10
Minute Read

Why Marketing Teams Need Better Docs

Effective documentation is essential for marketing teams, enhancing efficiency, reducing errors, and fostering collaboration to achieve successful campaigns.

Marketing teams often waste hours searching for information due to outdated or poorly organized documentation. This inefficiency impacts deadlines, increases costs, and frustrates teams. Good documentation solves these problems by providing clear, accessible, and up-to-date resources that streamline workflows, reduce errors, and improve collaboration.

Key Takeaways:

  • Time Savings: Workers spend 30% of their day looking for information. Clear documentation minimizes this.
  • Fewer Errors: Outdated or unclear instructions lead to mistakes and wasted resources.
  • Faster Campaigns: Step-by-step guides ensure quicker execution and consistency.
  • Improved Collaboration: Clear processes align teams across departments.

Solutions for Better Documentation:

  1. Write clear, step-by-step instructions with visuals.
  2. Organize content around marketing goals (e.g., launching campaigns or tracking performance).
  3. Use shared platforms with real-time updates and strong search functionality.

How Midday Helps: Midday provides expert support to update and streamline marketing documentation. Their services include fast onboarding, a task-based system for unlimited requests, and tools like the Content Engine to create high-quality, actionable resources. Pricing starts at $2,200 per month, with options for tailored support.

Better documentation isn’t just a tool - it’s a key driver for smoother operations and better results.

Main Problems with Marketing Documentation

Marketing teams often struggle with documentation issues that slow down campaigns, increase costs, and frustrate team members. Problems like outdated files, poor organization, and communication gaps can create major roadblocks.

Old and Hard-to-Find Documentation

When documentation is outdated, teams may unknowingly follow processes that no longer apply. Imagine launching a campaign based on old product specs - this could lead to incorrect messaging and expensive last-minute corrections. On top of that, if key documents like campaign briefs or brand guidelines are buried in a chaotic system, teams waste time searching or, worse, make decisions based on assumptions. Without proper version control, there’s also the risk of using outdated logos or templates, which can confuse branding efforts. These issues make it harder for different departments to stay aligned.

Poor Communication Between Teams

Complicated documentation filled with technical jargon can create a language barrier between marketing, design, and development teams. Without enough context, requirements can be misunderstood, leading to rework, misaligned goals, and setbacks. This lack of clarity makes it even harder to streamline documentation for smoother campaign execution.

Too Much Technical Detail or Irrelevant Information

Mixing essential marketing instructions with unnecessary technical details can overwhelm teams. When documentation is cluttered with irrelevant information, it becomes harder to find actionable guidance. This confusion often forces teams to make assumptions instead of following clear, established processes.

These challenges create a ripple effect of inefficiencies that hurt overall marketing performance. Teams may spend more time searching for the right information than actually executing campaigns. Errors caused by outdated or unclear guidance can delay projects and cause misalignment between departments. Fixing these issues is critical to turning documentation into a reliable resource that drives successful marketing efforts.

How to Create Better Documentation for Marketing Teams

Addressing the challenges marketing teams face, well-crafted documentation can be a game-changer. The goal is to create resources that genuinely help, not add to the chaos. This requires a focus on clarity, organization, and ease of access.

Write Clear, Step-by-Step Instructions

For documentation to be useful, it must be straightforward and leave no room for guesswork. Clear instructions save time, cut costs, improve teamwork, and ensure high-quality processes. What sets great documentation apart is how effectively it walks users through a task.

Start by giving each process a specific, searchable name, like "How to Update Product Pages for New Campaign Launch." Clearly assign roles and include contact details. For example, if the campaign manager knows exactly who approves designs or handles technical setups, tasks get done faster, and nothing gets overlooked.

Involve team members who actually perform the tasks when outlining steps. Your content team might know the quickest way to modify blog templates, while the social media manager understands the approval flow for paid ads. By tapping into this expertise, you avoid creating irrelevant or incomplete instructions.

Use visuals like flowcharts, screenshots, or videos to clarify each step. For instance, a simple screenshot showing where to insert a tracking code can be far more effective than a lengthy explanation. Ensure these visuals are sharp and easy to interpret.

Finally, test the documentation with the teams responsible for the tasks and encourage feedback. If your campaign checklist confuses the people running the campaigns, it’s time for a revision.

Once instructions are clear, the next step is to structure the documentation in a way that aligns with marketing goals.

