New ebook! See why PIM software is always in fashion for apparel brands. Read the guide >

What is product content management?

drill down on effective product content

See how effective product content management can transform your sales and marketing strategies thanks to the transformative power of PIM.

Without the ability to physically interact with products online, content like photos, videos, and descriptions is the lifeblood of customer experiences on the digital shelf. Product content management is the art and science of crafting and handling this influential content, ensuring each piece contributes to a coherent and compelling product story.

Understanding the power of product content management, and the role of crucial software such as a Product Information Management system (PIM), is key to unlocking the true potential of your products online. With well-crafted content, you transform every point of contact into an opportunity for connection and conversion.

> What content is involved in product content management?
> Why is product content management important? 
> How does PIM enable effective product content management?
> Product content management best practices

inriver x Carhartt

Read the success story of the global apparel brand.

What content is involved in product content management?

Product content management is the strategy and systems for creating, managing, and publishing rich product content across channels. 

Key types of product content can include digital assets such as:

Using structured and unstructured data in product content management

In your product content management strategy, consider both structured data and unstructured data. Structured data—like SKUS, pricing, and inventory levels—helps your products show up in search engines and your performance analysis down the road. Unstructured data doesn’t fit into traditional databases and can include more ad hoc elements like rich media content, educational materials, and user-generated content (UGC). 

Your product content management strategy should also account for language, regional, and cultural nuances depending on where your customers view the content. Using advanced PIM software, you can ensure your content makes sense in all necessary languages, includes the right cultural sentiments, and caters to the end user—wherever they are. 

Man hiking in forest alone with backpack wearing a flannel shirt

Why is product content management important? 

The modern buyer journey is not as straightforward as it once was. It’s personalized, complex, and craves relevance at every touchpoint.

Product content management solutions empower brands to meet these expectations head-on by cultivating rich, immersive, and personalized product experiences. The goal? Ensuring every piece of content contributes to a cohesive narrative that speaks to your audience.

What’s more, a well-integrated product content management strategy provides brands, manufacturers, and retailers with a wealth of resources to make work easier across all departments—from marketing and sales to customer support.

For brands

Brands selling online must take constant stock of every touchpoint customers engage with them—from the e-commerce site to wholesale shops. Product content management for brands means maintaining a consistent, cohesive brand voice in every channel, supporting product searchability, and aligning with the brand’s overall marketing strategy.

For manufacturers

With a plethora of channels and partners alike, manufacturers know that careful product content dissemination is key. Product data should be error-free and up-to-date so that distributors and retailers receive the most accurate information—and compliance audits go off without a hitch. 

For retailers

Product content management helps retailers stay competitive in an omnichannel world and build invaluable trust with consumers. Retailers who provide the most detailed product information to customers win the day, and product content management sets you up to do just that—along with driving cost-saving efficiencies in inventory and product catalog management. 

worker using sledgehammer in home renovation

How does PIM enable effective product content management?

Product Information Management software is the core of a successful product content management strategy. 

A PIM system serves as your central repository for all product data—data that will soon inform or even become your vital product content. 

But PIM systems aren’t just a data dumping ground. Advanced PIM systems accelerate the process of data onboarding, enrichment, and syndication so that your product data management works for you. By streamlining the transformation of raw data into rich content, PIM software helps you create better customer, partner, and employee experiences. 

The capability of a PIM system to drive product content management becomes even stronger when you integrate it into your existing tech stack, including: 

A young female adult mechanic is standing under a car in a garage. She is standing proudly and looking to camera

Product content management best practices

There are a few governing rules you’ll want to have in place to get the most out of your product content management strategy within your organization: 

Warehouse worker using bar code reader while working in distribution warehouse. His colleagues are in blurred motion.

inriver: The solution for all your product data needs

As the importance of optimized product content across customer touchpoints grows, having the right technology in place is essential for growing brands, manufacturers, and retailers. With content quality and consistency often being the make-or-break point for purchasing decisions, you need a way to efficiently manage vast amounts of content.

The inriver PIM stands out as a comprehensive content and information management solution. With built-in asset management capabilities, content syndication, and automated workflows, inriver makes it easy to efficiently pave a compelling path to purchase.

want to see the inriver PIM in action?

Schedule a personalized, guided demo with an inriver expert today to see how the inriver PIM can get more value from your product information.

you may also like…

frequently asked questions

what is product content?

Product content is any information, media, or assets used to describe a product online. Product content includes elements like product descriptions, product specifications, product images, product videos, educational materials, user guides, after-care guides, product reviews, pricing information, and inventory stock information.

what is inriver software used for?

Inriver is an all-in-one PIM solution built to scale as brands, manufacturers, retailers, and enterprise businesses grow. The inriver PIM serves as an organization’s single source of truth for all product data and information, driving organizational efficiency and more compelling customer experiences. It features built-in Product Data Syndication (PDS), extensive tech-stack integrations, automated workflows, Digital Shelf Analytics (DSA), and more.

can product content management be used independently, or is it better to integrate with other systems like PIM?

It’s recommended to integrate an advanced PIM into your product content management strategy to ensure the product data informing your content is accurate and up-to-date. Integrating with a PIM also opens additional doors to integrate other essential business systems, such as your ERP or CRM, so that every system remains consistent.

what types of digital content are involved with product content management?

Product content management software manages rich media files like photos, videos, or audio. It can also manage all your structured and unstructured data. Structured data might include prices and SKUs, while unstructured data might be an in-depth product explainer video. Any content that helps explain the details of a product can be managed by product content management.

inriver PIM buyer guide

How to get started with PIM software

download the guide

Download now

Start your PIM journey with the complete inriver guide:

    Thanks for your interest!

    An e-mail with your requested content is on its way to your inbox.

    Something went wrong

    Please try again in a moment.