What Is a Content Hub (and Why Do You Need One?)
Storyblok is the first headless CMS that works for developers & marketers alike.
Careful organization is the hallmark of most successful companies. On the frontend, it makes it simpler for your visitors to navigate your site. However, it’s also important to apply this principle to your content on the backend – the more orderly your assets, the easier it will be to use them to their fullest potential.
Fortunately, the days of having to do this by hand across multiple platforms are gone. With the help of a powerful content hub, you can save time, boost your SEO, get the most out of your assets, and more. Let’s take a deeper dive to fully answer the question of “what is a content hub?”
## What is a content hub?
A content hub is a tool that enhances your backend asset infrastructure. It’s a single centralized location where all of your content resides. Rather than serving a single frontend, it’s an independent repository, acting more like a universal library that all of your platforms can pull from.
That means you only need to worry about managing content from a single location. You’ll only ever have to delete, update, and store whatever you need to once. Nevertheless, these changes will apply to all of your connected platforms. This eliminates the need for individual content silos which can limit your usage potential. Thus, a content hub is a simple organizational tactic that can revolutionize how you manage your assets through the creation of omnichannel experiences.
A content hub is a centralized system on the backend to help you manage your assets. On the other hand, a digital content hub does the same by centralizing material for users on the frontend. Learn more with our article on digital content hubs.
3 benefits of a content hub
A little organization can go a long way. Let’s look at three main ways that a content hub can improve your marketing strategy.
1. Simplifies your experience and saves you time
Most of us can agree that boosting efficiency is a smart way to maximize your output. Thanks to its core centralization, a hub applies this principle to your entire content ecosystem. That’s because you’re not stuck balancing the needs of multiple platforms. Instead, you can manage it all from one command center.
For example, let’s say you need to find a specific asset. If you’re not using a content hub, it may be present on some platforms but not others. This can lead to wasted time on a wild goose chase trying to find it. By contrast, using a hub means you only need to check one library. This cuts down on the possibility of wasting time on duplicating assets you already have.
This simplification also greatly lowers the risk of content inconsistencies. That’s because changes in a content hub will apply to all of your platforms. You’ll be saving time and providing a more cohesive storytelling approach.
2. Improve your SEO
Content hubs can also help boost your SEO. A lot of this comes from the ability to pay attention to the details of metadata across all of your platforms. Metadata comes in a few different forms:
- Alternative text for images
- Preview descriptions for posts
- A tagging system that uses the associated keywords
Consistent use of this information ensures that you’re covering as many relevant terms as possible without repeating them. Additionally, it makes periodic updates easier, meaning you can keep your work fresh and offer the most up-to-date information to curious visitors. This all contributes to better SEO – and thanks to eliminating inconvenient content silos, you can be confident in your performance regardless of how many channels you’re using.
3. Keep your systems secure
Security is a paramount concern regardless of your industry. One way to keep your site safe from malicious actors is to limit their possible points of entry as much as possible. Content hubs achieve this from the start by eliminating the need to jump between multiple platforms. That means fewer passwords to continuously update and fewer user accounts to monitor.
A single backend also means that you’ll only need to understand the protocol for one system, so you’re lowering the risk of mixing up security measures or having to spend a huge amount of time learning the intricacies of several independent content silos.
Storyblok’s ISO 27001 certification demonstrates our commitment to the highest-quality security principles possible. Learn more about what ISO 27001 means for our users.
How do I create a content hub?
Creating and maintaining a content hub requires the right tool. In this case, that means using a headless CMS. Headless CMSs are the best option for centralization. Once you’ve gathered all your assets there, the all-important content management process becomes nearly effortless. A huge reason for this is the API-based infrastructure. Without the constraints of a traditional system, you can make a change once and see it reflected across your platforms. Thanks to how easy APIs make it to link in new technology, you also won’t have to worry about duplicating and transferring all of your content whenever a new platform becomes relevant – all you have to do is connect it and go.
Key takeaways
In our modern world of multi-channel digital projects, a traditional system just won’t cut it anymore. Content hubs centralize your assets and are a key way to organize your approach, maximize your effectiveness, and save you time. By using a headless system, you can embrace the full power of a content hub.
Are you ready to centralize your work with a content hub? Reach out to our team to learn how you can get started with Storyblok’s headless system today!