Automated content creation is gaining momentum in the pharmaceutical industry since it allows marketers to save a lot of time by automating simple and repetitive tasks. This is particularly important given how tightly regulated the pharma industry is, where every message needs to be heavily scrutinized before it is sent out to the public. Automating and streamlining content creation and approval thus becomes an absolute necessity for pharma companies.
This is where workflow and content automation can offer a lot of value to your business. In this article, we will take a closer look at content process automation and why you should automate content creation inside your company.
What is Content Automation?
Content automation within content marketing operations refers to systems and processes that automate the content cycle without human intervention. When you have elements of your content process that take up a lot of time, are repetitive, or are incurring high costs, content marketing automation may be the ideal solution.
It’s important to note that content automation isn’t just about generating content; it’s about automating every aspect of your content cycle. That includes content generation, refreshing existing content, updating content, and organizing content.
Benefits of Content Automation Management
Without a content automation system, your marketing team is stuck in a cycle of manual tasks. They’re not just creating content but also exporting it into your content management systems. Then, they need to navigate the MLR approval process, constantly switching between content development and the approval platform. This manual content creation process is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors.
Consider a scenario where your content doesn’t pass MLR approval on the first try — a common occurrence in the highly regulated pharma industry. Your team must return to Veeva, review comments, make changes, and re-export the content. This back-and-forth is a significant drain on resources. However, with a content automation platform integrated into your system, you can bypass these manual processes. Publishing, metadata input, and submission to your content management system can all be done with just a few clicks.
- Time savings — Content automation frees your team from repetitive, low-value tasks. Instead of wrestling with exports and imports, they can focus on core business functions like content marketing strategy, development, and creative ideation. This shift in focus is a key benefit of content automation.
- Enhanced creativity and job satisfaction — You hired your marketing team for their innovative content ideas and creative flair. Yet, when they’re bogged down by mundane daily tasks, that creativity is stifled. Content automation tools handle these routine tasks, allowing your team’s creativity to flourish. The result? Happier employees who produce higher-quality work.
- Breaking down silos — Large-scale projects often involve multiple teams, each working in its own silo. This setup can lead to communication breakdowns and workflow logjams. A content automation platform serves as a centralized hub, fostering better collaboration and a more streamlined, efficient workflow.
- Consistent branding — One of the less-discussed content automation examples is its role in maintaining brand consistency. Whether it’s a social media post, a white paper, or an email, your content automation system ensures that every piece aligns with your brand guidelines.
- Data-driven strategy — Many content automation platforms offer analytics tools. These provide insights into content performance, audience engagement, and more. Such data is invaluable for refining your marketing automation content strategy over time.
- Scalability — As your business grows, so do your content needs. Manual processes can’t keep up, but content automation can. In platforms like eWizard, the modular content approach offers pharma companies a scalable way to expand content production. By using pre-approved, ready-to-use digital content in blocks, organizations can accelerate MLR processes, making final creative approvals easier and faster. Each module — a complete piece of information — can be reused across various digital channels, reducing costs while ensuring message consistency in omnichannel strategies.
- Email marketing integration — A standout feature of many content automation systems is their seamless integration with email platforms. This allows you to implement a sophisticated email automation strategy, personalizing content based on subscriber behavior and preferences.
- ROI boost — By streamlining processes, improving content quality, and enabling data-driven decisions, content automation ultimately leads to a higher return on investment for your content marketing efforts.
Understanding what content automation is and how it can benefit your business is the first step. From there, selecting the right content automation platform and integrating it into your marketing content strategy can transform your operations. You’ll save time, unleash creativity, break down silos, and ultimately deliver more impactful, compliant, and relevant content to your audience.
How to Automate Content Creation
Source: Clavis
To start on your content automation journey, you first need to assess your needs. Identify repetitive tasks like creating drug information sheets, determine your target audiences (patients, doctors, insurers), and list your primary channels such as email, social media, and websites. This foundational assessment will shape your content automation strategy, ensuring it aligns with best practices and your brand’s unique requirements in the highly regulated pharma space.
- Keyword research — Use keyword research tools to discover popular search terms, identify content gaps, and align your ideas with audience interests. This data-driven approach ensures your content resonates and ranks well in search engines.
- Content templates — Adopt content templates to generate content ideas and standardize format, structure, and style. This consistency not only unifies your brand’s voice but also accelerates content creation.
- Content curation — Leverage automated curation tools to gather high-quality content from various sources. This complements your original work, enriching the user experience with diverse perspectives.
- Automate editing — Deploy automated editing tools to catch grammar, spelling, and readability issues. Maintain top-notch quality without the time-consuming manual review.
- Schedule smartly — Use content management and social media platforms to automate publishing. Post at peak times across multiple channels for maximum visibility and engagement.
- Optimize with data — Track performance via analytics tools, gaining actionable insights. Fine-tune your strategy based on engagement rates, conversions, and other key metrics.
