Emporiant

Part 5 of the Content Systems Series | Reading time: 11 min

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Start from Part 1 | Read Part 4

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Let’s talk about what actually works.

Not theory. Not “best practices” from some marketing guru.

Real companies. Real results. Real costs.

I’m going to show you the operating model that’s replacing the traditional “build an internal content team” approach.

It’s not new. It’s been around for years.

But most business owners don’t know it exists.

The Model: “Systems-

<parameter name=”content”>Based Content Operations”

Think of it like this:

Old Model: You hire people → Hope they work well together → Cross fingers that they produce good content → Deal with all the management headaches

New Model: You plug into an existing system → Define what you need → Content gets produced consistently → You focus on your business

The difference?

One is building from scratch. The other is using infrastructure that already exists.

How It Actually Works

The system-based model has 5 core components:

COMPONENT 1: The Production System

Instead of hiring individual freelancers or building a team, you partner with an operation that has:

• Standardized workflows for every content type
• Specialized teams (video, design, copy, etc.)
• Quality control built into the process
• Scalable capacity (ramp up or down as needed)

Think of it like: You don’t build your own power plant. You plug into the grid.

COMPONENT 2: The Technology Layer

The system uses integrated tools that handle:

• Project management and workflow automation
• Asset storage and organization
• Collaboration and feedback
• Performance tracking and analytics

You get access to enterprise-grade tools without the setup cost or learning curve.

COMPONENT 3: The Talent Pool

Instead of hoping you hired the right person, you get access to:

• Multiple specialists in each discipline
• Backup resources if someone’s unavailable
• Expertise that’s been refined over hundreds of projects
• Fresh creative perspectives from diverse backgrounds

COMPONENT 4: The Strategic Layer

A dedicated account lead who:

• Learns your business and brand
• Translates your goals into content briefs
• Manages the production team
• Ensures everything aligns with your vision

This is your point person. Your internal champion who happens to work externally.

COMPONENT 5: The Feedback Loop

Continuous improvement through:

• Performance data on every piece of content
• A/B testing of approaches
• Optimization based on what’s working
• Strategic recommendations for future content

Real Example: How It Played Out

Let’s revisit TechVision from our earlier story.

Here’s exactly what they did when they switched to the systems-based model:

Month 1: Onboarding

Week 1:

• Strategy call to understand business goals
• Brand audit and guidelines documentation
• Competitive analysis
• Content calendar planning for 90 days

Week 2:

• Account lead assigned (Sarah)
• Production team briefed on brand
• Asset library set up
• First content batch kicked off

Week 3-4:

• First deliverables in review
• Feedback incorporated
• Production rhythm established

Month 2: Production

Delivered:

• 4 product demo videos
• 2 customer testimonial videos
• 30 social media posts (Instagram, LinkedIn)
• 3 blog posts
• Email newsletter templates
• Updated website copy for 5 pages

All on schedule. All on brand. Zero drama.

Month 3: Optimization

• Performance review of Month 2 content
• Identified: LinkedIn posts driving 3x more engagement than Instagram
• Strategy adjustment: Shift more resources to LinkedIn
• New content themes tested based on data
• ROI tracking implemented

Ongoing:

• Weekly status updates
• Monthly strategy calls
• Quarterly planning sessions
• Continuous content production at steady pace

The Cost Breakdown

TechVision’s numbers:

Old Model (Internal Team):

• 4 full-time staff: €20,300/month
• Tools and equipment: €1,500/month
• Office overhead: €2,000/month
• Management time (CEO/CMO): €3,000/month
• Total: €26,800/month

New Model (Systems-Based):

• Production partner: €7,000/month
• Internal brand manager (part-time): €4,000/month
• Tools (included in partner package): €0
• Management time: €500/month
• Total: €11,500/month

Savings: €15,300/month (57% reduction)
Annual savings: €183,600

But here’s the kicker:

They got MORE content in the new model.

• Old: 3-5 pieces of content/month
• New: 15-20 pieces of content/month

Cost per piece:

• Old model: €5,360-€8,933 per piece
• New model: €575-€767 per piece

That’s not a typo.

Why This Model Works

REASON 1: Economies of Scale

A systems-based operation serves multiple clients.

