Are you planning to boost content collaboration? Looking for suggestions for the best content collaboration platforms to help you achieve it?
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You know, we, content creators, face an incredible challenge. We have to publish more and more content every day – images, presentations, videos, PDFs, and more. We also have to share content and make all these assets available to other teams so that everyone in the organization can easily find what they need and collaborate on those files.
And that’s exactly where the problem starts.
Luckily, some tools can help eliminate it, and in this guide, you’ll find out what they are. We’ll cover 9 of the absolutely best content collaboration platforms available and show you the pros and cons of each.
Before we get to that, let’s cover some basics.
What is Content Collaboration Software?
A content collaboration platform is a tool that aims to help companies achieve two major objectives. It facilitates collaboration between everyone involved in the content production and helps boost productivity by streamlining most of the content workflow.
For that reason, most such platforms offer advanced document management capabilities. With them, companies can store all files in one place and finally reduce the time team members waste on locating the right file versions. Many such tools provide enhanced security features to prevent unauthorized access to those files.
Such a platform also allows teams to collaborate on files, comment on assets, and annotate drafts during the review and approval process.
Finally, most content collaboration software offers some way of project management. Some do it through simple task lists; others allow companies to create advanced Kanban boards.
But why implement content collaboration software?
Well, there are several benefits. Here are the most important ones:
- First of all, having content collaboration software in place means faster production and fewer mistakes. Since all files are in one place, there is no need to chase different versions, and teams can communicate about projects easily; the work happens.
- Content collaboration platforms also allow for greater creative input from everyone involved. Even the often strenuous task of chasing subject matter experts for their insights becomes a thing of the past.
- Collaboration software improves engagement too. As it turns out, 75% of employees consider collaboration as being “very important.”
- Content collaboration platforms make it easier to streamline processes in the organization. Such tools provide functionality and capabilities to set up, manage, and even automate various production processes.
- One particular and often challenging process that content collaboration tools help manage is review and feedback. Such tools can help define the process and put systems in place to ensure that feedback happens on time at every stage of the content production process.
What to Look for in a Content Collaboration Platform?
We’ve already established how helpful content collaboration software can be. It’s one of those tools that make a real difference to any organization producing a large content volume.
You’re about to learn the best content collaboration tools on the market. When reviewing the list, you’ll notice that each of those offers something unique aside from several similarities. It can be a specific approach to content management or specific integrations, the ability to offer real-time data, and more.
As a result, it can be challenging to choose which tool would work best for your organization.
With that in mind, here’s a quick overview of various factors to look for when reviewing content collaboration tools.
#1. Functionality
As you’ll quickly see, all content collaboration platforms offer several similar features. They all allow you to manage the production of multiple types of content assets. All offer document sharing capabilities and file sharing across all stakeholders.
But many of these tools also offer unique capabilities like advanced automations, a content management system, etc.
Therefore, when reviewing these tools, pay attention to their functionality and whether it matches your content production process.
#2. Collaboration options
Each of these tools has collaboration at its heart. But not all of those tools offer the same collaboration options.
Some offer advanced annotation tools; others allow you to just leave comments on files.
Since you’re implementing content collaboration software to facilitate that collaboration, make sure that you choose the tool that fits into your workflow.
#3. Data protection
One of the biggest challenges enterprises face with tools like Google Docs, or Microsoft OneDrive is data protection. You need to hand all that data over to the vendor to store files in those systems. Naturally, not all organizations are comfortable with that.
The same challenge applies to content collaboration tools. When evaluating a tool, pay attention to its data protection and file security options.
#4. Flexibility
Some software vendors provide complete workflows in their tools. Others allow customers to define their processes and customize the platform to follow their processes.
And so, again, flexibility is another factor to pay attention to when evaluating these platforms.
#5. Integrations
Finally, ensure that the tool integrates with all other platforms your organization uses. A lack of crucial integration might severely reduce your ability to improve collaboration and digital asset management in the organization.
With that in mind, let’s look at the best content collaboration platforms today.
Best Content Collaboration Software of 2023
#1. CELUM
CELUM (disclaimer: this is our tool) is one of the most advanced content collaboration platforms available. The tool brings together project management, file sharing, agile task management, a content hub, online proofing, and more to allow companies to deliver content faster and more efficiently.
