Scale content: How to ‘Marie Kondo’ your content workflow

Does your content workflow spark ROI?

Or are you buried under old drafts, chaotic processes, and a dozen Slack messages asking, “Has this been reviewed yet?”

Scaling gets messy when content demands grow, but your workflow stays stuck. Creating a scalable content strategy is no easy task. And more content shouldn’t mean more chaos—but without the right systems, it often does. 

It’s time to Marie Kondo your content ops, fold those workflows into neat little systems, thank the chaos for its service, and send it on its way.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to tidy up your content workflow so you can scale content without burning out your team or sacrificing quality.

Let’s get organised.

‍TL;DR:

Scaling content doesn’t have to be this way. To scale content efficiently, focus on fixing your content workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and repurposing high-performing content. Follow these six steps to clean up and get organised:

1. Audit your content for gaps and opportunities.
2. Create repeatable workflows for consistency.
3. Leverage automation tools to speed up processes.
4. Build a scalable content review process to ensure quality.
5. Repurpose and refresh high-performing content to maximise its value.
6. Use a content calendar to stay on track and meet deadlines. 

Ready to declutter your content ops? Learn how we can help you scale content without burnout!

What is content scaling? Why does it matter?

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Before we get to the good stuff, let’s define exactly what content scaling is and why it’s so important. Content scaling best practices involve expanding your content efforts smartly without tiring your team or letting the quality of your output slip.

Scaling content isn’t about burning out creators to produce more content or using AI to pump out articles. It’s all about expanding your content efforts smartly without tiring your team or letting the quality of your output slip.

The best content scaling methods involve maximising the impact of your content while minimising your resources. Simply put, it’s about creating more with less. 

Great scaling efforts mean you reach a larger audience, increase ROI, and boost efficiency, all while providing interesting, valuable content that readers keep coming back to. It means you can amplify your reach without piling more onto your plate, whether that’s hiring more in-house team members or freelancers or extending the hours of current staff.

For more actionable insights on scaling content effectively, check out our comprehensive guide to content scaling tips.

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Why a clean, scalable content workflow matters

45% of B2B marketers lack a scalable model for content creation. But without an optimised, clear workflow, scaling content production can feel stressful. The key to taming the chaos is organisation. 

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A clean, streamlined, scalable workflow brings many benefits:

• More content, less chaos: A clutter-free process means you can avoid bottlenecks and follow a smoother brief–to–publication process, so you can publish faster and stay relevant.
• Better organisation = better results: Clear, step-by-step workflows increase consistency and allow you to focus on what matters – strategy and producing great content.
• Work smarter, not harder. Clever strategies like repurposing and refreshing existing content maximise its value without forcing you to reinvent the wheel every time.

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6 steps to declutter and scale your content workflow

Here’s our step-by-step, practical guide to keeping your content production processes in check.

Step 1: Audit your existing content

Before you even consider ramping up and scaling your content production, review your existing content. Approximately 61% of marketers conduct content audits twice or more a year. 

Start auditing and identify pieces that are already performing well. These are your star candidates for repurposing content for SEO. Consider your content audit as holding each asset and asking: Does this still spark ROI?

Also, take note of any content gaps in your strategy that you can work on filling. A great way to start on your strategy is to work your existing, high-impact content harder while creating fresh content for any cracks.

Step 2: Create a repeatable content workflow

Instead of panicking every time you create a new piece of content, wondering which steps to take next (and in which order), make a clear, repeatable workflow. Break down and separate every stage of the content creation process, including brainstorming, drafting, editing, and publishing. Depending on your goals or current workflow, you should add a few more steps, such as image sourcing.

Define roles and responsibilities within your team and communicate them well so everyone is on top of their game.

Learn: how Meister keeps content flowing

Step 3: Leverage content workflow software & automation

Managing content manually is time-consuming, and let’s face it – pretty unnecessary with the sea of workflow automation tools available today. 94% of companies perform repetitive, time-consuming tasks. However, automation has improved jobs for 90% of knowledge workers and productivity for 66%. 

If you’re not already, use content workflow software and automation tools to speed everything up. The right tools can simplify content planning, approvals, and distribution, tackling the dull, manual tasks that drain your team’s time.

Tools like HubSpot, Buffer, or SEMrush can automate content distribution, saving precious hours which can be spent on strategy or creation instead of logistics.

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Read: 5 best Contently alternatives for scaling content marketing

Step 4: Build a scalable content review process

One area that often gets messy is the review process. Without clear, tried-and-tested guidelines, content can stray off-brand or slip through the cracks, filled with errors. Or, it might get passed around to too many stakeholders, delaying the editing and publishing process.

Establish an organised system for content review, including editing, approval, and quality controls. Before hitting the publish button, ensure that all content is reviewed for consistency, messaging, grammar, and overall quality. 

A great idea is to determine some ground rules for your process across your team. For example, one key editor must make any changes within three days. 

At Contentoo, our easy-to-use platform streamlines the content creation and approval process. Our built-in project management system allows you to remain consistent and provides access to various pre-vetted, professional content creators.

Step 5: Repurpose and refresh high-performing content

Repurposing content is a popular, successful way that many marketers scale. All you need to do is take current, standout content and transform it into another format. 

For example, turn a blog post that’s received sky-high view rates into a series of LinkedIn posts. Or distil a webinar with expert insights into a skimmable, easy-to-read email newsletter. 

Alternatively, breathe new life into older content that once performed well with new updates, information, or statistics linking to the subject matter – and then reshare it across different mediums. For example, a blog post on “Top [x] trends in 2024” could be updated with current data for 2025.

Step 6: Use a content calendar to smoothen your workflow

Nothing says organised like a well-used content calendar. Use a content calendar to plan your work ahead of time, scheduling specific pieces alongside marketing initiatives or special occasions. Following a content calendar also means you can easily hit your target deadlines and maintain a consistent publishing schedule.

Free download: your ultimate content workflow checklist

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What to avoid when you scale content

Scaling content doesn’t come without its challenges and pitfalls. 

Here are some top tips on what to avoid:

• Scaling without a process:  Attempting to scale without an easy-to-follow workflow can lead to stress, inconsistencies, and fatigue. Spend some time nailing down your process early on and stick to it. Strategically focus on creating valuable, unique, and sustainable content with purpose. 
• Neglecting automation: Manual processes slow down the entire content creation process. While using new tools may seem daunting, many are super simple to use and will save you tons of time in the future. 
• Skip content reviews: Without careful checks, your content can easily become off-brand, filled with mistakes, or inconsistent across different platforms.

For more actionable insights on how to scale your content effectively, check out our comprehensive guide on content scaling tips.

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TL;DR: A scalable content workflow = a sustainable strategy

Remember, scaling content isn’t about delivering more. It’s about amplifying the content that works and following clever workflows. It requires focus, organisation, and the right tools to give you a helping hand.

With strong systems, you can maximise your team’s efforts and ensure your content hits the mark every time, without the mess and disorder.

Ready to declutter your content operations and scale your content? See how Contentoo’s expert-vetted freelancers and easy-to-use platform can help you streamline, automate, and scale your content without burning out your team. Talk to us.