In this review, I’m going to share my analysis and evaluation from my hands-on experience with GatherContent. But first, if you’re just beginning your search for the best collaboration software, check out my picks for the best collaboration tools. You probably already know that GatherContent is among the most popular collaboration tools out there, but you need to better understand what’s good (and not so good) about it.
This in-depth GatherContent review will walk you through the tool's pros and cons, features and functionality, and more to help guide you to better understand its capabilities and its suitability for your needs.
GatherContent Product Overview
Summary
GatherContent is a content management software designed to streamline and simplify content creation, management, and collaboration for websites and digital projects. Its primary users are content teams, digital agencies, and large organizations that regularly produce and manage online content. The tool offers significant benefits in terms of organization, collaboration, and consistency in content production.
It addresses key pain points such as disorganized workflows, poor team collaboration, and inconsistent content quality across platforms. Notable features of GatherContent include intuitive content organization structures, powerful collaboration capabilities, and comprehensive content templates and guidelines.
Pros
- Content Structuring: GatherContent excels in organizing content efficiently. This is crucial for large projects where content needs to be sorted, accessed, and managed without hassle.
- Team Collaboration: The software fosters effective team collaboration. It provides a central platform for team members to collaborate seamlessly, reducing misunderstandings and delays.
- Template Utilization: GatherContent offers robust template features. These templates ensure consistency and quality in content, which is essential for maintaining brand voice and standards.
Cons
- Learning Curve: Initial setup can be complex. New users might struggle to navigate and utilize all the features effectively without proper training.
- Integration Limitations: Limited third-party integrations are available. This can be a drawback for teams relying on a wide range of tools for their digital ecosystem.
- Cost Consideration: While not the most expensive, it might not be cost-effective for smaller teams or projects. The pricing structure could be a barrier for those with limited budgets or smaller-scale content needs.
Expert Opinion
In judging GatherContent against other content management software, I find its performance mixed, with distinct strengths and limitations. Its interface is user-friendly and intuitive, making it a good choice for teams that prioritize ease of use and efficient content structuring. However, when considering integrations and pricing, it falls short compared to more versatile and cost-effective options in the market.
GatherContent shines in its template features and collaborative capabilities, outperforming many competitors in these areas. This makes it especially suitable for larger content teams and digital agencies requiring consistent content quality and collaborative workflows. On the other hand, its limited third-party integrations and steeper learning curve for beginners might deter smaller teams or those with a heavy reliance on a diverse tool ecosystem.
Therefore, I suggest GatherContent as a strong contender for specific environments, particularly where content organization and team collaboration are paramount, but less so for those seeking extensive integrations or with tighter budget constraints.
GatherContent Deep Dive
Standout Functionality
- Content Operations Framework: GatherContent's approach to managing content operations is unique. It stores content and integrates comprehensive planning and workflow management tools. This holistic approach is distinct from traditional content management systems that focus primarily on storage and publishing.
- Advanced Template System: The advanced template system in GatherContent stands out. It allows for creating detailed content templates with specific guidelines and structure, which is crucial for maintaining consistency across large volumes of content. This feature is particularly beneficial for large teams and complex projects.
- In-depth Workflow Customization: GatherContent offers exceptionally flexible workflow customization options. Users can create multiple stages of content development and approval tailored to their specific process. This level of customization is often not as developed in other content management systems, making it a notable differentiator.
Product Specifications
- Content Creation - Yes
- Content Storage - Yes
- Content Publishing - Yes
- Workflow Management - Yes
- Template Management - Yes
- User Permissions and Access Control - Yes
- Collaboration Tools - Yes
- Version Control - Yes
- SEO Management - No
- Analytics and Reporting - No
- Content Scheduling - Yes
- Multi-Language Support - No
- Integration with Third-Party Tools - Limited
- Mobile Accessibility - Yes
- Drag and Drop Interface - Yes
- Multimedia Support - Yes
- Customizable Branding - Yes
- Email Campaign Integration - No
- Social Media Integration - No
- E-commerce Integration - No
- Customer Support - Yes
- Training and Onboarding Materials - Yes
- API Access - Yes
- Cloud-Based Deployment - Yes
- Document Management - Yes
GatherContent Key Features
- Content Creation and Management: GatherContent excels in offering a streamlined interface for creating and managing content, distinguishing itself with ease of use and efficiency.
- Workflow Management: Its ability to customize and manage complex workflows is a significant strength. This feature ensures smooth transitions between different stages of content creation and approval.
- Template Management: The advanced template system is a key feature, allowing for the creation of detailed content structures and guidelines, which is essential for large-scale projects requiring consistency.
