In today’s competitive market, customer stories have emerged as powerful tools for brands to connect with their audience and build trust. However, crafting compelling narratives that resonate can be challenging. In this insightful discussion, Emily Amos, Founder of Uplift Content, shares her expertise on the common hurdles companies face when gathering customer stories. From identifying willing participants to securing timely approvals, Emily provides practical strategies to navigate these challenges. Moreover, she explores innovative ways to repurpose customer content beyond traditional case studies, ensuring that each voice is heard and valued.
Challenges Companies Face with Customer Stories
Emily Amos: The three mains challenges that companies face while getting customer stories are as follows:
Identifying and Securing Customer Participation: The first challenge is identifying customers who can provide insights and getting them to agree to participate. To find customers willing to share their experiences, start with your best and happiest clients. User groups and conferences are excellent opportunities to connect with customers who might have compelling stories to tell. Additionally, consider customer awards; as clients prepare their nominations, they often articulate why they deserve recognition, giving you a story to work with right from the submission.
Obtaining Metrics: The second challenge is gathering metrics for your case study. Concrete results are essential for demonstrating impact and outcomes. If you’re struggling to obtain these figures, I recommend recording benchmarks at the start of your relationship with the customer. Have the Customer Success Manager (CSM) or salesperson discuss the customer’s current situation, providing a baseline for comparison when writing the story. If this wasn’t done initially, consider why the customer purchased your software. This can guide you in determining which metrics to inquire about. Once you identify the necessary metrics, assist the customer in articulating their results. If they lack hard numbers, percentages can be useful; for example, did they see a 50% increase in productivity? It’s also helpful to discuss the before-and-after scenarios—how did things feel before implementing the solution, and how do they feel afterward?
Timely Review and Approval: The third challenge is getting customers to review and approve the customer story in a timely manner. Unfortunately, this process never gets easier. Before you start drafting the story, communicate with your champion to understand their review and approval process. Does their Legal team need to review it? Does the PR team need to be involved? Securing buy-in from all relevant parties at the outset will help ensure a smoother process later on.
How Companies Can Utilise Customer Content Beyond Case Studies
Emily Amos: As marketers, we are constantly creating content that explains our products, answers common questions, and educates our customers about our solutions. However, there are times when our customers would prefer to hear from their peers instead. This is where the power of social proof comes in, making our messaging more relevant and believable.
I fully support the idea of generating more customer-created content. For example, when we conduct case studies, we not only focus on the customer stories but also consider how to repurpose the interviews for additional content. Here are a few ideas:
- LinkedIn Carousels: Create a carousel post on LinkedIn featuring tips from each customer on how to solve common challenges. Each slide can highlight a different piece of advice.
- Blog Posts: Develop a blog post that shares best practices or advice from your customers for other current and prospective users on how to effectively use your product or tackle common challenges.
- Infographics and Slides: Use the insights gained from customer interviews to create infographics or slide presentations that showcase their experiences and recommendations.
- Video Snippets: Capture video clips during customer interviews that can be shared as short, impactful snippets, bringing their voices directly to your audience.
Best Content Format for Customer Stories
Emily Amos: One of the aspects I appreciate most about customer stories is their flexibility and adaptability. While you can certainly create a classic long-form narrative, it’s also beneficial to develop various formats from the same story. After conducting a customer interview, you have valuable insights—make the most of that single interview by producing multiple content assets.
For example, consider creating a slideshow or a LinkedIn carousel to promote the story on social media. A well-designed carousel accompanied by a thoughtful post can effectively share the narrative. Additionally, writing a blog post that highlights best practices or offers advice is another excellent way to repurpose the content.
When it comes to effective formats, providing the story in various ways is crucial. Different audiences consume content in different manners, and learning preferences vary. Some people prefer reading, while others like to skim or watch videos. Additionally, some may only want to see key statistics. Therefore, it’s essential to create snippets, pull quotes, and video content. A diverse approach will ensure your story resonates with a broader audience.
The video has been shot on Endorse Live
