Are you falling short in your use of customer success stories?

Start using case studies to close more deals and drive business growth.

How many reviews did you read on the retailer’s website you were browsing before making your last purchase, whether for a new pair of running shoes, a golf bag or a book?

Customer reviews are powerful—and do indeed positively influence purchases.

With B2B marketing, customer success stories and case studies are powerful! They illustrate for future customers how your solution or product can benefit them.

“92% of people will trust a recommendation from a peer, and

70% of people will trust a recommendation from someone

they don’t even know.” – Nielsen Research[1] 

Case studies are valuable for establishing credibility, building trust and promoting your company through sharing the story of your customer’s success with your company’s solutions or products.

Here are five reasons to develop customer case studies and success stories:  

Reason 1: They build trust & credibility.

Whether your B2B offering is a fraud prevention solution, flooring for the hospitality industry or a payment acceptance device—people are more likely to trust a brand when they can read about others’ success using it. A case study acts as social proof—especially when it showcases a reputable brand benefiting from your business’ products or solutions.

Reason 2: They humanize your brand.

Brands live in the hearts and minds of people—a universal truth that applies to both B2C and B2B companies.

When making decisions, people are influenced by both rational and emotional factors. B2B companies aren’t solely defined by what they sell, yet they tend to focus on the rational benefits such as improving efficiency and saving costs. Emotional benefits matter too since they reflect how people feel about something, such as a better overall experience.  

Case studies provide a way for customers to tell their story about how your company helped improve their business in some way. For example, a flooring manufacturing company might showcase its rational and emotional benefits to the hospitality industry by highlighting a boutique hotel that upgraded its rooms’ flooring to improve acoustics and as a result creates a better stay for guests.

Reason 3: They highlight results.

Performance matters. People want to understand the tangible results from investing in your product or services. Sharing how your customers have achieved success is critical!

Report out on key performance metrics (KPIs) to amplify your company’s expertise and tell how it positively impacted your customers, such as by driving revenue 10%, reducing fraud by 20% or reducing costs by $1M.

Reason 4: They shape perceptions.

Unlike online reviews, customer case studies allow your company to shape the success story you tell about your company’s products or solutions.

Based on your company’s marketing plan, your team can identify the services and/or products you want to prioritize.

Through the story of a satisfied customer, you can highlight the best elements of your offering while ensuring it’s aligned with your company’s overall objectives and messages.

Reason 5: They increase sales.

Case studies and testimonials are proven to be a highly effective marketing tactic that support increasing sales.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, 73% of B2B buyers find case studies to be the most influential type of content when making a purchasing decision.

As potential buyers get to know your business, there’s a point in their decision-making process where case studies will help seal the deal—especially with complex or technical solutions. 

A case study offers a look at a business challenge a real customer needed to overcome, explains why they selected your company, and demonstrates how the solutions you provided helped the customer address their challenge.

Ready to start influencing decisions with compelling customer success stories?

As an Atlanta-based B2B marketing agency, our writing lab produces a range of digital marketing content, such as blogs, eBooks, customer testimonials, case studies, white paper reports, solution sheets and more!

Do need the expertise and capacity to keep up with producing fresh digital content? We know what it takes to produce quality content that drives results. We’re here to help! Contact us today. 

About C.E.K. & Partners

Established in 2009, C.E.K. & Partners has a proven track record as a reliable and responsive woman-owned small business. We are a marketing research and strategic communications firm serving companies across technology, fintech/payments, manufacturing, energy, non-profits, healthcare, energy, retail and government.

We competitively position brands, capture insights that reduce risk and help inform strategic business decisions, and create content that establishes thought leadership and generates demand.

[1] http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2012/trust-in-advertising--paid-owned-and-earned.html