What is content hub software?

A content hub acts as a meta layer for your company's entire digital content arsenal -- past, present and future. It is your business' definitive content repository, allowing you to standardize content across your customers' omnichannel experiences. 

Content hub software solutions are easy to set up. They start as a little more than a scalable application programming interface (API). It runs entirely on the backend, accessible via command line interface (CLI) for developers and web-based, graphical user interfaces (GUI) for content creators and editors. User and group access restrictions control access and keep your digital content secure throughout any collaborative process.

Content hub software ensures your teams can access the same, standardized content using whatever CMS, DAP, CRM or content-creation tool they need. 

Content hub software integrates multi-CMS solutions

Content hub software is more than a content management system (CMS) disguised in new nomenclature. 

Hub software is designed to be flexible. Depending on the vendor you choose, hub software should work with all of your business' existing CMS solutions -- legacy, headless, agile -- to integrate, streamline and sync content across channels and platforms. The best hub software works with a full-stack of backend systems, including homebrews created in-house. 

Hub software should be designed to scaffold to your company's needs. It largely consists of a powerful API framework built to work seamlessly with every conceivable type of digital content management system and marketing software you use. 

Content hub software is modular and scalable by design

The best content hub software works like a generic Legos set with infinite pieces and only your imagination holding you back -- build what you need, how you want it built. The software APIs are designed to integrate and grow with your company's existing software solutions and marketing needs. The software should arrive as a blank slate and be capable of centralizing content from all types of software solutions in a flash, as needed.

As an API-based solution, content hub software is built for speed and fluidity. It can adapt to the speed at which your business grows, easily integrating into new platforms, software solutions or team workflows. 

Centralized digital content saves time when CMSs or certain digital channels are deprecated in favor of new ones. No need to export -- the data is secure and ready to be distributed to the new platform. 

Five benefits of using content hub software

You can't predict what the future holds when it comes to marketing trends, channels and software. You can, however, prepare your digital content for whatever comes your way.

Content hub software ensures your content is reliable and ready to be used, no matter how fast your company grows or what software is used. There are five key benefits to initializing content hub software. 

1. Integrate all content from existing sources -- forever

Digital marketing is complex and multifaceted. Marketing and sales teams may use different software and workflows to complete similar tasks. Vendors and software solutions are constantly evolving. The tools that are required today will be deprecated at some point in the future, instilling another round of workflow and content migration upheaval. 

Content hub software integrates all of your digital content, regardless of file type, from all of your teams. Once centralized, your content can be exported via API into whatever channels you need, using whatever customer experience software your company decides to use -- today or tomorrow. 

2. Aggregate and centralize content across the company

Effective marketing requires backing up and syncing updated digital content across all channels. However, it is nearly impossible to keep content perfectly synced given the myriad tools being used by various teams. 

Not anymore. Content hub software allows you to aggregate existing content into a central repository, removing content redundancies (e.g., two or more copies of the same content served from different locations) and out-of-sync versions. Migration can be phased. Move data from a single CMS at a time, or from different or multiple platforms used by multiple teams all at once. 

When you're finished, all of your digital content is readily available from a central hub, rather than stuck in a deprecated CMS or across different cloud storage services. 

3. Sync omnichannel content -- painlessly

Different marketing channels often require different software solutions. Your content needs to remain accessible to all of your collaborators no matter the channel. The same content can be exported to nearly any software solution you need using content hub software. Everything is synced from the hub. No need to worry about manually, or even automatically, updating content across channels when changes are made. The repository's content is universal. 

4. Turbo boost time to market 

Have a new product or service idea to capitalize on, but time to market is key? 

Content hubs allow you to focus on developing product, service or software independently of content. Once your new augmented-reality app ad or drip campaign is developed, your existing content is waiting and primed for delivery. Content hub software facilitates experimentation. Centralized content allows your DevOps team to streamline and improve time to market. 

5. Optimize internal efficiency

Content hub software plays well with other software -- CMSs, DAMs and production tools. The hub isn't confined to rigid or byzantine data models, either. It's a backend overlay, comprised of a software-friendly API database that you build based on your company's evolving needs. 

It will allow you to cut out tools that no longer scale or work -- when you and your teams are ready. This can be done without impairing workflow or content. It can scale and grow with your content over time, custom-tailored to your teams' needs. You can build your hub software in parallel to existing architecture without having to modify and replace existing systems. 

Content hub software solutions bolster digital growth and flexibility

Content hub software is minimalist, versatile and scalable. It allows your company to maintain and synchronize content across channels and teams with minimal overhead or administration. It runs in parallel with existing software solutions and ensures digital content quality and synchronization. 

Digital experience and marketing vendors like Optimizely often package content hub software infrastructure within their DXP and marketing tools. Consider making the switch to content hub software today to position your company ahead of the competition tomorrow.