Why you should ask your customers to share their customer success story.
Businesses without customers are just storefronts built on a dream. It sounds cliche, like something some philosopher said, and maybe they did, that was a rabbit hole we decided not to venture down. Regardless, the sentiment is the same. Customers are everything in business. For you and small businesses like ours, there is endless value in continually providing a good customer experience to maintain happy customers. Unfortunately, few marketers are getting them on camera to talk about how their business made that customer's life a little easier. We are all guilty of dragging our heels on this, but it's important to remember that those customers who need your product or service are constantly looking for compelling content that informs their purchases. Remember, we all seek out Google reviews as we weigh our own buying decisions.
A recent article from HubSpot reported that 85% of people trust online reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family, and 91% occasionally or regularly check online reviews before making a purchase.
Just imagine how adding a mix of compelling video testimonials from existing customers could move the needle for tens to hundreds of your potential customers currently on the fence about making a purchase.
Still not convinced?
As marketers, we all know that stories are a powerful marketing tool but we too often overlook the engagement capabilities of visual storytelling. Videos that tell transformative customer stories are the ones that can build confidence in the buying process and validate the effectiveness of your business, especially with products or services that require deeper understanding from the consumer.
Our client Big Sun Community Solar recently hosted an information-gathering event to introduce their energy-saving program to the residents of the Monta Vista neighborhood. They invited their happy customers to get up and speak to their neighbors about their customer experience, and they did a tremendous job speaking to the benefits of using solar panels, the money they saved, and the sense of altruism they felt in investing in solar energy. Big Sun Community Solar and its partner, CPS Energy, then used this testimonial-focused video in their social media campaigns to plant seeds of interest in their renewable energy solutions.
At this point, you might be asking yourself how you find the right person to interview. You can start by asking yourself these questions:
Who is a longstanding customer?
Do your employees know any customers by name?
Who has referred their friends, family, or colleagues to your business?
Has your sales or customer service team received positive feedback from a customer in the last six months?
Is there a customer you speak to so often that the request for a testimonial wouldn't be out of the blue?
Do you know of a customer who "fits the mold" of one of your buyer personas?
If a single customer fits most of these criteria, you should consider contacting them and asking them if they would mind being interviewed about their experience as your customer. Asking a customer to endorse your product or service can feel like a considerable favor but more times than not, people like being helpful, and they like being recognized, they get both by getting the opportunity to share their positive experiences with your target audience.
We make creating videos easy. If you want to understand how customer testimonial videos can benefit your business, or if you are ready to get your happy customer on camera, email us at info@whitecloudmg.com. We look forward to working with you.