The Impact of Customer Testimonials and Case Studies on Your Marketing
And How You Can Leverage Them to Build Credibility and Attract New Clients
Marketing is about far more than a slick video or catchy ad. At its core, marketing is about building a brand and creating a corresponding story to go along with it, and with the proliferation and transparency of the internet, it’s more important than ever that businesses project authenticity and authority in their branding.
One of the best ways to do that? Social credibility, in the form of case studies and customer testimonials.
Customer Testimonials: What They Can Do, How to Collect Them, and How to Utilize Them
There are a few different ways that customer testimonials are presented, but they all encompass the same thing: a customer testifying to their experience with you, the business. A lot of times, you’ll see them as short quotes highlighted on websites or marketing collateral, but they can also be longer, interview-style videos in some cases.
Whatever style they appear, testimonials are a shorthand, telling prospective clients: We’ve worked with customers like you. They liked us. You will, too.
What are the benefits of having customer testimonials?
There are both “hard” and “soft” benefits to having testimonials in your marketing. Plenty of data backs up the fact that customer testimonials greatly influence customers, can increase their trust in your business, generate more revenue, increase sales page conversions, and more.
A few quick examples:
- 92% of customers read online reviews before buying (Big Commerce)
- 72% of consumers say positive testimonials and reviews increase their trust in a business (Big Commerce)
- 88% of consumers say reviews influence their online purchasing decisions (Vendasta)
- 88% of consumers trust online testimonials and reviews as much as recommendations from friends or family (Big Commerce)
- On average, testimonials on sales pages increase conversions by 34% (Impact)
- Websites using testimonials saw a 45% increase in traffic compared to those who didn’t (Yotpo)
Beyond the statistics, though, integrating customer testimonials can be a big help in humanizing your brand and making you more approachable to the everyday consumer. You’re building a story, and nothing bolsters it quite like having real, satisfied customers chiming in to say, “I was right to believe in this business, and here’s why.”
How do you collect testimonials?
Knowing the value of testimonials is one thing; collecting them is very much another. You can’t make a customer vouch for you or leave a five-star review, but there are a few things you can do to streamline the process.
- Solicit client feedback – Sending surveys and actively requesting customers’ thoughts and opinions not only helps you better identify what you’re doing right and where you can improve; it also helps you pinpoint those clients who extremely positive about your services and would make for good testimonial candidates.
- Timing is key – Approaching a client from five years ago to ask them to share their experience is probably not going to be as well-received as when you ask a very recent customer, ideally after a positive outcome or milestone.
- Make it simple and easy – The less friction there is, the more likely it will be that a customer is willing to submit their testimonial. Consider setting up a template or online form. Give them options on what format they’d prefer, whether that’s by video, social media, or in writing.
- Offer some guidance – A blank page terrifies all of us. Providing some potential questions for customers to answer or guidance on what they might want to include gives them a clear starting point to work from.
How should you utilize testimonials once you have them?
There are, honestly, a ton of different options available to you once you have a number of testimonials to work with. Putting them up on your website is an easy first step, usually featured on the homepage, but also under any About Us pages where you’re talking about your brand story. Promote them on social media and in email marketing, preferably with catchy visuals. If you can get video testimonials, that’s even better. According to Wyzowl , 79% of consumers have watched a video testimonial to learn more about a company, product or service, and two-thirds of consumers say they’re more likely to make a purchase after watching a testimonial video demonstrating how a business, product or service helped someone like them.
Case Studies: Where to Start and How to Make Them Part of Your Marketing Plan
Think of case studies like a story within the larger story of your business. In the marketing field, a case study is an in-depth look at a specific way your products or services have helped a past customer. It’s a detailed narrative that covers:
- The background, including an overview of who the client is and an outline of their needs and requirements at the start of the case
- The problem or challenge, which details what exactly the client was struggling with or an opportunity they were hoping to capitalize on
- The solution, or more specifically, how your unique product or service offering helped the client overcome the challenge
- The results, including as many data points and statistics as you have available
What are the benefits of having case studies?
Like we said above, marketing is about storytelling, and case studies are mini-stories themselves. They’re detailed and tangible and a way to truly showcase what you have to offer. Being able to point to specific situations and outline how you created success from challenges lends your business credibility and creates more trust between you and prospective customers. They cut through the vagueness of the usual marketing syntax and offer something concrete and relevant.
According to digital marketing expert Neil Patel , case studies deliver on the data side, too:
- 62.6% of respondents to an eMarketer survey said case studies were effective in generating leads
- Including case studies in his own work grew Patel’s sales by 185%
How do you design and develop case studies?
For those who don’t already have case studies to work with, your next question is probably: how do I develop them? Here is a basic breakdown of the process:
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Designing and Developing Case Studies for Marketing
Pinpoint Success Stories
Look at your clients and customers and identify who has seen the biggest or most dramatic gains from your products or services.
Collect the Data
Once you have a client and project selected, go back and gather the data and statistics you need to back up your progress and successful results.
Lay It All Out Clearly
Presentation matters, so make sure you are clear, clean, and effective, both in the visual design of your case study and in how you structure and craft the story.
Get Customer Sign-Off
Before you do anything else, share it anywhere or integrate it into your marketing plan, triple-check that the client involved has approved it.
How do you utilize case studies once you have them?
Frankly? Wherever and however you can. Put up a permanent page on your website featuring all your case studies combined. Feature it on your social media profiles, especially places like LinkedIn, where a deep-dive like that will peak the most interest. Offer it as a lead-generation tool in an email or as a downloadable bonus. Create infographics for visually motivated platforms like Instagram or even Pinterest. You can even use it as a jumping off point for launching a webinar or pitching a presentation at an industry conference or event.
Are You Ready to Shape Your Story?
It’s up to you to define how you want your business to be seen, and there is no greater tool at your disposal than leveraging customer testimonials and case studies. They can help take you from a mysterious, faceless business entity to something real, relatable, and valuable. They give you the credibility and authenticity we’re all looking for in today’s marketing landscape.
