Why Structure Creates Freedom at UEM

SOPs or Standard Operating Procedures often get a bad rep in workplaces, especially for us writers who thrive on creativity and freedom. While it’s used to check quality and improve workflow efficiency, some claim that such rigid guidelines leave room for flexibility.[1]

But at Urban Era Marketing (UEM), we’ve discovered the opposite is true. We don’t view structure as a prison, but as a foundation—one that steadies our work and gives writers the freedom to pursue their own vision for each article or project.

The more structure we have, the more energy is left for our ideas to flourish.

The Foundation: SOPs as Creative Enablers

Let me walk you through some of the SOPs we follow at Urban Era Marketing. These practices might sound rigid at first, but they actually give us the freedom to create with more clarity and confidence.

Formatting and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) SOPs

As a digital marketing agency, Urban Era Marketing prioritizes content that benefits SEO while staying true to our brand. Our guidelines ensure that every article published in all of our websites is Yoast-optimized, contains credible internal and external links, formatted with appropriate H2 and H3s—you know, all the technical details about blogging.

Instead of stressing over scannability or whether a subheading works for SEO, these SOPs simply lay out the bare minimum expected of our work. I call it the bare minimum because it’s just that—an outline.

Think of it as a line sketch: useful for structure, but far from the finished piece. We, the writers, bring the inking, detailing, and color. We choose the angles to pursue, the insights to share, and the words that will connect with our audience.

No Room for Plagiarism

We also have an SOP on plagiarism prevention.

Here at Urban Era Marketing, each writer is expected to uphold the highest level of integrity and credibility. That includes owning up to one’s own work and being explicit about borrowed ideas and crediting them properly. We have zero tolerance for plagiarism because theft, be it tangible or intellectual property, is a serious offense.

The way we cite varies depending on the writer., I use the superscript system that is connected to the reference list located at the bottom of my articles. The image below shows the reference list for my article about the historical gossips that plagued Ancient Rome.

We also follow an SOP on plagiarism prevention.

At Urban Era Marketing, every writer is expected to uphold integrity and credibility by taking ownership of their work and properly crediting borrowed ideas. Plagiarism, whether of tangible or intellectual property, is treated as a serious offense.

Writers cite sources in different ways. Some naturally embed the links to their sources within the article.; whereas I, being the academic that I am, use a superscript system tied to a reference list at the end of my articles. The image below shows how I cited my sources for my piece on the historical gossip from Ancient Rome.

So, instead of overthinking whether to paraphrase, quote directly, or how much citation is enough, the rule is clear: At all times, give credit where credit is due.

This saves a huge amount of mental energy. Writers don’t waste time second-guessing the line between inspiration and copying.

Guidelines for AI Use

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) has seeped into nearly every aspect of modern life, and it’s no surprise that creatives lean on it as a powerful tool. With a single prompt, AI tools like ChatGPT or Jasper can produce a fully formed blog post that might take a human writer hours. While these tools can be truly useful, some lean so heavily on them that they outsource everything.

Unsurprisingly, the result is generic content stripped of fresh insights and any real writer’s voice.

Our SOP on AI use prevents that. We’ve set clear boundaries: AI can support efficiency—brainstorming, organizing drafts, sparking ideas—but it cannot be used for the actual writing.

And no, we don’t rely on AI checkers. They’re unreliable, and more importantly, Urban Era Marketing trusts its writers. With professional experience and a rigorous writing process, our team can deliver fully human-written work without heavily depending on AI.

You can read the rest of my article here and understand why Urban Era Marketing prefers having several SOPs in place.