CELUM offers all the functionality to get everyone involved in content production on the same page and boost teamwork and collaboration:
- Advanced file management. With CELUM’s shared workrooms, you can efficiently store and organize your team’s work. You can also link files directly to specific tasks to improve productivity further.
- Advanced collaboration tools. In CELUM, all stakeholders – from in-house creative teams to external vendors – can collaborate and get things done easily. With CELUM, you can set advanced roles and responsibilities and use Robots to automate many tedious management tasks.
- Responsibilities and deadlines. With CELUM, you can assign anyone to a single task or make them responsible for all tasks on a list. You can also set their due dates and overview the entire production from a personalized cockpit.
- Proofing workflows. The platform also features robust templating capabilities allowing you to create workflows for different project types. This way, you can ensure consistency and quality for every project you need to complete.
- Revision history. CELUM gives you access to a complete revisions history to compare different versions of files and monitor how projects evolve.
Pricing: CELUM offers a free forever plan for up to 10 users. Larger teams can avail of paid plans starting at €14.90 per month.
#2. BoostHQ
BoostHQ is another content collaboration platform worth evaluating. However, its focus is on sharing internal knowledge and content across an organization. With BoostHQ, companies can organize their knowledge into groups and categories and apply tags to individual assets to make them easily accessible to various team members.
The platform also provides features that allow employees to share their feedback, ideas, and experiences to further build up the company’s knowledge base.
Pricing: BoostHQ plans start at $299/month for 100 users.
#3. Confluence
Confluence is a content collaboration platform from Atlassian that also focuses on facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing between remote teams.
The platform offers knowledge management capabilities, collaboration tools, meeting notes, project plans, and workspaces. It also offers several features to increase engagement across remote teams, such as announcements and feedback tools.
Pricing: Confluence offers a free plan for 10 users. Paid plans start at $5.50 per user per month.
#4. GatherContent
The company behind GatherContent refers to its product as a content operations platform, and we believe the term is accurate. The platform’s main goal is to help companies create large content volumes faster and without the usual chaos that accompanies the process.
GatherContent features an editor in which teams can write content collaboratively, content templates to speed up production, review workflows to get sign-offs faster, and more.
Pricing: GatherContent’s packages start at $299/mo for up to 10 projects.
#5. Dropbox Business/Dropbox Paper
Dropbox is known for its amazing file storage product. However, the company also offers a content collaboration tool called Dropbox Business. However, the tool still focuses largely on offering various storage and file-sharing capabilities, from eSignatures to editing content directly from Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Microsoft Office 365 files, etc. With Dropbox Business, you can also send files securely and deliver final drafts to colleagues and clients.
Pricing: Dropbox Business starts at $12 per user per month.
#6. Google Workspace
You can’t talk about content collaboration software without mentioning Google’s platform. Google Workspace offers features that help brands collaborate on content. All Google’s apps – Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc. – allow file sharing and can collect feedback on files. Google Drive can store a whole range of file types in the cloud. Other tools in Workspace include Google Calendar, Google Meet, Google Chat, Google Keep, Google Sites, and Google Forms.
Pricing: Google Workspace starts at €4.68 per month per user.
#6. Trello
Trello, another tool owned by Atlassian, is, by far, the most popular Kanban board software. It offers an incredible set of features to help teams collaborate and manage projects. Trello’s premium features also include automation and advanced integrations to help you get more done faster.
Pricing: Trello offers a free plan giving small teams access to a limited set of features. Paid plans start at $6 per user per month and offer advanced features.
#8. ProofHub
ProofHub is a project planning and management tool. With ProofHub, your team can plan, collaborate, organize, and deliver all the projects in your workload. From simple task lists, Kanban boards, custom workflows, online proofing, comments, and feedback to project reports and timesheets, ProofHub offers an impressive feature set.
Pricing: ProofHub’s paid plans start at $50 per month for up to 5 users.
#9. Zoho Workdrive
Zoho Workdrive focuses on online file management. However, this content collaboration platform also offers several features that help teams work together – Shared spaces to store, organize, and manage assets, integrations with Zoho Office Suite where teams can create various documents together, and enhanced file security.
Pricing: Zoho Workdrive starts at €3 per user per month.
And there you have it…
Nine of the best content collaboration tools available.
What’s left for you to evaluate them all and select the one that suits your needs the most.
Good luck!
Looking for content collaboration software?
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