the human factor part 3: getting started

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.

info@eccolomedia.com

@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