Structure Documentation Around Marketing Objectives

Instead of organizing documentation by technical categories, structure it around what your marketing team aims to achieve.

Create sections that align with key objectives, such as "Launching Product Campaigns", "Tracking Content Performance", or "Ensuring Brand Consistency Across Channels." This setup helps team members quickly find the information relevant to their tasks.

Add context by addressing specific challenges. For example, when documenting email marketing processes, explain not just how to create campaigns but also why certain subject lines perform better or when to use specific templates based on goals.

Group related processes together logically. For instance, if your team runs webinars, keep everything - like registration setup, promotional content, follow-up emails, and performance tracking - in one section. This avoids the headache of jumping between unrelated areas to complete a single task.

Use Shared Platforms Everyone Can Access

Even the best documentation is useless if it’s hard to find. Since nearly half of employees waste time searching for documents, it’s crucial to use tools that simplify access and collaboration. Look for platforms with real-time updates, version history, and secure access. Features like auto-save, mobile compatibility, and easy feedback options are also essential.

Choose tools that integrate seamlessly with your team’s existing workflow. Store guides on a shared platform with logical categories and clear labels. The structure should align with how your team thinks about their work - not how IT organizes systems. Consistent naming conventions and a reliable search function are key.

When selecting a platform, consider factors like team size, specific needs, available integrations, ease of use, and budget. For instance, a smaller team might find Google Docs sufficient, while larger teams could benefit from robust platforms like Confluence or Notion, which offer advanced permissions and workflow features.

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How Midday Helps Marketing Teams Improve Documentation

Midday

Marketing teams often grapple with outdated processes, scattered information, and the challenge of aligning their strategies with technical execution. Midday steps in to bridge these gaps, offering expert support and technical solutions that streamline documentation and make it a powerful tool for both internal efficiency and marketing success.

Expert Help with Documentation Updates

For many marketing teams, even small website updates can feel like moving mountains. In fact, 80% of teams take a week or longer to make minor changes to their site. Midday eliminates these delays by providing access to a team of senior developers, designers, and content specialists who truly understand marketing operations.

With a task-based system, teams can submit unlimited requests - whether it’s tweaking campaign processes, revising guidelines, or building new workflows. These requests are handled efficiently without hidden fees, and every client gets tailored guidance to meet their unique documentation and marketing needs.

"Working with Midday has helped save us HOURS on building website pages in Contentful. The team has been collaborative and attentive. We're grateful to have found them!" - Sophie M., Director of Storytelling & Content at Kiva.org

The onboarding process is fast - just 48 hours - so teams can dive into improving their documentation almost immediately. This speed is critical when campaigns rely on accurate, up-to-date materials.

Better Content Creation with the Content Engine

Quick updates are essential, but creating high-quality content is just as important. Documentation should not only support internal workflows but also drive marketing results. That’s where Midday’s Content Engine comes in, taking a strategic approach to content creation.

Consider this: content marketing generates three times as many leads as traditional outbound methods while costing 62% less. Yet, many marketing teams struggle to develop documentation that serves internal needs and doubles as impactful marketing content. The Content Engine solves this by crafting long-form resources that educate, rank well in search engines, and convert visitors into leads.

Instead of producing generic documentation, the Content Engine delivers assets like detailed guides, best practices, and process overviews that also serve as thought leadership pieces. This approach taps into the growing trend of consumers preferring content over ads - 70% of internet users want to learn about products through content rather than traditional advertising.

Strategic content creation doesn’t just help teams internally - it attracts potential customers searching for solutions. Long-form content earns 77% more backlinks and generates three times the traffic compared to shorter pieces, making it a valuable tool for SEO and lead generation.

Technical Improvements and Documentation Integration

Outdated and disconnected documentation platforms are a common pain point for marketing teams. These issues create friction, making it harder for teams to adopt and maintain their documentation. Midday addresses these challenges through its WebOps approach, which combines technical upgrades with improved usability.

The service includes CMS enhancements, SEO audits, and page speed optimization - key factors that influence how well documentation performs and how accessible it is for teams. When documentation loads quickly and integrates seamlessly with existing workflows, it becomes a tool that teams actually use.

Midday also ensures that documentation connects with CRM systems, linking it directly to lead capture and customer management. This makes it easier to align documentation with marketing goals while maintaining internal clarity.