- User Permissions and Access Control: GatherContent provides robust control over user permissions and access, ensuring that the right people have the right level of access to content at different stages.
- Collaboration Tools: The platform's collaboration tools are strong, facilitating effective team interaction and feedback, which is critical for timely and cohesive content production.
- Version Control: Its version control system is comprehensive, allowing for tracking changes and reverting to previous versions when needed, which is vital for maintaining content integrity.
- Content Scheduling: The ability to schedule content for future publishing is a valuable feature, helping teams plan and execute their content strategy efficiently.
- Multimedia Support: GatherContent supports various multimedia formats, making it versatile for different types of content creation.
- Customizable Branding: It allows for customizable branding within the platform, which is important for maintaining brand consistency.
- API Access: API access in GatherContent facilitates integration with other systems, although it's more limited compared to some competitors, it still stands out for tailored integration solutions.
Ease Of Use
In my evaluation, GatherContent presents a user interface that is clean and intuitive, making it relatively easy for users to navigate and organize content. The onboarding process is thorough, providing adequate guidance for new users to understand the platform's basics. However, the tool's depth, particularly in areas like workflow customization and template creation, can introduce complexity.
This can be a bit overwhelming for users not accustomed to detailed content operations management. Additionally, the integration process with other tools, due to its limited nature, can pose challenges for users seeking a seamless connection with their existing digital ecosystem.
Customer Support
GatherContent offers a solid level of customer support. They provide a range of resources, including documentation, webinars, and tutorials, which are quite helpful in understanding and using the software effectively. The response times, especially via email, are reasonable. However, one area where they could improve is the availability of more immediate support channels like live chat.
Some users might find the lack of real-time assistance a bit frustrating, especially when dealing with urgent issues or complex queries. Additionally, while the existing documentation is comprehensive, it can sometimes be too dense for users looking for quick, straightforward answers.
Integrations
GatherContent offers a range of native integrations with other software and tools, primarily focusing on content management and digital marketing platforms. These integrations include popular CMS platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and Sitecore, allowing users to push content directly from GatherContent to their website.
Additionally, integrations with project management tools like Jira and Trello facilitate smoother workflow management. For custom needs, GatherContent provides an API that enables users to build their own integrations and automate workflows. The API allows for manipulation of content, projects, and workflows, offering a high degree of customization. There are also add-ons available to extend the platform's capabilities, such as plugins for various CMSs and extensions for browser compatibility.
GatherContent Pricing
GatherContent's pricing is generally in line with similar tools in the market, leaning slightly towards the higher end, considering its specialized features.
- Standard Plan: $99/user/month (billed annually). This plan includes basic content management and collaboration features suitable for small teams. (min 3 seats)
- Professional Plan: $149/user/month (billed annually). It offers more advanced features, like workflow customization and API access, aimed at medium-sized teams. (min 5 seats)
- Enterprise Plan: Pricing upon request. This tier is tailored for large organizations and includes all Professional plan features plus advanced security, support, and integration options.
Additional costs to consider include any potential custom integration development using the API and training or onboarding services, if required. While there is no free tier available, these plans offer comprehensive features that cater to a range of content management needs.
GatherContent Use Cases
Who Would Be A Good Fit For GatherContent?
GatherContent is ideal for large content teams and digital agencies that handle extensive and complex content projects. The tool's structured approach to content organization and its robust template and workflow management features make it particularly suitable for environments where content accuracy, consistency, and timely delivery are critical.
It works well in industries like publishing, higher education, and healthcare, where content often requires rigorous review and approval processes. Companies that have a well-defined content strategy and a team dedicated to content creation, management, and collaboration will find this tool highly beneficial. The platform's ability to handle multiple projects and teams simultaneously makes it a good fit for medium to large-sized organizations.
Loyal and avid customers often include those who value detailed content planning and collaboration, and who need to maintain high content standards across multiple channels.
Who Would Be A Bad Fit For GatherContent?
Due to its pricing and complexity, GatherContent might not be the best fit for small businesses or individual content creators. Teams or organizations that require only basic content management functionalities, or those with limited budgets, might find the tool overly sophisticated and not cost-effective. It is also less suitable for companies looking for extensive third-party integrations or those that heavily rely on SEO management and analytics directly within their content management platform, as these features are limited in GatherContent.
Industries or teams that have a more spontaneous or ad hoc approach to content creation, without the need for detailed templates or structured workflows, may find the tool's features unnecessary and cumbersome. Small-scale projects or teams with infrequent content updates may also see little benefit in adopting such a comprehensive tool.
