A Content Management System

This blog is becoming a list of frequently asked client questions, but I think it’s appropriate to share our responses here.

CMS is a beautiful thing when it comes to websites, microsites, and landing pages. We all know the pain of asking “our web guy” (who cringes at that title) to change the color of a hyperlink. Or the positioning of a button. CMS is a powerful way to make quick updates and put some of the control in the hands of non-technical people just like me.

But problems arise when using CMS (content management systems) as a blogging tool. First of all, permissions can become a real issue with content management systems. Chris Baggott has a great story about the pain a “certain company” felt when they tried to use CMS for blogging. It worked fine until people actually started writing content, which had to be batched and sent to an administrator via email for approval, then modified, and finally entered into the CMS interface.

So guess what happened as a result of this process? Posts didn’t get approved in a timely manner, and because writers didn’t see their content, they lost a lot of enthusiasm and didn’t feel compelled to write all that much. Other problems included cost and scalability. There’s a good reason why CMS is still, for the most part, designed for only a few people to have access. Let more than a handful in, and not only does it become expensive, but everyone wants a say in how things look, feel, and read.

And speaking of look and feel, although CMS makes it possible to put blogs directly within the framework of your website, with the same look and feel and features and images, the beauty of the page may come at a high price. All of that fancy HTML and coding may make it difficult for Google and other search engines to get through to the heart of what you want them to find: your content. With a clean blogging platform, Google is able to easily scan the content through a clear lens and not get hung up on the excess “stuff.”

Blogging platforms like Compendium also have clear control and compliance features, user permissions, workflow rules, and are affordable when you want to have lots of people participating in content creation. That’s right, content creation, not content management. Look at the differences between those very phrases, and the light bulb will probably go off.

With a blogging solution, you’re able to give lots of people an outlet to create content, which is more powerful for your organization than management of content created by a few select people.

The reason why content creation by numerous people is so important all traces back to search engine optimization (SEO), acquisition, and personal relationships. What are your thoughts on CMS and blogging? What other pitfalls or benefits have I overlooked here? I’d love your feedback.

Comments for The problem with using CMS for blogging

Thursday, January 3, 2008 by Ted Myers:: Ali, in using CMS are you referring to Macromedia Contribute? I don't believe you ever define the term. ;-)
Thursday, January 3, 2008 by Ali Sales:: Thanks, Ted. You keep me on my toes! I modified the post.
Saturday, January 5, 2008 by Ted Myers:: People are using CMS for blogging... what are they thinking?!?!?! It's hard enough keeping the web site up to date without mucking it up more with pseudo-blogs. Kinda like hauling trash in a Mercedes simply because it's there and you know how to drive. It's obviously NOT what it's made for. Contribute, et. al., are great programs for updating fairly static web pages, and even adding a new page occasionally. They are not designed for frequent, bi-directional updates.