WHAT IS MODULAR CONTENT AND HOW YOUR TEAM CAN BENEFIT

Modular content is content that’s designed to work as individual pieces or that can be combined to form a larger body of content. Each asset is created with singularity and cohesion in mind. When you make content this way, it’s easy to break down, repurpose, and rebuild long-form content offerings – all using the same individual pieces but in different combinations. It also makes your digital asset management much easier. 

In a non-content context, the meaning of ‘modular’ can give some clues as to what modular content looks like:

The term refers to specific types of collateral that can act as short, standalone pieces or combine to create comprehensive long-form content. As a rule, it’s created by teams that use a modular marketing strategy looking to create content that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Content creators can combine various pieces in any number of ways, resulting in new pieces of content from the modules. Most importantly, a modular content strategy allows you to create a significant amount of content from the same modules. Basically, stretching one set of information as far as possible.

• Adaptable

• Informative

• Time-saving

• Targeted

• Personalizable

A modular approach to content works by breaking down larger content into smaller, reusable pieces, or “modules.” Pre-approved content modules can stand alone or be mixed and matched with others to create something new. It’s like having a bunch of Lego blocks – each one is valuable on its own, but when you put them together, you can build something even bigger.

For example, if you’ve got a long guide, you can split it into bite-sized sections like an intro, some how-tos, and a wrap-up. Then you can assemble modules into blog posts, social media snippets, email blasts – whatever you need, in any order you want. The beauty of modular content is that it lets you tailor your message to different audiences and multiple platforms without starting from scratch every time.

Marketing teams

Scale up collateral production and demand generation with modular content marketing. Creators can do this by tailoring modules for individual use cases, audiences, and channels.

We’re all familiar with the increasing demand for marketing to prove ROI while producing deeply relevant marketing content under tight time constraints. As marketing departments everywhere face both budget and resource cutbacks, mastering the art of doing more with less is high on the priority list of every marketer at the moment.

Sales teams

Presenting prospects with sales collateral that isn’t personalized based on their particular profession, use case, or interest, runs the risk of losing their attention. Without a modular content strategy, creating multiple versions of digital assets can be overly time-consuming.

A modular content strategy can also combine with digital content creation tools that grant everyone an easy way to make online digital brochures. This combination means sales teams can create more personalized sales collateral for themselves without needing much interference from brand teams – or suffering through a drawn-out approval process.

Sales enablement

Think of sales enablement teams as the bridge between sales and marketing. They make sure salespeople never go into a customer-facing meeting without the latest intel or necessary collateral. But how does Sales Enablement deliver effective intelligence around prospects’  interests? And how can everyone make the most of the marketing materials you’ve already invested in?

A modular content library is, of course, the answer. Without a doubt, a dedicated Sales Enablement team will empower Sales to reach new heights. But a Sales Enablement team equipped with modular content allows Sales to create specialized, on-brand collateral for any prospect, at the drop of a hat.

HR teams

Increasingly, HR and people teams are involved in content creation in the form of internal communications and newsletters, and exploring comprehensive and personalized onboarding documents.

The new creative responsibilities of people teams leave them with less time to carry out the tasks typically expected of them. Adopting a modular content strategy to produce these internal and external communications, frees up time to focus on the jobs more traditionally associated with HR, like talent acquisition and retention, which are necessary to avoid high employee turnover costs.

Let’s say you’ve created a long-form article on reducing demand generation friction and published it on your blog. You’ve geared this particular piece of content toward attracting readers who have the time to read an in-depth guide. However, this isn’t going to cut it for readers who are short on time or just looking for a quick overview.

Using the process of modular content creation, you can break down the article into tasty sections: ‘What is demand generation friction,’ ‘Making demand generation a two-way conversation,’ ‘The great gate debate’’, and so on.

You can then use these shorter pieces, and target them at subsets of your audience. Say a prospective client is particularly interested in integrating their CRM with their new digital content platform, your sales team could send over  ‘Making demand generation a two-way conversation’ as a module. By sending readers the content they need and want, you’re silver-serving them content that matters to them, warming up their relationship with you, and mitigating the risk of them losing interest in your brand.

Next, say you want to create some social media posts on the same subject. You can use the smaller modules for social posts. Bite-sized modules can be used for posts or pulled through as quotes for wider sales collateral.

Content production built on modules is like putting together a puzzle – you’ve got all the pieces, and your job is to figure out how they fit together in a way that makes sense for your brand and audience. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Define your core messages and goals

Before diving into content creation, take a step back and think about the consistent messages you want to convey. 