GatherContent FAQs
How does GatherContent support content marketing strategies?
GatherContent aids content marketing by streamlining the production process of high-quality content. It provides tools for planning, collaboration, and consistency, ensuring your team can produce effective content that aligns with your marketing goals.
Can GatherContent send notifications for project milestones or due dates?
Yes, GatherContent includes a notification system that alerts team members about upcoming due dates and project milestones, keeping everyone on track and ensuring timely submissions.
What makes GatherContent different from traditional content operations platforms?
GatherContent stands out as a content operations platform by offering advanced collaboration tools and workflow customization, making managing large-scale content projects easier and improving the overall customer experience.
How does GatherContent help in creating high-quality content in less time?
By providing structured templates, collaboration tools, and streamlined workflows, GatherContent helps teams create high-quality content more efficiently, reducing the time spent on coordination and manual tasks like uploading and formatting.
Does GatherContent integrate with Microsoft Office products?
GatherContent offers integration with Microsoft Office, allowing for seamless collaboration and content management directly with tools your team might already be using.
Can GatherContent assist in the optimization of each piece of content for web pages?
While GatherContent focuses on content organization and collaboration, it doesn't specialize in SEO optimization. However, it helps ensure each piece of content is well-structured and consistent, which is crucial for web page effectiveness.
Is it possible to replace spreadsheets with GatherContent for content management?
Yes, GatherContent can replace spreadsheets by providing a more organized and collaborative environment for managing content, with features that spreadsheets lack, such as workflow management and real-time collaboration among stakeholders.
How does GatherContent streamline content uploading to a web page?
GatherContent simplifies the process of uploading content to a web page by allowing direct integration with CMS platforms. This means content can be pushed from GatherContent to your website seamlessly, reducing the need for manual copying and pasting.
GatherContent Company Overview & History
GatherContent, based in London, operates as a specialized content operations platform primarily serving content teams and digital agencies. The company focuses on streamlining the content creation and management process, providing tools that facilitate collaboration, organization, and consistency in content production. Various companies, particularly those in publishing, higher education, and healthcare, utilize GatherContent to optimize their content workflows.
The company, privately held, does not publicly disclose its ownership details. Its LinkedIn profile showcases a team that includes professionals with expertise in content strategy, software development, and digital marketing. The headquarters are in London, which serves as the hub for their operations and strategy.
GatherContent's mission is to simplify content management and collaboration, aiming to help teams produce high-quality content efficiently. Since its inception, the company has reached several milestones, including significant updates to its platform, expansion of its customer base, and developing a strong presence in the content management market.
GatherContent Summary: The Bottom Line
My overall opinion of GatherContent is that it stands out for its focus on content operations, particularly in terms of collaboration and template management. Unlike many content management systems that prioritize content storage and publishing, GatherContent excels in the early stages of content creation — planning, structuring, and collaboration. This focus makes it unique compared to similar software.
GatherContent offers a level of workflow customization and template control that is not often found in other tools. This capability is especially good for teams that need to maintain a high standard of consistency and quality across large volumes of content. Its most noteworthy features include an intuitive user interface, detailed content templates, and flexible workflow management. These features make it a strong choice for medium to large-sized teams and organizations focused on maintaining stringent content standards and efficient production processes.
GatherContent Alternatives
- Contentful: Contentful is often chosen for its strong headless CMS capabilities, making it a better fit for organizations looking for more technical flexibility and API-driven content management.
- WordPress: WordPress, being a widely-used CMS, is preferable for users seeking a more familiar interface and extensive plugin ecosystem, especially beneficial for smaller businesses or bloggers.
- Trello: While not a traditional CMS, Trello is frequently compared with GatherContent for its project management features. It's ideal for teams who prefer a simple, card-based interface for organizing content tasks and workflows.
Summary
Throughout this review, I've explored various aspects of GatherContent, assessing its functionality, ease of use, customer support, pricing, and more. It stands out for its content operations framework, advanced template system, and in-depth workflow customization. GatherContent is particularly well-suited for large content teams and digital agencies that require structured and collaborative content creation processes.
However, for smaller teams or projects with simpler requirements, it might not be the most cost-effective option. I encourage potential users to weigh these factors against their specific needs. If GatherContent aligns with your content management and collaboration needs, it could be a strong choice.
For those still uncertain or seeking different features, exploring alternatives such as Contentful, WordPress, or Trello might be beneficial. I invite readers to share their experiences or questions about GatherContent or its alternatives, as community insights can significantly aid in making an informed decision.