How do you set up content approval?
A published post had an error. A wrong price, an old campaign, a typo, a customer’s image used without consent. Or the opposite: every post waits for three approvals and days pass. ✅
An approval workflow balances two risks: publishing errors and content that never goes out.
Short answer: approve content by risk level — routine content passes one person with a checklist; sensitive content goes up a level. Approval time is short and written. ⚖️
Four risk levels
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Routine
- Commercial
- People and customers
- Sensitive
Approval follows them. 🚦
Routine
Tips, general information, behind the scenes; a checklist is enough. 🟢
Commercial
Prices, campaigns, offers; figures need a second pair of eyes. 🟡
People and customers
People’s images, customer names, testimonials; a consent check. 🟠
Sensitive
Crises, claims, legal topics, rivals; manager approval. 🔴
Pre-publish checklist
Four questions. 📋
Approval flow
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- One owner
- Time target
- Link to the calendar
- Record
Four principles. 🔄
One owner
For routine content, one person preparing and checking is enough. 👤
Time target
Second approval within one working day; otherwise it goes to a deputy. ⏰
Link to the calendar
Approval stage in the calendar’s status column; see the calendar guide. 📅
Record
For sensitive content, who approved and when. 🗄️
If an error happens
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Quick fix
- A clear note
- Root cause
- Process, not blame
Four steps. 🛠️
Quick fix
Faulty content is fixed or removed at once. ⚡
A clear note
A short, honest correction note for important errors. 📝
Root cause
Why did it slip through? A new item is added to the checklist. 🔍
Process, not blame
The error is tied to the process, not a person. 🤝
Four common mistakes
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Senior approval for everything
- Unapproved commercial content
- Approval by message
- Never updating the checklist
All four break the flow. 🚧
Senior approval for everything
If routine content waits for the boss, publishing stops. ⏳
Unapproved commercial content
A wrong price becomes a promise to customers. 🏷️
Approval by message
An “ok” message isn’t a record; it can’t be found later. 💬
Never updating the checklist
The same mistake repeats. 🔁
What should I do today?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Step 1: write risk levels
- Step 2: prepare the checklist
- Step 3: approver and deputy
- If you want help
Three steps, one hour. 🪜
Step 1: write risk levels
Which content is routine, commercial, people, sensitive? One page. 🚦
Step 2: prepare the checklist
Four questions; mandatory before publishing. 📋
Step 3: approver and deputy
One approver and one deputy for commercial and sensitive content; announce them. 👥
If you want help
Let us set up your content approval workflow: use the consult your expert form. For your current setup see the digital audit; the bigger picture sits on the digital media consulting page. 🎯
Related reading from the archive: approval workflows · verifying output.
📝 Notes From the Field
At one business every post waited for the manager’s approval; some waited days and missed the moment. In the same period, an unapproved campaign image went out with a wrong price. Four risk levels and a checklist were introduced; routine content passed one person, commercial content a second pair of eyes. Publishing got faster and commercial errors stopped.
📖 Short Glossary
Approval workflow: the pre-publish checking and permission flow. Risk level: the possible impact if content is wrong. Checklist: fixed pre-publish questions. Deputy: the person approving when the approver is away.
⚡ Quick Summary
An approval workflow balances publishing errors against content that never goes out. ✅ Content splits into routine, commercial, people-customer and sensitive levels. A four-question checklist tests accuracy, voice, consent and timing. One owner, a time target, a calendar link and records speed the flow. Errors are fixed fast and the process improved.
🎯 Next Step
Let us set up your approval workflow: use the consult your expert form. Rights sit in the copyright and licensing guide; for your setup see the digital audit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sık Sorulan Sorular
Figures, dates, names, links checked? 🔢
Consistent with the voice guide’s three adjectives? See the one voice guide. 🗣️
Image, music, person and customer consents present? See the copyright guide. 📜
Anything clashing with the news or open to misreading? 🌧️
In simple form, yes: a checklist and a second pair of eyes for commercial content. In small teams one error has more impact.
A status column in the calendar and a simple approval field are usually enough. As volume grows, content tools’ approval flows can help.
The in-house content owner. Commercial and sensitive content shouldn’t go out without passing the internal approval flow.