Common SME Collaboration Challenges (And How to Fix Them)
Struggling to work with Subject Matter Experts? Discover the biggest SME collaboration challenges and practical tips to overcome them, plus how EasyContent can simplify your process and keep your content accurate, timely, and impactful.
If you’ve ever worked on creating content that relies on expert knowledge, you know how challenging it can be to collaborate with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) - and just how important they are. Their knowledge is incredibly valuable, but getting access to it can feel like a long and exhausting process. Meetings get rescheduled, responses come in late, and blog drafts sit in the “pending” folder waiting for review.
Why does this matter so much? Because without SME input, your content can easily become generic and superficial. In this article, we’ll look at the most common challenges teams face when working with SMEs and share practical ways to overcome them. We’ll also show how tools like EasyContent can make the entire process much simpler.
Key Takeaways
- Time is the #1 challenge - Plan ahead and use asynchronous methods like questionnaires to reduce scheduling conflicts.
- Clarify the process early - Explain the target audience, tone, and format so SMEs know what’s expected.
- Centralize communication - Stop relying on endless email threads. Use a single platform for comments, versions, and approvals.
- Align expectations - Balance technical accuracy with readability by discussing priorities upfront.
- Use tools to automate - Workflow platforms like EasyContent save time with reminders, templates, and structured reviews.
Why SME Collaboration Is Key to Quality Content
Great content isn’t just about writing style. It’s about accuracy, relevance, and depth - and that’s where SMEs come in. When an expert contributes, the content becomes trustworthy and truly valuable for readers. This helps your audience and strengthens your brand by showing that your information is reliable and authoritative.
Having an SME on your side speeds up decision-making. Instead of guessing or spending hours researching, you have someone who knows the right answer. These types of articles rank better on Google, build audience trust, and position your brand as an industry leader. In short, SME collaboration is an investment in quality and credibility.
The Most Common Challenges When Working With SMEs
The first and most common challenge is lack of time. Experts are focused on their core work, and content tasks rarely make their priority list. The result? You wait for weeks for a single response or approval while your publishing calendar falls apart.
Another issue is the lack of understanding of the content process. Many SMEs think sending over a stack of technical documents is enough. But the content team knows the audience doesn’t want complicated tables or jargon-heavy text. That material needs to be simplified and adapted to your brand’s tone.
Communication is another big hurdle. Without a clear channel, information gets lost in endless email threads and chat messages. Add different time zones and busy calendars, and delays are inevitable.
Finally, there’s the clash of expectations. SMEs want precision and technical details, while content teams focus on storytelling and readability. These two worlds don’t always blend easily without compromise and clear organization.
How to Overcome These Challenges
The key is structure and good habits. Solve the time issue by planning ahead and using asynchronous methods. Instead of countless meetings, send a structured questionnaire that the SME can fill out when they have time. Setting clear deadlines and using automated reminders can also keep things on track.
To improve understanding of the content process, explain who the target audience is and what a finished article should look like. Share examples of the tone and style you expect. This way, SMEs know exactly what information to provide and in what format.
Communication should be centralized so comments, versions, and files stay in one place, making everything faster and more transparent. Finally, handle conflicting expectations early on. Align on the level of detail, clarify priorities, and walk SMEs through how the process works. If you decide to use a platform like EasyContent, you can combine templates, workflows, and real-time collaboration to make all of this easier in one place.
Why This Matters for Your Team
Fixing these challenges doesn’t just speed up the content creation process – it also reduces stress. Instead of chasing information, your team can focus on creating high-value content. SMEs will appreciate not wasting time on unnecessary meetings, and your readers will get accurate, expert-backed articles.
Conclusion
Working with SMEs isn’t always easy, but it’s essential for successful content marketing. With a clear process and the right tools, this collaboration can become much simpler. EasyContent helps you bring order and transparency into the workflow, eliminating endless emails and scattered files.
When everyone knows their role and communication runs smoothly, the result is content that’s accurate, timely, and truly valuable to your audience.
