What is conditional processing?
It depends on who you ask.
To a programmer, it refers to code that reacts to different conditions or events.
For example, if you click the pause button on this video, it pauses.
However, for a content specialist, conditional processing means something else.
For content, conditional processing is when similar but distinct content is delivered
to different audiences.
This is also sometimes called conditional profiling, audience management, or attribute-based
profiling..
The worlds of content and programming overlap more today than ever before.
So It’s important to understand the difference so that you can distinguish for yourself.
The programmer will see conditional profiling like a driver that alters their route based
on a series of “if - then” statements.
“If” there is a slowdown in traffic ahead, “then” take the first available exit.
“If” the kids are screaming in the backseat, “then” head to the nearest fast food restaurant
to placate the mob.
Side cut - Psh, parenting is easy!
The driver of the car reacts based on events and conditions.
Now, conditional processing for content delivery is a little different.
It’s not like a car, but more like a… snaps finger 3 times looking up and off screen
A train.
A train’s route doesn’t change based on traffic, the driver, or screaming children.
It’s pre-determined based on the passenger on-board.
These passengers have tickets that indicate the destination.
Like a train, conditional processing for content is a way to deliver users or readers to their
destination…
a content experience that is tailored to them .
Ok, Obviously, everyone wants to improve the content experience.
So how do we tap into conditional processing and make this experience possible?
It starts with two things.
Structured content within a component content management system, also called a CCMS.
If you’re unfamiliar with these terms we created videos to help explain.
But in short, structured content is content that conforms to a predetermined standard.
This standard makes content intelligible for systems and applications.
Now, Components are self-contained, building blocks of that structured content.
Components require a different approach to content creation.
Instead of writing a whole document,
Authors write a series of structured content components.
These components are then assembled to form documents.
Components are created and managed within a CCMS.
Deep breath
Got it?
This is where conditional processing becomes possible.
As you write components, you tag them.
There are common, pre-defined metadata tags such as:
* Product * Platform
* And Audience
But you can also get creative and create new, custom tags based on what you need.
For example,
Let’s say that you are a writer at a cell phone manufacturer.
You have six different phone models on five phone carrier networks
That is… pretends to do mental math
a lot of combinations.
But fear not, you have a CCMS which is your single source system.
You write, reuse, and tag your components.
Some of your components will be unique to one phone model or one carrier network.
But many, if not most of your components, will work for multiple audiences.
You might doubt this,
after all, if you include the model or carrier name in the text, doesn’t that make it unusable
for other documents?
Not in a CCMS.
You can actually tag words like product models as variable content.
Variable content automatically changes to match the audience you are publishing for.
Yeah.
It’s incredibly powerful.
If you want to learn more about content reuse and variable content, you can watch our video
explaining how it works.
Ok, at this point we have: * Structured content
* Organized into components * Managed within a CCMS
* And tagged based on attributes
Congratulations, you’ve done the hard work.
Just like a train needs a system of tracks.
Your content needs a system of tags.
Now you’ve built the foundation for a sustainable, personalized content experience.
It’s time to publish.
In unstructured systems, publishing is frustrating and time-consuming.
But with a CCMS, your content is automatically formatted for multiple outputs, simultaneously.
PDF Help Portal
Websites Chatbots
Simply select your audience Select your outputs
And publish
Pushes button
Just like that, you’ve produced a multi-channel experience personalized to your reader
This is the power of structured content within a CCMS.
But Why Does This Matter?!
It’s all about scalability and control!
Conditional processing saves incredible amounts of time, it enhances accuracy, it improves
customer experience...
And, importantly, conditional processing scales.
We only looked at content delivery to customers,
But what about internal departments?
like customer service, marketing, or sales?
How about strategic partners?
Or contract technicians?
With conditional processing from your CCMS, you provide authoritative, accurate, and applicable
content every time.
Your structured content is ready to deploy.