Providing Actionable Feedback for Content Revisions

Providing constructive feedback is a key component of any successful content marketing strategy. Before content can be published, it must go through multiple rounds of revisions. This process requires team members to give thoughtful, actionable feedback so that writers understand how to improve drafts. For brands and agencies seeking to streamline content creation and revisions, establishing guidelines for feedback is essential. This article provides marketers a framework for giving feedback that empowers writers to make revisions independently. With tips for crafting feedback that is kind, clear, and solution-oriented, marketing teams can work collaboratively to produce high-quality content their audiences will love.

The Importance of Actionable Content Feedback

Providing quality feedback on content during the review process is crucial for publishing high-quality, impactful content.

Reviewers should provide feedback that is clear, concise, and actionable. Vague comments like “not compelling enough” do not give content creators enough context to make effective revisions. Reviewers should point to specific parts of the content that need improvement and provide concrete suggestions for how to strengthen those sections. For example, a reviewer could say, “The introduction does not capture the reader’s attention. Consider revising the first few sentences to highlight the key benefits or most interesting insights that will be discussed.”

Actionable Suggestions

Feedback should provide content creators with explicit, actionable suggestions for how to improve the content. Simply pointing out weaknesses is not helpful. Reviewers should recommend specific revisions, reorganizations, or rewrites that will address any issues with the content. For example, a reviewer could suggest, “Move the case study from section 3 to section 1. Opening with a concrete example will draw the reader in and provide context for the subsequent points.”

Balanced, Constructive Feedback

Feedback should strike a constructive and balanced tone. It should not be overly critical or come across as a personal attack. Reviewers should open and close with positive comments about the content to frame any suggestions for improvement. They should also recognize that there are often multiple ways to strengthen a piece of content. Their feedback represents suggestions, not directives. Content creators can then evaluate the feedback and determine the best approach based on their particular goals and style.

Providing thoughtful, actionable, and balanced feedback is essential to an efficient content review and approval process. With quality feedback, content creators can quickly revise and improve their content, allowing teams to publish valuable content for their audiences.

How to Provide Clear and Constructive Feedback

For marketers to publish high-quality content efficiently, providing concise yet constructive feedback is essential. Reviewers should offer specific, actionable comments that content creators can easily implement.

Focus on Big-Picture Issues First

Reviewers should first evaluate content for major issues, like relevance to goals, target audience, key messages, and brand voice. They should assess if the overall content and structure meet objectives before critiquing minor details. Addressing significant concerns early streamlines revisions and avoids reworking content multiple times.

Give Concrete Examples and Suggestions

Vague feedback like “strengthen the conclusion” is not helpful. Reviewers should provide concrete examples and suggestions, e.g., “The conclusion would be stronger if it tied key points back to the original goal. You could rephrase the first sentence to say, ‘By following these three steps, marketers can significantly improve content quality and better achieve their goals.’” Specific, actionable feedback allows for efficient revisions.

Focus on Both Positives and Negatives

Balanced, constructive feedback should point out both strengths and areas for improvement. Positive comments validate what the content creator did well and motivates them to strengthen other parts. For example, “The examples in the second section are very compelling. Adding a few more examples in the other sections would help bring those points to life for readers as well.” Mixing positive and constructive feedback creates a collaborative environment.

Providing thoughtful, balanced, and actionable feedback ultimately allows marketers to create high-quality content more efficiently. Specific comments and examples give content creators a clear path for revisions, while an encouraging and collaborative approach motivates them to make content even stronger. With a streamlined review process, marketers gain the speed and agility to compete in today’s fast-paced digital world.

Best Practices for Streamlining the Content Proofing Process

Establish clear expectations To facilitate an efficient proofing process, it is important to establish clear expectations for all parties involved regarding deadlines, the number of revisions allowed, and the overall goals for the content. Providing transparent guidelines from the outset helps ensure all team members are on the same page and minimizes confusion, excess revisions, and missed deadlines.

Provide Actionable Feedback

Feedback should be constructive and actionable, focusing on specific ways to improve the content. Vague comments like “this needs work” are not helpful. Reviewers should point out any inaccuracies or areas for clarification and suggest concrete ways to strengthen the content’s clarity, concision, and persuasiveness. Actionable feedback allows the writer to efficiently revise the content to meet key objectives.