What are the main themes or topics you need to cover? Who is your target audience? And what are your goals – are you looking to educate, entertain, or drive conversions?

2. Break down your content into modules

Now that you’ve got your core messages, it’s time to break them down into smaller, standalone content blocks. Each module should focus on one specific idea or piece of information. These self-contained units of info are your building materials.

For example, if you’re creating content around a new product launch, your modules might include:

• Product overview: A general introduction to the product.

• Features and benefits: A breakdown of what makes the product unique.

• Customer testimonials: Quotes and stories from happy customers.

How-to guides: Step-by-step instructions for using the product.

3. Create adaptable content

One of the key benefits of a modular content approach is its adaptability. When creating your modules, make sure they’re versatile enough to be used across multiple channels and for multiple purposes. 

This might mean creating variations of the same module – for example, a long-form blog post could be shortened into a social media post or expanded into a detailed guide. Using a tool like Turtl to create your content allows you to craft intelligent, interactive content at scale.

4. Plan your content distribution

With your pre approved content blocks ready to go, it’s time to plan how and where you’ll use them. Create a content calendar that outlines when and where each module will be published. 

Think about the various platforms you’ll be using – your brand website, social media, email newsletters – and work out how you’ll tailor each module to fit the platform.

5. Personalize for different audiences

One of the coolest things about modular content is how easily it can be personalized. By mixing and matching different modules, you can create content that speaks directly to different segments of your audience. 

For example, you might combine certain modules to create content specifically for beginners, while other combinations might be geared towards advanced users.

This personalization can extend to different industries, demographics, or even individual customers. The more relevant your content is, the more likely it is to boost user engagement.

6. Implement a system for managing your modules

As you start building out your modular content, you’ll need a system to keep everything organized. A content management system (CMS) can help you store and track all your modules, making content reuse an easy task. 

You might want to think about using tags or categories to organize your modules by topic, format, or audience segment. This way, when you need to create new content, you can quickly find the right modules to pull together.

7. Test, measure, and refine

Once your modular content is out in the world, it’s important to track how it performs (tip: key performance indicators help set standards for what 'good' looks like).
Use analytics tools like Turtl's analytics to see which modules are getting the most engagement, driving the most conversions, or resonating most with your audience. This data will give you valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not.

Based on this feedback, refine your modules and your overall strategy. Maybe some modules need to be reworked or combined differently, or perhaps you’ll identify gaps where new modules are needed. The goal is to keep improving and optimizing your modular content strategy over time.

8. Collaborate across teams

Finally, remember that creating modular content isn’t just for marketers. Collaborate with other teams – like sales, customer support, and product development – to create modules that serve different parts of your business. 

For instance, sales might need modules that focus on specific pain points, while customer support could use how-to guides as part of their onboarding process.

Got a bunch of content already? Perfect! You can turn it into modular content without starting from scratch. Start by doing an audit of your content library to see what you’ve got and where it can be broken down into smaller, more flexible pieces.

Once you’ve identified these sections, reformat them into modules so that the same content can be reused across different platforms. For instance, a detailed report might be split into a summary, some key takeaways, and a few actionable tips. This pre approved content pieces can be used separately on social media, in newsletters, or for website content.

By breaking down your existing assets into modules, you’ll give it a new lease of life and make it more adaptable to different needs.

If you’re diving into modular content for the first time, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Start with a clear plan: Before you start creating, map out what your modules will look like. Know what key points need to be covered and how they can be split into smaller chunks.
• Stay consistent: Maintaining consistency is crucial for a strong brand identity. Make sure to keep brand consistency in tone, style, and messaging across all modules. This ensures that everything fits together nicely, no matter how you combine them.
• Quality over quantity: It’s tempting to churn out a ton of modules, but focus on making each one high-quality. Engaging, well-crafted content will get more mileage.
• Keep it fresh: Regularly update your modules to keep them relevant. As your audience’s needs change, so should your content.
• Measure and tweak: Keep an eye on how each module performs. Use this data to fine-tune your approach and make your content even better over time.

If you and your team value an efficient content management process, then modular content could be exactly what you’re after.

As more teams come under pressure to become more creative and efficient, modular content could present the solution.

• Save time on creative processes

• Save resources on creating new content

• Give new life to older content

• Easily make content more personal

Using approved content modules to appeal more personally to your audience members as individuals should not be undervalued. By embracing modularity, your team can produce more effective content, optimize resources, and deliver personalized experiences that drive real pipeline growth.

Turtl helps you put modular content into action with ease, enabling you to create, personalize and repurpose content at scale. Because when content works harder, your results speak louder.