Marketers getting tied up in multiple content systems

Hyper personalisation and localisation remains more of a pipedream than a reality for most brands with an increasing number of marketers scrambling to manage the complex content requirements needed to deliver a truly omnichannel approach.

So says The State of CMS 2024 report, from Storyblok, which details the results of a survey it commissioned of 1,719 businesses across the US, UK, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden.

According to the study, an increasing number of organisations are facing challenges with their content marketing strategies. This is seen as half of respondents (47%) state they are still using two to three content management systems while a further quarter (27%) say they are now using four to five separate CMS platforms, up from 11% in last year’s report.

In fact, only one in five (19%) organisations are currently using just one CMS, compared to 24% in 2023 and 43% 2022. This suggests that organisations are turning to multiple CMS platforms to address modern content requirements rather than centralising with one system that can handle it all.

Customers’ omnichannel expectations and demands remain a pressure point. When asked the reason for using more than one CMS, the overwhelming majority of (67%) state the need for omnichannel capabilities. A further half (53%) say omnichannel is the most important CMS feature.

Indicative of further content complexity to come, the report looks to a shift towards IoT CMS platforms as respondents predict a 16% decrease in website use. In contrast, respondents forecast marked increases in AR/VR (20%), voice-activated speakers (13%) and smartwatches (12%), further compounding the need for a future-ready content approach.

The report also reveals over half of respondents (53%) report serving content in two to three languages, while an impressive 31% serve content in four or more.

Meanwhile, nine in ten (90%) respondents have more than one team using their CMS. The largest group (50%) work with two to three CMS platforms while easier/improved content scaling is the most sought-after missing CMS feature, cited by 43% of those surveyed.

On a positive front, the report found that 74% of non-headless users say they are likely to switch to a headless CMS in the next two years. Of those who had already switched to 99% reported improvements, with the most common bring increased ROI (experienced by 61%) and increased productivity (experienced by 58%).

Storyblok CEO and co-founder Dominik Angerer said: “A large CMS migration has been underway for years now, and our latest data confirms that it’s only going to accelerate.

“Companies are tired of being locked in to CMS platforms that don’t offer the flexibility, productivity, and performance they need. The rise of AI is also pushing businesses to review their entire content strategy so they can be prepared for what’s next. Using a future-proof CMS is the best thing companies can do to deliver better content experiences.”