Every brand’s process of creating content is a bit different, but generally you have:

• The marketing plan
• The content strategy within the marketing plan
• The specific tactics (i.e., a blog) within the content strategy
• An editorial plan for the tactic (the managing editor’s role)
• Base content for the tactic (i.e., a blog post)
• Review of the base content (expert review and proofreading)
• The distribution of the content through the content management system
• The optimization of the content for search engines (on-page and off-page)
• Syndication of the content (i.e. though Facebook and Twitter)
• Integration of the content (back to the marketing plan and with the other content marketing strategies and traditional marketing strategies)
• Measuring the content (through analytics, conversions, direct/cross sales or other qualitative measures)
• Reevaluating the content (based on thefeedback about the content through analytics)

This is a simple version of a very complex process. Cost, or better said, investment is something comes at each one of these steps. Most marketers only look at content cost as thebase content (the word or the video), something you might pay someone $25 a post, $100 an hour or even $2 per word, depending on the complexity of the content and the needs of the business. Let’s say that you need to invest $300 for this particular blog post. Many marketers think they are done with the budgeting process (blog posts needed x $300). Oh no, not even close.

• Who’s creating the ongoing editorial plan?
• Who’s keeping the content fresh, cutting-edge and compelling?
• Who syndicates the content?
• Who repurposes the content?
• Who measures the content?
• Who’s reevaluating the content?

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• The Content Marketing Institute (digitalassetmanagement.org.uk)