The quality control checklist your content needs
An essential part of creating content is ensuring that every asset meets its brief, maintains factual accuracy – and adheres to best-practice guidelines. In other words, quality control is key. But what should brands be looking out for? To help comms leaders strengthen their quality control practices, we’ve compiled a handy checklist below.
1. Not all sources are created equal
Expert commentary and evidence-based data points can help you elevate your content, build credibility and position your brand as an authoritative voice in the industry. But it’s important to choose your references carefully.
Do you recognise the source you want to refer to? Is the information you’re citing current and discussed on other trustworthy sites? Every statistic, fact and opinion that you reference – no matter how small – should come from a reputable source.
2. Several pairs of eyes are better than one
Content creation is a process – and bringing in fresh eyes every step of the way will help your team constantly identify opportunities for improvement. Colleagues can offer neutral feedback about what’s working and what’s not in a given asset and flag any elements that might be misinterpreted by your audience.
Not only does this allow you to lean into the skills and expertise of your team but it also results in more polished output. When your audience sees that your content is thought-through and developed with care, they are more likely to come back for more.
3. A clear content calendar is your friend
Forward planning is a critical part of the editorial newsroom process. A clear publishing schedule – which allows plenty of time for materials to be gathered and content to be drafted, edited, proofed, fact-checked and reviewed – is key to avoiding a last-minute rush. Scrambling to get something out is a surefire way to introduce mistakes to your work.
We build editorial calendars for all our clients – but we also set up internal schedules to optimise every single project within Speak. The timelines our trusty planning teams put together map out the responsibilities and deadlines assigned to each team member at every stage of production. This process becomes even more important for fast-turnaround pieces that require everyone to be at the top of their game.
4. Every element matters
Putting together a press release or a news article? Remember that written content is just one part of the process. Every element that accompanies the copy, whether it’s an image, video or social asset, should be produced to an equal standard – and vice versa when developing visual content.
Here at Speak, where collaboration is one of our key values, the copy team and picture desk work closely together to ensure the words and imagery always complement one another. If you’ve put a lot of effort into building a well-researched feature, you don’t want it spoiled by low-res and uncompelling visuals.
5. Fact-checking shouldn’t be forgotten
Last but certainly not least, no piece of content should launch before it’s undergone a thorough proofing and fact-checking process. Whether you’re producing an interview feature, a video script or a social media post, every asset that leaves your newsroom should be free of inaccuracies.
Using a fine-toothed comb, a dedicated checker should confirm facts or claims externally, ensure that quotes have been presented accurately – and review the grammar, punctuation and formatting throughout for adherence to the style guide. It may be a time-consuming process, but it will save your company resources in the long run – and more importantly, protect your brand’s reputation.
Depending on the type of content your brand wants to create and the quality criteria that you’ve set, there may be additional points to include in your checklist. But these points provide a useful starting point for comms leaders who want to improve the quality of their output – and keep loyal audiences interested.
Lead image credit: Kelly Sikkema
Want to find out how to implement a best-in-class editorial strategy that connects your organisation to your always-on audience?
Contact Gabrielle from our client services team at gabriellebridle@speakmedia.co.uk or on LinkedIn.