As businesses continue to compete in an ever-changing market, customer success stories have become a critical tool in their marketing arsenal. Customer success stories allow businesses to showcase their ability to deliver results and highlight the benefits of their products or services. However, not all customer success stories are created equal.
A compelling customer success story should be engaging, and effective in converting potential customers. In this article, we will explore what a powerful customer success story should look like and how to create one that will resonate with your target audience.
Make your customer the star
One of the most common mistakes organizations make when they write customer stories is to use them as outlets to promote products and services. It seems counterintuitive to call this a mistake, but when a company does this, it hijacks the reader’s attention from the true “star” of the story: the customer. As the name suggests, this format of content is centered around a client’s journey, from a struggle they were dealing with, through to the resolution, helped by the supporting provider, and the positive business outcomes.
Focus on the customer’s pain points
Every customer has a specific problem or pain point that they want to solve. Your success story should highlig
ht how your product or service helped the customer overcome this problem. By focusing on the customer’s pain points, you can create a story that is relatable and engaging to your target audience. It also demonstrates your understanding of the customer’s needs, which can increase your credibility.
Highlight the customer’s business outcomes
Customers want to know how your product or service can benefit them. One of the biggest mistakes marketing teams make is confusing project outcomes with business outcomes. A classic example of such confusion is when customer x needs a dashboard, company y delivers the dashboard and now, you guessed it, customer x has a brand new dashboard. This is by definition a project outcome. A business outcome highlights the positive effects experienced by company x after the implementation
Use metrics and data to quantify the results. This could include increased revenue, improved productivity, or reduced costs.
Make it authentic
The not-so-secret ingredient of a perfect customer success story is authenticity. Your success story should be authentic and relatable. Use real customer stories and quotes to illustrate how your product or service helped them. This helps to build trust with your audience and demonstrates that your product or service has real-world applications.
To sum up
By creating a compelling and engaging story that resonates with your target audience, you can increase your credibility, build trust, and ultimately convert potential customers into loyal customers.
At Narrative Forge, we specialize in creating compelling customer success stories that help businesses connect with their target audience. We incorporate a plethora of storytelling techniques, journalism, and business writing.
If you’re interested in learning more about how we can help you create the perfect customer success story, book a discovery call.