Streamline Communication

An organized system of communication is essential to an effective proofing process. Project management tools can help facilitate communication by providing a central place to store files, leave comments, and track changes. They also establish a clear chain of communication so no feedback or questions go unaddressed. Using a tool like this helps avoid confusion that could slow down the process.

Allow Adequate Time for Revisions

Building in adequate time for multiple rounds of feedback and revisions is key. Revising content and potentially restructuring entire sections takes time. Providing only a short window for revisions risks forcing the writer to make surface-level changes rather than substantive improvements. It also does not allow for additional feedback on revisions, which may be needed to ensure the final content meets key goals. Planning ahead and building a proofing timeline with realistic deadlines for high-quality work leads to the best outcomes.

Following these best practices for facilitating feedback, communication, and revisions helps create an efficient proofing process where all team members feel heard and empowered to do their best work. The end result is content that aligns well with goals and is primed for publishing. With a thoughtful, well-organized approach, the proofing process does not have to be arduous but rather a collaborative effort to strengthen content.

Tools That Enable Seamless Content Revisions

Cloud-Based Collaboration Software

To enable efficient content revisions, teams should utilize cloud-based collaboration tools. These tools allow multiple contributors to access, edit, and comment on content in real-time. For example, Google Docs are popular options that provide version history to track changes, as well as commenting features for providing feedback. These tools streamline the revision process by giving all stakeholders a centralized place to collaborate.

Advanced Proofing Tools

More advanced tools like SwiftApprove are designed specifically for streamlining content revisions and approvals for all types of content including blogs, social posts, landing pages, and more. This tool allows teams to upload content, assign reviewers, view comments and revisions in context, and approve final drafts. Reviewers can annotate content directly by highlighting specific sections, leaving comments, or suggesting rewordings. Content creators then receive compiled feedback and can easily implement changes. This tool also provides version control to track how content changes over time based on reviewer feedback.

In summary, utilizing tools purpose-built for content collaboration, proofing, and version control leads to a streamlined revision process and higher quality results. With less time spent on back-and-forth communication and manual quality checks, teams can shift their focus to developing engaging content. The right tools make it possible to gather actionable feedback, implement changes efficiently, and ultimately publish content with confidence.

FAQs About Providing Actionable Feedback for Content Revisions

What constitutes actionable feedback?

Actionable feedback provides specific, constructive comments that give clear guidance on how to improve the content. It points out issues with the content and provides suggestions to resolve them. Actionable feedback is more than generic positive or negative comments—it provides tangible direction for revisions. For example, feedback like “this section feels disorganized” is not very actionable, whereas “consider reorganizing this section by X, Y and Z to improve flow” provides targeted guidance.

How should feedback be delivered?

Feedback should be provided in a professional, courteous manner. It should focus on the content itself rather than personal criticisms. Explain feedback in full sentences using a positive and helpful tone. For example, instead of just saying “unclear section, ” provide context, e.g. “this section on X was unclear to me as the reader, can you clarify or rework your explanation?”. Also, be sure to balance critical feedback with positive comments about what is working well. This makes the feedback feel more constructive and actionable.

What areas should feedback target?

Areas of focus for feedback include:

• Clarity and coherence: Are ideas logically connected? Are explanations clear or do they require more details or examples?

• Structure and flow: Is content organized in a logical manner? Are there any sections that would benefit from reorganization or addition/removal?

• Consistency: Is terminology, formatting, and style consistent throughout? Are there any contradictions in facts or messaging?

• Completeness: Is any important information missing? Are all sections fleshed out or are some lacking in depth?

• Accuracy: Are all facts, statistics, quotes, and references double checked for correctness? Is anything misleading or incorrect?

• Readability: Is content written at an appropriate level for the target audience? Are sentences varied in length and structure? Is content scannable and easy to read?

Providing constructive, actionable feedback on these areas will help to strengthen content and allow for revisions that dramatically improve its quality and effectiveness. With regular practice, providing high-quality feedback can become second nature for marketers and team members.

Conclusion

Providing thoughtful, constructive feedback is a crucial skill for marketers looking to create engaging, high-quality content. By focusing feedback on specific areas for improvement, offering clear suggestions, and maintaining a positive, collaborative tone, reviewers can empower creators to make revisions efficiently. With practice, marketers can master the art of delivering feedback that propels content to the next level without discouraging creators in the process. Honing this skill will lead to better content, stronger teams, and higher performance across the board. Approaching feedback as an opportunity for growth rather than criticism is the key to unlocking content’s full potential.