 Knowledge To Be Shared
(Content Management System)
The framework upon which you build your entire online presence is the Content Management System (CMS). The CMS powers the layout, design, and overall organization of your website. Beyond just the look and structure of your site, the CMS also powers how all the elements are controlled, displayed, and—often—updated. The ideal CMS for a media outlet should provide a combination of flexibility and creativity at the local level, with a level of national control that allows for the ability to provide networked content and national advertising.
CMS implementations come in several varieties. In the past, simplicity in administration for unsophisticated local users demanded that the CMS design be created outside the company, including the graphics, layout, and overall design. This “finished” site would then be utilized by the local radio station, where they would have a limited number of choices to update content. The downside in such an implementation is significant: Changes to the design or layout required going to the CMS vendor and initiating a process that took time and incurred an additional charge.
Traditional media CMS solutions also have limited flexibility when it comes to content. Boxes or areas on the page are defined as under the control of the local station or under control of the corporate office. Creating a more adaptable system to the market dynamic of local media was not possible. For example, creating content areas for the local station, some for the local cluster of stations, some for the corporate office, and perhaps even some for regional content across multiple markets has not been possible under these older systems.
More sophisticated modern CMS systems allow much more flexibility and control without sacrificing simplicity. Drag and drop layouts, blog-style content updating, and integrated solutions like photo showcases and slideshow style promotional reels should be considered as the new standard. Additionally, sophisticated “permissions” systems are now available that allow specific content items to be placed under the control of a wide variety of set-ups, from local, market, region, national, format, etc. The goal of the new CMS is to provide an unparalleled ability to distribute content across a wide range of properties in an array of different ways.
Closely linked to CMS implementation is design, and the basics of how a radio station designs its site hasn’t changed much. A radio station can go with a predesigned template or have their site custom designed.
A template is cheaper and has the benefit of having stood the test of already being utilized across other markets. A template also allows for a more efficient roll-out of sites across many radio stations. A company can create a single template for each format and then simply adjust the colors and logos for each individual station across the country.
A custom solution provides a unique solution for a radio station and also allows the station much more say on how it will present its content within the web page. Custom designs are more expensive than templates but offer a individualized and brand-specific presentation.
In the near future, expect existing template/custom CMS design to be replaced by more dynamic site creation tools for media properties. These tools will allow the individual station to have the economies of a template but include the ability to customize the site themselves.
We are in a transitional period in CMS development. The old static tools of the past that didn’t allow for dynamic updating and customization from the local market are going to be phased out for more sophisticated solutions that allow a combination of rich updating of local content and customization while allowing the corporate interactive department the ability to share content and monetize the reach across its entire network. |
