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7 CMS features every midsized company needs

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Midsized organizations, from content producers and marketing agencies to e-commerce companies, have to compete with bigger companies on many levels. While larger organizations may have large, dedicated IT staffs and marketing teams, midsized organizations often endeavor to get more done with less. Having the right content management system (CMS) to manage content creation, publication and distribution can make the difference when it comes to business growth for your midsized company. But which features are the most important to have and what should you look for when you choose your next CMS? Read on to learn more.

User-friendly functionality 

Your writers, marketing team and other content creators are not IT professionals or web developers. And they shouldn’t have to be in order to use your CMS. The platform should be intuitive and easy-to-use, whether you are uploading content to one website or multiple sites. Features such as modular content capabilities, flexible content templates and the ability to easily embed different kinds of media make a CMS easy to use.

CMS tips for Rich-Text Editor (RTE)
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Robust management for all types of content 

Several years ago, every business had to have a written blog to boost their SEO rankings and stay competitive. But in 2022, video rules the online world. that online video would make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic last year. That’s 15 times more than we saw in 2017.

Clearly, a CMS that helps you easily sort, manage, edit, publish and distribute all kinds of content, not just the written word, is crucial. Your CMS should enable you to upload and optimize videos for streaming on any device, deliver videos along with companion content and create playlists. When it comes to image management, features such as editing, cropping and auto-tagging to sort your products by features and descriptions make it easy to deploy content to your site faster and leverage the benefits of optimized photos in search engine rankings.

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Syndication and distribution tools

Multiple apps and platforms exist to help you manage social media, syndication distribution and even cross-platform advertising. But a CMS that brings these capabilities together on one platform and integrates with APIs you already use can make implementing your marketing strategy easier than ever.

Brightspot CMS integrations screenshot

Collaboration capabilities

Chances are that every piece of content your company creates is a joint effort. Look for a CMS with all the editing and collaboration features you need for productivity and security, including rich-text editing, field-level locking for simultaneous editing and real-time conversations and updates so a remote team can easily collaborate.

Users should be able to set up their account to receive notifications the way they want, when they want. The CMS should support third-party integrations with communications platforms your company usually relies on, including Slack, email and even text messaging.

Having control over collaboration tools can increase efficiency and streamline workflows. When two people want to work on revisions at the same time, this can happen within the system. But sometimes, you don’t want to jump into a piece of content until your teammate is finished delivering feedback.

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Multisite and microsite management 

Today’s publishers often have more than one website or brand to promote but want a consistent look and feel across properties—even when different teams are responsible for content on disparate sites. Look for a platform that allows a consistent brand experience, one easy and intuitive user interface and the ability to manage and publish content in multiple languages. Being able to create a familiar user experience for your brand, your teams and for site visitors will increase efficiency, saving valuable time and money.

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Powerful workflow capabilities

While multisite and microsite management capabilities help increase efficiency, these won’t be as effective without a solid suite of workflow management tools. You want to be able to customize workflows for each type of content and for multiple sites without assistance from your IT team or a developer. That means having access to edit permissions and notifications and track every change made on any type of content.

Screenshot of Brightspot workflow tool
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Integrate multiple apps easily

Above all else, the best features to look for in a CMS for a mid-sized organization relate to ease-of-use, scalability and flexibility. ·¬ÇÑÉçÇøs change, content evolves and your organization may grow in a way that causes your needs to expand, too.

An API-first content platform lets you choose the best front-end experience for your organization and adapt as your business needs change. Best of all, it can serve as a hub to connect your ecosystem of essential applications across technology, marketing, advertising and other needs. With this flexible framework in place, you can manage updates and integrate with other apps without the support of an in-house or outsourced development team, giving your marketing team and creative staff freedom and flexibility to adapt the CMS to their changing needs.

June 20, 2022
Brightspot comes ready for business from day one with more than 70 pre-built integrations with the most commonly used third-party software solutions needed by digital publishers.

Most of all, you want a system that doesn’t require your organization to rely on developers or complicated coding to make changes. Functionality, flexibility and the ability to produce, edit, store and distribute multiple types of content should be in the front of your mind when you choose a new CMS.

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Dawn Allcot
About the Author
Dawn Allcot
Dawn Allcot is a freelance writer, content strategist and owner of a boutique content agency, Allcot Media. With more than 25 years of experience writing about business, marketing, and technology, she simplifies complex topics to help readers make informed decisions in an ever-changing online world.

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