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Let Your Customers Do Your Selling
Your customers are among your company's most valuable assets, but you might be able to obtain even more value from them: they can help do your selling for you. Customer success stories are a terrific way to present the benefits of your offerings, since they provide real-world examples of your offerings in action from an objective source.
Small business owners prefer case studies because they like to learn from their peers. In our recent survey, small business owners ranked case studies behind articles and forums as their most preferred educational content format, ahead of white papers, webcasts, blogs, interactive tools and podcasts/videos.
Here's how to develop compelling case studies:
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Find the right story to tell. Ask your sales and customer service teams to relay names of customers who provide positive feedback, and monitor what's being said on your social networking sites or your forum or message board. When you reach out to these "advocates" to see if they are willing to be profiled, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised – they are often extremely enthusiastic, happy to help, and happy to have their own businesses promoted. |
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Make your customer the hero. To make your case study persuasive, present it thoroughly from your customer's point of view. Tell their story in four parts:
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Customer: Briefly describe your customer's organization |
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Challenge: Present the pain points that your customer faced |
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Solution: Show how your customer resolved the situation using your product or service |
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Results: Describe how your customer has improved their results by using your offerings |
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Let the details shine. Developing a truly informative case study requires a lengthy interview with the customer. Ask what issues they faced, how that led them to look for a solution, and why they chose your product or service. Concentrate on how your offering solved their problem and dig for specific, measurable results (e.g., time or money saved, customer satisfaction improved, return on investment) since these details make your story more credible and compelling. |
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Add color through quotes. The power of a good case study is when you can tell a story that highlights your offering in your customer's voice. Include several direct quotes from the customer to make the story sound authentic. Select one or two of the best quotes and place them prominently in the layout. |
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Choose the right format. Think about how you want to tell the customer's story – for example via an article, social media posting, podcast or video. Articles are a very popular format and require less work than podcasts or videos; they can also easily be converted to print pieces for use in meetings and events. If you do a podcast or video, be sure to rehearse with the customer so they come across as natural and relaxed. |
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Spread the word. Case studies are a versatile marketing tool. Post them on your website (ideally close to the relevant offerings) and social media outlets, promote them via PR and distribute them at events. Develop a library of case studies so diverse prospects can see how your offerings are relevant to businesses like theirs. |
Contact us to discuss how Bredin can help your customers sell for you.
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>> Microsoft Rolls Out Office 365
Microsoft announced the availability of Office 365, the cloud-based version of its Microsoft Office suite. Office 365 enables small business employees to edit and store documents, spreadsheets and presentations online and collaborate on projects via email, instant message or video chat.
>> Amex, Facebook Offer Ads for Points
American Express OPEN and Facebook launched an initiative that lets Cardmembers redeem Membership Rewards points for Facebook Ads through OPEN's Facebook page or the Membership Rewards website. OPEN is supporting the initiative with a national marketing campaign.
>> Staples Simplifies Mobile Shopping
Staples rolled out a new mobile website that makes it easier for small businesses to shop for Staples products when they're on the go. M.Staples.com features enhanced product ratings and reviews, inventory lookup and store locator with automatic GPS. The site also lets users share product reviews and become fans of Staples on Facebook or follow Staples on Twitter.
>> AT&T Focuses on SMB Solutions
AT&T created a new website for small businesses and kicked off a marketing campaign that emphasizes its tech solutions. AT&T is also training more in-store sales reps on small business solutions.
>> Constant Contact Unveils Social Ed Site
Constant Contact debuted Social Media Quickstarter, a free educational site that helps small businesses get started with social media and marketing. The site offers short tutorials, tips, best practices and case studies.
>> Intel Debuts On-Site Server Repair
Intel announced a new on-site server repair service for SMBs with Intel server systems. Intel On-Site Repair for Servers includes 24/7 technical support by phone and next-business day on-site repair or replacement.
>> PR Newswire Adds iReach for SMBs
PR Newswire announced iReach, an online distribution platform that helps small businesses improve their online presence. The platform offers multiple distribution options so users can access search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing as well as social media networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
>> ADP: SMBs added a net 147,000 jobs in June, of which roughly half came from small providers of services.
>> Manta: 32% of small business owners check their mobile devices before brushing their teeth or having coffee in the morning.
>> The Small Business Authority: 48% of small businesses say email is still the most important software application for their business.
>> U.S. Bank: Of small businesses that use social networks, 74% use Facebook and 57% use LinkedIn; only 23% use Twitter.
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Obtaining Credit Card Insight
For a leading issuer of credit cards to small businesses, we conducted qualitative research to provide insight into a new offering. We recruited 15 small business owners for 30-minute in-depth phone interviews to develop product and segment hypotheses to test in quantitative research. Contact us to discuss how Bredin can provide data-driven insights to improve your SMB marketing efforts.
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