Content Publishing Workflow for Retail & E-commerce

# Content Publishing Workflow - Retail & E-commerce

## Purpose
Use for all blog posts, social media content, and marketing collateral to maintain quality and brand consistency.

## When to Use
An end-to-end content workflow from brief through drafting, review, approval, publishing, and promotion across channels.

## Instructions
1. Review the template below and familiarise yourself with the structure
2. Replace all [bracketed placeholders] with your retail & e-commerce business details
3. Customise the tone and formatting to match your brand
4. Save in your preferred tool (Notion or Asana)

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## Content Publishing Workflow

### Trigger
New content piece added to the content calendar, or ad hoc content request submitted by a team member.

### Steps

**Step 1: Create Content Brief** (Owner: Marketing Lead) - 5+ business days before target publish date
Write a content brief in Notion including: topic, target audience, key messages, target keywords (for SEO), content format (blog, social, video), word count target, references, and publish date. Create a corresponding task in Asana.
- Tool: Notion + Asana
- Output: Content brief completed and task assigned

**Step 2: Assign Writer** (Owner: Marketing Lead) - With the brief
Assign the content task in Asana to a writer (internal or freelance). Set the first draft due date (allow at least 3 business days for a blog post). Notify the writer via Slack and share the brief.
- Tool: Asana + Slack
- Output: Writer assigned and notified

**Step 3: Draft Content** (Owner: Assigned Writer) - Per due date
Write the first draft following the brief, brand voice guidelines, and SEO best practices. Save the draft in the designated Notion workspace. Notify the Marketing Lead that the draft is ready for review.
- Tool: Notion
- Output: First draft completed in Notion

**Step 4: Editorial Review** (Owner: Marketing Lead or Editor) - Within 2 business days
Review the draft for: alignment with brief, brand voice consistency, factual accuracy, grammar and spelling (Australian English), SEO optimisation, and readability. Provide feedback directly in Notion using comments.
- Tool: Notion
- Output: Feedback provided in Notion

> Decision Point: If the draft needs significant rework, return to the writer with specific feedback and a revised due date. If minor edits are needed, the editor can make them directly or request quick fixes.

**Step 5: Revise Content** (Owner: Assigned Writer) - Within 1-2 business days
Address all editorial feedback. Resolve all comments in Notion. Notify the editor that revisions are complete.
- Tool: Notion
- Output: Revised draft ready for final approval

**Step 6: Design and Media** (Owner: Designer or Marketing Lead) - Within 2 business days
Create or source any accompanying visuals: featured image, social media graphics, infographics, or embedded media. Ensure all visuals meet brand guidelines for colours, fonts, and style.
- Tool: Design tool + Notion
- Output: Visual assets created and attached to the content record

**Step 7: Final Approval** (Owner: Director or Senior Stakeholder) - Within 1 business day
Review the final version including visuals. Check for any compliance, legal, or strategic concerns. Approve for publishing or request final changes.
- Tool: Notion + Slack
- Output: Content approved for publishing

**Step 8: Publish** (Owner: Marketing Lead) - On scheduled publish date
Publish the content on the designated platform (website, blog, social media). Ensure all metadata is complete: title tag, meta description, alt text, categories, and tags. Verify the published version displays correctly.
- Tool: CMS + Notion (update status)
- Output: Content live and verified

**Step 9: Promote** (Owner: Marketing Lead) - Within 24 hours of publishing
Share across promotion channels: social media, email newsletter, internal Slack, and any relevant third-party platforms. Use the social media captions prepared during the brief stage.
- Tool: Social media platforms + Slack
- Output: Content promoted across all planned channels

**Step 10: Track Performance** (Owner: Marketing Lead) - 7 and 30 days after publishing
Review content performance metrics: page views, engagement, shares, conversions, and keyword rankings. Log performance in the content tracker. Identify insights for future content planning.
- Tool: Analytics + Notion
- Output: Performance review completed, insights documented

### Completion Criteria
- [ ] Content brief created and approved
- [ ] Draft written, reviewed, and revised
- [ ] Visual assets created to brand standards
- [ ] Final approval obtained
- [ ] Content published with correct metadata
- [ ] Promoted across planned channels
- [ ] Performance tracked at 7 and 30 days

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**Complexity:** intermediate | **Setup time:** 15 minutes | **Tools:** Notion, Asana, Slack

Note: This template has been tailored for retail & e-commerce businesses in Australia. Adjust terminology and compliance references to match your specific context.