the human factor part 3: getting started
TRANSCRIPT
The Human Factor
Part 3: Getting Started
Human, editorial stories, with built-in, ‘get-the-rest-of-the-story breadcrumbs, are the key ingredients for a Customer Content Marketing Strategy.
What is the Human Factor? It’s not products, technology or solutions. It’s that “awwww”or “huh?” or “hmm” that journalists look for when writing a great story.
The Human Factor changes a case study into something
editorial – a story about YOUR customer.
Use breadcrumbs and links to gate content and integrate
your strategy into measurable lead nurture and automation
systems.
Rebuild your customer Web pages with
featured customer stories, much like an
online publisher merchandizes editorial
content.
Use your provocative story headlines to link story pages across home page, product pages, 3rd party pages and into social media.
Now Part 3: Getting Started
Here comes the step by
step…
Step 1:Get your Web team
onboard.
Work together to build a Web
requirements document.Map the design, merchandizing and promotion strategy, and phases of execution for your featured stories.
#humancontent
TIP: If you don’t have a plan to
merchandize and distribute your
stories, it’s not worth creating them.
Web teams are comfortable posting case studies. Expect to teach them about human stories and what you want to achieve with your Customer Content Marketing Strategy.
HINT: Use Parts 1 and 2 of this SlideShare
series to show key internal stakeholders
what you mean.
Click to view Parts 1 and 2.
Or even better, request a live demo with
us.
Step 2:Find your human stories.
Audit your existing case studies, partner stories, PR stories, videos, trends stories that leverage customer proof points – anything you can call customer content.
Apply the ‘before’ and ‘after’
technique you learned in Part 1.
Create a content audit
matrix to track your
human story ideas.
Shall we look at an example?
A Content Audit Matrix from
Black Box, the fictitious
company we introduced you to
in our Part 2 demo.
Case Study & Customer Story Audit
Case Study & Customer Story AuditTake a critical look at customers old & new for potential storyangles.
Track your ideas for transforming existing assets into sharp, provocative Human Stories.
HINT: Not every one will be a winner and that’s OK.
Step 3:Create an Editorial Calendar
Identify your first 5-6 feature stories
to roll out as a beta, followed by a six-
month rolling calendar of editorial
content.Establish a regular publishing cycle around campaigns, events, and seasonal news.
Identify your merchandizing strategy for each of your stories:
Hero on Home page?
Social media?
Paid media campaign?
Product page?
• What are your headlines?
• When do you use
breadcrumbs?
• What will you point to?
• Where will you link back
from?
• When do you gate?Download?
How about another example from Black Box?
Black Box Editorial Calendar
Timing &
DeadlinesStory angles
Breadcrumbs & links
Story themesRelated Campaigns/Events
Step 4:Develop your content.
Who do you need to interview? Don’t assume it’s the
same old IT buyer. Perhaps it’s the VP of Experience or
Brand or PR – or one of your customer’s customers.
Find the Human Story.
Ask your customer how they want to express their humanity – chances are they aren’t gonnamention your products or services.
Curate existing videos, images, or articles about your
customer and include them in your merchandizing
strategy.It’s a great technique –and it’s how online publications think.
TIP: Optimize resources by
writing your story and all your
social posts, tweets, banners,
lead nurture emails &
promotional headlines at the
same time.#humancontent
Step 5:Launch & Merchandise!
Merchandise beyond customer pages: Look at home page heroes; teasers & thumbnails on product, channel, partner, and sponsored 3rd-party pages.
TIP: Integrate into your social channel. Your social team
will be so happy … they always need stuff to promote at a
certain frequency.
#humancontent
Measure, learn and
repeat!
Use your Human Story bread-crumbs to create registration gates that link your strategy with your existing lead capture and automation initiatives.
Final Step:Take a New Seat at the Table
Now you are a content strategist, master of a rolling calendar of the key ingredients of a content marketing strategy.
That’s it for Part 3.
Click on a thumbnail if you missed
Parts 1 & 2.
Or request a live demo of the entire series.
@eccolomedia
SO… in case you missed it, here are the takeaways…
As always, feel free to SHARE!
TIP: Write story, social posts, tweets, banners & paid content
all at the same time.
#humancontent @eccolomedia
Tip: If you don't have a plan to merchandize and distribute
your customer stories, it's not worth creating them.
#humancontent @eccolomedia
TIP: Integrate into your social channel. Your team will be so
happy … they always need stuff to promote at a
certain frequency. #humancontent @eccolomedia