"They bring a rare combination of creative vision, technical precision, and calm professionalism that makes this entire process feel seamless." - Adam N., Founder at Kibono

Additional technical improvements include mobile-friendly designs and enhanced search functionality, critical for team members who need quick access during campaigns or meetings. Code management and QA testing ensure that documentation platforms remain stable and scalable as operations grow.

Pricing starts at $2,200 per month for design-focused support or $2,700 per month for full-stack development and design, with options for up to 60 hours of senior support each month.

"Midday is like that friend who always shows up on time, knows exactly what to do, and somehow makes everything look effortless. The designers and developers have saved us so many headaches, highly recommend them." - Serena C., VP of Marketing at a B2B SaaS Company

Conclusion: Better Documentation Leads to Marketing Success

When marketing teams prioritize better documentation, they unlock smoother operations and improved outcomes. Quick access to essential information, seamless collaboration across departments, and confident campaign execution create a ripple effect that benefits the entire organization.

Main Benefits of Better Documentation

One major advantage is saving time. Clear and streamlined documentation reduces the hours spent searching for information, allowing teams to dedicate their energy to high-impact tasks instead of wrestling with outdated instructions or administrative hurdles. Enhanced collaboration is another key outcome. When teams rely on a unified resource for processes, tools, and best practices, they minimize miscommunication and keep projects running smoothly. Additionally, stronger campaigns emerge from access to accurate, user-centric documentation. Teams that maintain up-to-date resources can launch campaigns faster, adapt to last-minute changes, and experience fewer delays - all while enjoying greater job satisfaction.

The importance of documentation is underscored by a revealing statistic: 53% of content professionals identify "limited or no data about effectiveness and impact" as their top challenge with technical documentation. This highlights the need for better measurement and continuous improvement to achieve success. As digital products and platforms grow more complex, both B2B and B2C organizations increasingly depend on clear, easy-to-use documentation to meet their goals.

By addressing these challenges, teams can transform documentation into a cornerstone of their marketing strategy.

How Midday Can Help

Midday offers the expertise marketing teams need to elevate their documentation into a true competitive edge. Tackling common roadblocks like outdated processes, scattered resources, and the difficulty of aligning technical details with overarching strategies, Midday provides tailored solutions to help teams thrive.

With unlimited requests and a dedicated team of senior developers, designers, and content strategists, Midday ensures that your documentation evolves alongside your needs. Their Content Engine goes a step further, turning internal documentation into marketing content that not only supports your team but also drives traffic and converts leads.

Starting at $2,000 per month and including a free 30-day trial, Midday empowers marketing teams to shift their perspective on documentation - from a tedious necessity to a powerful asset. With Midday's support, your team can focus on what truly matters: driving growth and achieving results.

FAQs

What’s the best way for marketing teams to keep their documentation accurate and up-to-date?

To keep their documentation current and accurate, marketing teams should implement a regular review schedule to catch outdated or incomplete content. Utilizing version control tools can help track changes and manage updates seamlessly, while well-designed templates and style guides ensure consistency across all materials.

Involving key stakeholders in the review process is also crucial. This collaboration ensures updates align with both the team’s objectives and the needs of their audience. By focusing on the end user, teams can create documentation that remains relevant and effectively supports their marketing strategies.

What features should a documentation platform have to help marketing teams collaborate effectively?

To make teamwork smoother, a documentation platform needs real-time editing, centralized access, and built-in communication tools. With real-time editing, multiple team members can work on the same document at the same time without worrying about version clashes. Centralized access ensures that everyone can quickly locate and use the most up-to-date information, keeping processes streamlined. Integrated communication tools let teams share feedback and discuss updates directly within the platform, cutting down on confusion and boosting efficiency.

How does better documentation contribute to the success of marketing campaigns?

Clear, well-structured documentation plays a key role in running successful marketing campaigns. It simplifies strategies, aligns team efforts, and ensures smoother execution. This clarity minimizes misunderstandings, boosts communication, and keeps everyone working toward the same goals, ultimately leading to more efficient processes and better results.

Beyond execution, thorough documentation helps teams track progress, evaluate outcomes, and fine-tune future campaigns. When it addresses customer questions and concerns effectively, it builds trust, strengthens connections, and nurtures loyalty over time. Prioritizing strong documentation isn’t just about internal efficiency - it’s also about reinforcing your audience’s confidence in your brand.

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