Best Content Automation Tools
Effective content automation hinges on selecting the right tools, and in the pharmaceutical sector, this choice is critical. While the marketing landscape offers a plethora of content automation solutions, pharma companies have unique needs that demand specialized attention. Your priority should be finding a tool that aligns with your specific requirements — ideally, an all-in-one platform that integrates seamlessly with your workflows. If such a comprehensive solution isn’t available, aim for one that covers most of your needs. More importantly, start your search with automation tools designed explicitly for pharma. These industry-specific platforms are engineered to handle the complexities of medical content, ensuring regulatory compliance, data privacy, and the nuanced language required in drug communications. If you still struggle to find the perfect fit, be prepared to ask probing questions during product demos.
eWizard
The eWizard Content Experience Platform is designed to solve a common problem in the pharmaceutical industry: disjointed marketing channels. Large pharma companies often struggle to use the same content across different channels like email, websites, and social media. eWizard fixes this by making content adaptable and accessible across all these channels. Companies can either use the platform’s ready-made tools or tailor it to match their unique workflows.
One key feature is the Marketing Campaign & Content Planning tool. Marketing teams in pharma often work in silos — global, and local teams, and different departments rarely coordinate well. This tool brings everyone into one digital workspace. Here, they can plan entire marketing campaigns, outline how a customer will interact with their brand (customer journeys), and decide what content to create. Team members assign tasks and set deadlines, all visible on a shared calendar. This way, a team in the U.S. and another in Europe can work together seamlessly.
eWizard offers several other powerful tools. The Modular Content feature lets teams break down their brand content into reusable pieces, like building blocks. Content Authoring standardizes every step from planning to publishing. There’s also a tool to make sure everyone uses the same tags and categories so content is easy to find. For global companies, the Translation Automation tool is a game-changer, local teams can quickly translate global content. When it’s time to publish, eWizard automatically sends content to various pharma platforms. Lastly, the Multivendor Workspace Control brings all teams and outside agencies onto one platform, allowing them to share and reuse content while tracking productivity.
HubSpot
HubSpot’s marketing automation suite allows businesses across industries to boost customer engagement while simplifying their workflow. With features like automated email drip campaigns, intelligent lead scoring, and personalized follow-ups, HubSpot optimizes key marketing tasks. While not tailored specifically for pharma, its tools enable marketers to craft dynamic email sequences, manage contacts effectively, prioritize leads smartly, and deliver tailored content, enhancing efficiency and impact universally.
QPP
Quark Publishing Platform (QPP) is a content automation solution that simplifies enterprise content lifecycle management. Its Semantic AI capabilities enable quick discovery and reuse of content from unstructured PDFs, reducing manual effort. QPP’s integrated Component Content Management System streamlines workflows with features like XML-based authoring, collaboration tools, and omnichannel publishing. Integration with Microsoft Azure Data Factory allows content teams to access data from various business systems independently. The platform also supports right-to-left languages and offers timescale analytics for workflow optimization. By automating key processes, QPP NextGen helps enterprises meet their digital transformation, customer satisfaction, compliance, and growth goals.
Evermed
Evermed is a video platform tailored for the pharmaceutical industry, allowing companies to create their own “Netflix for HCPs” within 30 days. It offers personalized educational content hubs that engage healthcare professionals directly. The platform’s AI recommender engine learns from HCPs’ viewing habits to suggest relevant content at the right time. Evermed supports global teams with country-specific content control, ensuring compliance. It also provides detailed analytics on HCP behavior and integrates this data with existing CRM systems for smarter actions. With robust security measures, Evermed maintains data confidentiality, making it a safe and engaging tool for pharma companies to connect with HCPs.
ON24
ON24 is a webinar software that helps pharma companies connect with healthcare professionals more effectively. It lets companies create personalized content for webinars that engage HCPs and encourage them to use new products. The platform uses AI to understand what messages work best and who’s most interested. It works well with other business tools, making data sharing easier. HCPs can join webinars on their phones without any extra steps. ON24 also gives presenters helpful tools to communicate clearly without complicating things. Overall, it’s a straightforward way for pharma companies to have better conversations with HCPs through webinars.
Best Strategies for Implementing Content Automation
First, let’s talk about goals. What are you hoping to achieve with automation? More content, better quality, higher SEO rankings? Having a clear target makes sure you’re heading in the right direction. Once you’ve got that, take a good look at your current content process. Where are your team members getting bogged down? Those are your automation sweet spots.
Now, let’s talk about tools. In pharma, you’ve got some fantastic options. The key is choosing tools that play nice with your current systems. Don’t forget your team in all this. New tools mean new workflows, so good training is a must.
Templates are another lifesaver. Create a set for everything. They keep your brand looking sharp and save tons of time. But don’t try to automate everything overnight. Start small, maybe with email campaigns, get that running smoothly, then move on. It’s like introducing a new drug — you do it in phases, learning as you go.
Keep a close eye on how your automation is performing. Tools like HubSpot or eWizard offer great analytics. Use these insights to fine-tune your approach. And in pharma content creation — compliance is king. Always choose tools with robust security.
So, there you have it — a roadmap to content automation success. Start clear, choose smart, implement gradually, and always keep that human touch.
Learn More About Automated Content from Our eWizard Experts
If you are currently spending too much time on content development and approval, consider implementing some automation to help you streamline these complex processes. Our knowledgeable and experienced experts would be more than happy to provide you with more information about content production automation. Contact us today to learn more.