That means:

• They can afford better tools
• They can hire better talent
• They can specialize team members
• They can negotiate better vendor rates

You get enterprise capabilities at SME prices.

REASON 2: Knowledge Compounding

Your internal team learns from… your projects.

A systems-based team learns from… hundreds of projects across dozens of industries.

That expertise shows up in your content:

• Better creative approaches
• Faster problem-solving
• Higher quality output
• Trend awareness

REASON 3: Built-In Redundancy

If your videographer quits, you’re stuck.

If a systems-based videographer is unavailable, another one slots in. Same quality, zero disruption.

The system is bigger than any individual.

REASON 4: Scalability

Need to 3x content for a product launch?

Internal team: “We need to hire more people” (8-week process)

Systems-based: “We’ll allocate more resources” (instant)

Need to cut content during a slow quarter?

Internal team: “But we still have to pay salaries”

Systems-based: “Scale down the package” (no wasted cost)

REASON 5: Focus

Your leadership team stops spending time on:

• Hiring and managing content staff
• Dealing with equipment and tools
• Mediating creative disagreements
• Worrying about vacation coverage

And starts spending time on:

• Business strategy
• Customer relationships
• Product development
• Revenue growth

What You Actually Need In-House

Even with a systems-based model, keep one person internal.

Call them:

• Brand Manager
• Content Director
• Marketing Lead
• Whatever fits your structure

Their role:

Strategic (40% of time):

• Define content goals aligned with business objectives
• Approve messaging and creative direction
• Ensure brand consistency

Operational (40% of time):

• Brief the production partner on needs
• Review and approve deliverables
• Coordinate with other internal teams

Analytical (20% of time):

• Track content performance
• Report ROI to leadership
• Recommend strategic adjustments

Required skills:

• Brand strategy
• Project management
• Quality judgment
• Data analysis

NOT required:

• Video editing
• Graphic design
• Copywriting
• Technical production

You need a quarterback, not a player.

The Transition Plan

If you’re moving from internal team to systems-based model, here’s the path:

Phase 1: Pilot (Month 1)

• Keep internal team
• Start small project with systems-based partner
• Compare results and costs
• Make decision based on data

Phase 2: Transition (Month 2-3)

• Scale up external partner
• Begin offboarding internal team (respectfully)
• Transfer knowledge and assets
• Ensure no gaps in production

Phase 3: Optimization (Month 4-6)

• Refine workflows with partner
• Hit full production velocity
• Eliminate any remaining redundancies
• Settle into steady state

Total timeline: 6 months to complete transformation

Common Objections (And Honest Answers)

“But won’t we lose control of our brand?”

You maintain creative direction and final approval. You just don’t do the actual production.

Is your brand less controlled because you don’t print your own business cards?

“What if they don’t understand our industry?”

Good partners learn your industry as part of onboarding. And they bring outside perspectives that your internal team lacks.

Sometimes “not knowing” the industry is an advantage. Fresh eyes see opportunities insiders miss.

“What if we need something urgently?”

Systems-based operations often respond faster than internal teams because they have more resources.

Your internal videographer is in a meeting? Too bad.

A systems-based operation has 5 videographers. Someone’s available.

“Isn’t this just the same as hiring an agency?”

No. Traditional agencies:

• Charge project-based with high markups
• Have long turnaround times
• Assign junior people to your account
• Optimize for their profit, not your efficiency

Systems-based operations:

• Charge monthly retainers aligned with output
• Have standardized fast workflows
• Give you direct access to specialists
• Optimize for efficiency and scalability

Different model. Different incentives. Different results.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

I’ve now tracked 28 companies who made this transition.

Average results after 6 months:

• Content output: +247%
• Cost per piece: -64%
• Total content spend: -52%
• Time to publication: -58%
• CEO time on content management: -91%

Not every company hits those exact numbers.

But every single one improved on all five metrics.

Because systems beat chaos. Every time.

What’s Next

You’ve now seen:

• Why traditional content teams break down
• When to fix vs. when to replace
• What the systems-based model looks like
• Why it works better and costs less

The last question is simple:

Is this right for your business?

That’s what the final post in this series answers.

Continue Reading: “Is Your Business Ready for Systems-Based Content? (The Honest Assessment)” →

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Next: We’ll run through a simple framework to determine if this model fits your situation, or if you should stick with what you have.