10 Reasons to Purge Your Content Library Right Now

Most of us have a library of documents meant to speed up the proposal process. Whether you use a proposal creation software or keep a library of files on your local server, chances are you could stand to purge your content library right now. If you haven’t done a purge of your content library in a while, here are ten reasons you should do so right now:

1. Your templates are probably out-of-date.

Even if you have a perfect template system, chances are it has evolved slightly over the last year (or two or three, depending on the last time you decided to purge your content library). Open up the master templates you have on file and see if they match the content you most recently produced. If any of your templates have changed, now is also a great time to update your proposal style guide.

2. Your projects have progressed.

A lot can happen in a year, especially for a project. You might have projects that completed construction, broke ground, or hit a milestone in design. Now is a great time to go through your project sheets and scrub them for proper language (pro tip: when a project is completed, the language changes from future tense “will be” to present tense “is”). You can also check for updated information, like scheduling, budget, and relevant project team members. Psst! You can keep track of project data using the free datasheet templates in the free resources library.

3. Your people have changed.

From joining new organizations, starting and completing new projects, or simply sticking with your company for another year, your people have changed. That means their resumes have changed too, and it’s time to do a thorough review of them while you purge your content library. Double check years with the company and overall years of experience. Ask individuals to revisit their bios or professional experience paragraphs and make sure everything is up-to-date. Check project descriptions, and make sure the information listed is accurate. This is also a great time to make sure you have new-hire resumes on file and have archived resumes for individuals that are no longer with the company.

4. Your processes have probably evolved.

Check your standard forms, like go/no-go (bid/no-bid), proposal input, proposal management plans, and any other forms you use in your standard proposal preparation process. Chances are, you’ve made changes to the way you work and use them over the last year. The purge of your content library is the best time to make formal content changes, formatting changes, and update your forms to reflect your most current processes.

5. Identifying efficiencies.

Do you have a client that asks for the same information in every RFP they release? Schools and municipalities tend to have RFP templates that request the same basic information. Consider reorganizing your content library so that it’s easier to respond to these questions. One way to do this is to make a folder specifically for that client and drop in the content you’ve used in recent proposals.

 

index drawers purge your content library

6. Files tend to duplicate over time.

When we’re in a rush, it’s easy to quickly copy, paste, and save narratives into our content library. We often duplicate the same content on cost control, scheduling, introductions, etc., without thinking, simply because it is part of our close-out process. It might be tedious, but read through and delete duplicate narratives, or save versions that are largely similar within the same document. Pro tip: highlight proposal-specific information, like the client name and project, so that you remember to change it in future proposals.

7. Check for what’s not in your content library.

You’ve most likely created new templates or documents in the last year. Maybe you created new swag for conferences, like bookmarks or banners, table displays, etc., and haven’t saved those files as templates into your master content library. Now is the time to hunt down those files and make sure they’re easy to access for the coming year.

8. While we’re at it, your image library is probably out of date too.

Images are as much a part of your content library as narratives and templates. Make sure that your best images are clearly labeled and easily accessible. If professional photography has replaced field photography, consider archiving the field photos. Check for new renderings and retire old ones.

9. Check for logo longevity.

Was last year a special year for your company? If so, you might have used a commemorative logo or special anniversary artwork. Make sure you’ve switched back to standard branding for the new year.

10. Clutter is your enemy.

The more you can cut down on clutter in your library, the more likely you are to use the content there. I recommend archiving (not deleting) old content because you never know when you might need to dig into the old stuff. Make sure your newest and best content is the easiest to access though because that will help you to streamline your initial content gathering for your proposal.

That’s it! Ten reasons you should purge your content library right now. If you don’t have a content library, now is also an excellent time to build one!

Do you have a content library? If so, do you purge it annually?