Your customers are your best storytellers. Their experiences with your brand, when told authentically, can inspire trust, build credibility, and showcase the real-world impact of your products or services. But securing these stories isn’t always easy—customers are time-poor, and so are the marketers organizing these shoots. Here’s how you can make the process seamless, rewarding, and effective for everyone involved.
Customer stories aren’t just testimonials; they’re proof points that showcase your brand’s value in action. For your business, these stories build credibility and resonate with prospects looking for relatable success. For your customers, participation offers a unique opportunity to spotlight their innovation, gain industry recognition, and align with a trusted brand. But the reality is that capturing these stories takes time—something both your customers and your marketing teams often lack. That’s why having a clear strategy is essential.
One of the biggest barriers to securing customer stories is time. Customers are juggling their own priorities, and marketers managing multiple campaigns may struggle to coordinate efficiently. To overcome this, focus on making the process as easy and streamlined as possible.
Provide a clear timeline and break the process into manageable steps. Handle logistics, including scheduling, scripting, and organizing shoots. Offer virtual shoot options or use local creator networks to reduce travel and production time.
Keep interviews short by focusing on soundbites. Events like Cisco Live or the EY Tax Symposium are great opportunities to collect quick, impactful stories from customers already in a sharing mindset. Ensure your team is prepared to capture content efficiently during planned sessions, avoiding delays or reshoots.
Take a page from one of our client’s (a global tech brand known for innovative sound and communication products) book and incentivize your sales team to secure customers for stories. This approach aligns storytelling with sales efforts, making it a win-win for everyone involved.
DocuSign runs Customer Awards programs to identify standout users, showcasing their success stories while offering them well-deserved recognition. Use similar programs to spotlight top-performing customers and give them a compelling reason to participate.
Work with your sales team to position participation in a customer story as part of a broader negotiation. For example, customers may receive a better pricing package or exclusive benefits in exchange for featuring their success.
Email isn’t always the most effective way to engage busy customers. Expanding your communication channels can significantly improve response rates and build a stronger connection.
By diversifying your outreach, you can adapt to customers’ preferences and make them feel valued.
The easier you make the process, the more likely customers are to say yes. Consider these strategies:
Provide creative direction and handle production logistics to minimize the effort required from customers. Allow them to review scripts or footage to ensure they’re comfortable with the content.
Offer options for in-person or virtual shoots, depending on what works best for their schedule. Use professional networks to match customers with nearby production teams to save travel time.
A single customer story is great, but nurturing those relationships can lead to ongoing advocacy for your brand.
Highlight customers on your website, in social media posts, or at industry events. Send thank-you gifts or offer exclusive perks to show your appreciation.
Engage customers beyond their story by inviting them to future campaigns, events, or beta product tests. Building a long-term partnership not only strengthens their loyalty but also ensures they’ll advocate for your brand organically.
Securing customers for standout stories doesn’t have to be daunting. By addressing time constraints, offering meaningful incentives, and streamlining the process, you can make it easy and rewarding for your customer s to share their success. With the right approach, you’ll not only lock in compelling narratives but also deepen relationships with your most valuable advocates. Your customers are ready to tell their story—make it effortless for them to say yes, and watch your brand’s reputation soar.
Get in touch with us today to chat about your next project.
Get in touch with us today to chat about your next project.
