Leverage Testimonials and Case Studies to Improve Your Marketing Results

Are your traditional advertising methods starting to fall flat? Maybe you’re used to seeing better conversion rates with your paid advertising or are starting to see a drop in user engagement. Even with great product features or price points, your potential customers are probably looking for something more from you.

This “something more” is likely social proof. While you may be fully convinced that your products or solutions are the best in the market, potential customers will most likely want to hear that from other users like them.

When you’re able to provide evidence from other satisfied customers that dealing with your brand is worth the investment, it becomes much easier to build the credibility you need to be successful. Testimonials and case studies are the perfect way to make this happen.

Breaking Down Testimonials and Case Studies

Testimonials and case studies are different from other types of marketing. They differentiate themselves by using the “customer’s voice” instead of just being a “business claim”. However, they are both different in their format and delivery:

  • Testimonials – A customer testimonial is a quote from an individual about their personal experience with a business. Usually, testimonials mention specific features of a business, like having great customer service, fair pricing, or really helpful features and benefits.
  • Business Case Studies – Case studies have a format different from customer testimonials and are conducted directly by the business. These are designed to research and document a customer’s experience when working with a brand and are accompanied by numbers and statistics that prove business value.

Giving Your Customers a Voice

Customers want their opinions heard and valued. And when you show them they’re a priority, it’s likely they’ll return the favor and let you know. When they give your business positive feedback, this can be valuable in many different ways:

Advantages of Showing Your Customer Feedback

Makes the Business More Trustworthy

Most online marketplaces are heavily saturated with competition. The worst thing about this is that even brands selling lower-quality products can have a leg up if they have the right marketing approach. But testimonials help customers make smarter decisions by hearing from fellow consumers about the right brands to work with. When you leverage this social proof on your website, it helps to make the business look much more trustworthy and worth dealing with.

Removes Purchasing Doubts

No one wants to regret their purchases after the fact. Because of this, most people do more research “before” they commit to make sure this doesn’t happen. When you have customers actively backing your brand, it helps to dispel any potential doubts new buyers may have. It also helps avoid new customers being overly concerned with pricing and makes them more willing to take a chance on a new brand.

Adds a Human Element to Your Marketing

If you’re selling similar products to other brands, you’ll need certain brand features that stand out as different. You could focus on making your products more affordable or adding new features that other solutions don’t have. However, concentrating on providing a great user experience is what helps humanize your brand. When these experiences are shared by real users, they are a powerful motivator to other individuals thinking about moving forward with a purchase.

Strategies for Gathering Useful Customer Testimonials

  • Request Feedback Directly – Businesses have different ways they can increase the amount of customer feedback they receive. But one of the easiest ways to do this is to ask customers directly. Shortly after a purchase or when addressing customer service issues, simply sending a follow-up email requesting a feedback survey is an easy way to get more useful testimonials.
  • Keep the Process Easy – Although a customer might have a really good experience with your brand, this doesn’t mean they’ll have too much time to complete a long survey. By making the feedback process easier and shorter, you’ll make it more likely that customers are willing to leave a review.
  • Offer an Incentive – Giving a reason for customers to provide their feedback is also important. You can do this by offering them a small token of appreciation, like a gift card or promo code, on a future purchase.
  • Get Consent to Publish – You need to get permission before you publish customer testimonials publicly. Make sure you give your customers the option to agree or decline the ability to post their information on your website or other platforms. This will help to avoid any legal issues down the road.

Conduct Revealing Case Studies

Case studies provide tangible proof of the value of your products. They are much more detailed than a simple testimonial and show evidence of exactly where and how the company’s solutions benefit their customers.

Below are a few easy steps to get started writing your own case studies:

1. Start With a Problem

All case studies should start with a problem that needs to be solved. Identify how and why your customers needed a new solution and what led them to purchase your product in the first place. This will help create the narrative necessary to help readers relate to the situation.

2. Bring In Your Solution

Next, mention how the solution was adopted by a customer and how it was used to help solve the original problem they were facing. During this process, you’ll want to highlight how the different product features were needed and used while providing specific examples to help clearly present the business use case.

3. Demonstrate the Results

The benefit of a case study is showing exactly how a solution benefits a customer. This is done by showing real evidence (usually with a combination of charts and statistics) of how a customer’s main problem was solved. This essentially is the “before and after” reveal that gives your case study a real impact on others.

4. Share Important Data Insights

At the end of the case study, you’ll want to summarize any key takeaways. Make sure you clearly outline the problem, actions, and solutions that are related to the study and reinforce the value that your products provide.

Give Proof of Your Business’s Value

Using testimonials or case studies in your marketing efforts is always a smart choice. It provides customers with tangle-proof of the value of your brand. By following the strategies discussed, you’ll give your business the boost it needs to bring in more leads and convert more business.

Contributed by Jacob Sussman, CEO and Co-Founder of BX Studio.