publishing 100, 200, 500, or even 1,000 content pieces per month. While 1,000 + content pieces per month may seem like a lot, when executed well, the growth potential is incredible.

What is content at scale?

Content at scale is the process of creating large volumes of high-quality content faster. The main objective of creating content on a larger scale is to get faster results. You’ll get more organic traffic, conversions, and brand awareness. At scale you can really start to notice that ‘snowball’ effect quicker for your campaigns.

Content doesn’t necessarily just refer to written content forms like articles, it could also include videos, infographics, etc. It takes a lot to create great content at scale, and many find it challenging to increase publishing velocity without compromising quality.

How to create content at scale

If you want to create content at scale, it’s essential to understand the fundamentals. Here are some tips to help.

1. Create a well-oiled machine

“To effectively create content at scale, your operation needs to run like a well-oiled machine. Processes and policies need to be defined and implemented at every level to minimize disruptions — from the initial content strategy to the final quality check. Get comfortable with continuously reviewing and refining strategies that optimize your workflows, especially when paired with company growth. Brainstorm with the people at each stage of content production. Transparent communication and open-minded discussions can provide valuable insight and alternative solutions from those directly involved.”

– Josephine Loo, Head of Content, Writing Studio

2. Choose the right topics

If you’re creating 1,000 content pieces and don’t pick the right topics, you’re wasting valuable resources. Even if the writing, editing, visuals, distribution plan, etc. is great, well-thought-out content ideation is a puzzle piece that cannot be ignored. To create great SEO content, resources must be invested into keyword research, detailed competitor analysis, and understanding your audience. 

3. Use the best tools

When you scale, repetitive tasks snowball and take time. The more you can streamline processes without compromising quality, the better. The most important tool to use is a content calendar. This will give you a birds-eye-view of your content production which makes managing everything easier. You can use any project management tool for this, such as Airtable, Monday, Asana, and Trello, which have many templates. You can also use tools like Buffer and Hootsuite to automate content distribution on social media and content marketing platforms like DivvyHQ.

4. Build a repeatable process

– Kevin Indig, Director of SEO, Shopify

5. Don’t scale too quickly

Don’t fall into the trap of producing too much content too fast. Just because you have the resources to invest in a lot of content doesn’t mean you should, at least yet. It’s important first to ensure that your content creation process works at 10 articles per month, then, 50, 100, 250, etc. Your approach must first prove it achieves desired outcomes at a smaller scale. Think ahead about the problems that would occur if you doubled or tripled content output, and try to solve them.

6. Document everything

“Scaling content creation is a lot like scaling a business. When creating content on a smaller scale, you can get away with having a less formal strategy and your creation process probably only involves a few people. But as you scale, you really need to formalize (and document) everything. Your entire operation needs to be aligned with a documented content strategy. Producers need to have clearly defined subject areas, buyer segments, or channels that they’re responsible for. Collaborative planning should happen on a consistent basis. And the overall content creation process (workflows, Q/A, etc.) needs to be mapped out to maintain efficiency and accountability.”

– Brody Dorland, Co-founder, DivvyHQ

The bottom line

Creating content at scale is challenging but worth it when successfully executed. It takes a lot to accomplish it well: you need a great team, clear processes, and a vision of the outcome. According to the experts, having clear processes is an essential component. Master smaller quantities; scale up from there.