Want to get content out the door way faster with your team? Tired of version chaos, scattered feedback, and endless “final-final_v3” files? You’re the person this guide is for. If you’re using Storydoc to build decks, proposals, or sales materials, you’ve got some solid collaboration features at your disposal. But honestly, features only get you halfway—the rest is about using them well (and not wasting time on the stuff that sounds fancy but doesn’t help).
Here’s how to actually work together in Storydoc, so you can create better content, faster, and skip the headaches.
1. Get Your Team Set Up the Right Way
Before you even open a document, make sure everyone has access to the workspace. Storydoc isn’t magic—if your team isn’t invited or doesn’t know where to find the project, you’ll hit a wall.
- Add all contributors: Don’t just invite the writer or designer. Bring in anyone who needs to review, approve, or leave feedback. If you’re not sure if someone should be in, err on the side of inviting them.
- Set roles: Assign permissions (editor, viewer, etc.). Keep editors to the people who’ll actually edit; let reviewers comment only.
Pro tip: If you’re working with external folks (like clients), use “view only” or comment permissions. You don’t want someone accidentally rewriting your deck at 2 a.m.
2. Start With a Shared Template or Draft
Blank pages slow everyone down. Storydoc gives you templates for sales decks, proposals, and more. Don’t overthink it—pick the one closest to what you need, then tweak from there.
- Pick a template together: Hop on a quick call or Slack thread, pick a starting point, and avoid endless “what should this look like?” debates.
- Save your own templates: If you’ve got a format that works, save it so you’re not reinventing the wheel every time.
What not to do: Don’t let each person start with their own version. You’ll waste hours merging different layouts and content.
3. Assign Clear Sections and Responsibilities
This part sounds obvious, but most teams skip it—and then spend days untangling who was supposed to do what.
- Divide up the doc: Storydoc lets you break your deck into slides or sections. Assign each section to a specific person.
- Track ownership: Use naming conventions or comments to show who’s handling which part. Example: “Intro - Sarah,” “Case Study - Mike.”
- Set deadlines: Even if it’s just “finish your sections by Thursday.” Don’t leave things open-ended.
Pro tip: Put assignments and deadlines in the doc itself. Don’t rely on people remembering what you slacked them last week.
4. Use Comments for Real Collaboration—Not Just Corrections
Storydoc’s comment system is solid, but only if you use it for actual feedback, not endless nitpicking.
- Leave actionable comments: Instead of “I don’t like this,” say “Can you add a stat here?” or “This feels too long—can we cut it?”
- Tag people: Use @mentions so feedback doesn’t get lost. “@Jess Can you clarify this point?”
- Resolve as you go: Mark comments as resolved once you’ve handled them. Keeps the doc clean and avoids rehashing old debates.
What doesn’t work: Using comments as a back-and-forth chat. If you’re having a long debate, hop on a call or use Slack. Comments are for fixes, not philosophy.
5. Avoid Version Hell—Work in One Place
One of the main reasons to use Storydoc is to skip the “Which file is the latest?” game. But you still need a few habits to keep things sane:
- All edits in the platform: Don’t download and email “offline” versions. If you need to share a draft, use Storydoc’s link sharing.
- Track changes: Storydoc autosaves and keeps a version history. If something gets messed up, you can roll back—but don’t rely on this as your only safety net.
- Communicate changes: If you make a big update, let the team know. Nothing’s worse than someone working for an hour on an outdated section.
What to ignore: Fancy “compare versions” tools. They sound useful, but most teams don’t need them unless you’re managing dozens of drafts at once.
6. Use Live Collaboration (But Don’t Crowd the Doc)
Storydoc supports real-time editing—so multiple people can be in a document at once. This is great for quick sprints, but it can also get messy fast.
- Schedule sprints: Have everyone jump in at the same time to knock out a draft or review round.
- Don’t all edit the same slide: If you’re working live, agree on who’s editing what. Otherwise, you’ll overwrite each other.
- Mute notifications if needed: If feedback pings are distracting, turn them off and come back when you’re ready.
When not to use live editing: For sensitive content, solo focus, or when you don’t want “helpful” team members jumping in and changing your work mid-sentence.
7. Review and Approve—Without Endless Loops
At some point, you need to call a draft “good enough.” Here’s how to get through review without getting stuck:
- Set a clear review deadline: “All feedback by Friday noon.” After that, lock the doc or move to final edits.
- Limit reviewers: Too many cooks slow things down. Only invite the people who have to sign off.
- Use comments for final tweaks: Collect small fixes in one place, then assign one person to implement them.
What to avoid: Group reviews where everyone edits at once. You’ll end up with a Frankenstein document. Keep it structured.
8. Share, Publish, and Track Together
Once your content’s ready, make sure everyone knows how it’s being shared and what happens next.
- Use Storydoc’s sharing links: Send the same link to everyone instead of downloading PDFs or PowerPoints. This keeps analytics and updates in one place.
- Track engagement: Storydoc shows who opened your deck and which slides they spent time on. Share these stats with the team, especially if you’re iterating or pitching.
- Archive final versions: Keep a record of what was sent, so you’re not reusing outdated decks next quarter.
Ignore: Over-customizing analytics dashboards. Most teams just need the basics—who viewed, how long, and which slides got attention.
9. Troubleshooting Common Collaboration Problems
Let’s be honest: no tool solves everything. Here’s what trips teams up, and how to fix it.
- People don’t check notifications: Set a team ritual—like “review feedback every morning.” Relying on email alerts alone doesn’t work.
- Conflicting edits: If two people overwrite each other, use version history to restore the right section. Then clarify who owns what moving forward.
- Feedback overload: If you’re drowning in comments, assign a “final reviewer” whose say is the last word. Otherwise, you’ll never finish.
10. Pro Tips to Keep Content Creation Fast
- Keep meetings short: Use Storydoc for real collaboration, not as an excuse for more Zoom calls.
- Standardize as much as possible: The more you reuse templates and workflows, the less you have to reinvent.
- Iterate, don’t perfect: Get a draft out early, then refine. Perfectionism is the enemy of speed.
Keep It Simple, Keep It Moving
Collaboration doesn’t have to mean chaos. Use Storydoc’s tools for what they’re good at—centralizing feedback, tracking versions, and keeping everyone in sync. Don’t get bogged down in features you don’t need. Start with a template, assign clear roles, and focus on getting drafts out the door. The faster you can see something real, the faster you’ll get to something great.
Remember: Simple beats complicated. Iterate, share, and keep moving. That’s how you actually get content finished—together.