Sharing client stories is one of the most successful persuasion approaches you can use in your online business. Creating powerful customer stories not only strengthens your relationship with your current clients, but it also helps attract new clients.
Reviews and testimonials are an essential part of your sales letters for marketing each product you sell. But there are other ways to share your client stories as well. Here are some ideas:
1. A Quick Start Guide
This can help your new clients make good use of your product or service right away, without any confusion or guesswork. Create a PDF they can print out, and perhaps even a video one. Include examples of clients who have used the product or service successfully, and any tips or ideas they might have for making it easier for your newest clients.
2. Video Reviews
Video reviews are a fantastic way to capture client stories. Provide a list of guidelines, such as the name of the product, a view of them using it, and no bad language, and see what videos your happy clients will come up with. You can turn this into a game or contest on social media- asking people to share their stories and awarding prizes or gifts for best stories submitted.
3. Video Demonstrations
Ask your clients who give positive feedback if they would be willing to create a video of themselves using the product.
4. Interviews
Interview your client briefly via video or over the phone to tell their story about their “pain points” (problems related to your niche), and how your product helped them. If it’s via video, try to get them to use the product on screen.
5. Invite Them on Webinars
Webinars are great “info-tainment,” offering valuable information in an interesting and entertaining way. If you are organizing a webinar in relation to one of your products, why not invite happy clients to attend also? They can pre-record their contribution if they are pressed for time. Again, try to get them to use the product on screen.
6. Invite Them to Guest Blog
Let them tell their own stories. Offer them the chance to guest blog. If you use WordPress, set them up with an account at the Contributor or Author level. You as administrator will be able to edit the work before it is published, just in case any adjustments might have to be made. Once it is published, encourage them to share their story on the social networks. If they are not much of a writer, let them make a video.
7. Add Testimonial Excerpts on Your Home Page
Put a few select quotes on your home page. If you use WordPress, use a testimonial plugin. Load it up with quotes and it will rotate them for you.
8. Create a Library of Client Stories
Create a template that customers can fill out and create a page per story. Create a main page linking to all the stories, organized by the name of the product they are writing about.
In the template, ask them to write:
* A brief biography
* What their challenge was
* How X product helped them solve their problem
Ask them to email the stories and take the time to publish them. You can see how I’ve set up something like this here: Case Studies
9. Link Regularly to the Story Home Page
Use the URL on your front page, in marketing materials, on social media, in your email signature, and more. Encourage people to click over by offering interesting teasers like, “Do you struggle with X? Find out how our clients have tackled it.” You can also link directly to the stories that are the most positive.
10. Use in Your Marketing Emails
Provide a link, or a story excerpt, to get your prospects to read more about X product.
11. Use in Your Presentations
Liven up your PowerPoint decks with some powerful excerpts from real client stories.
These client stories can create dramatic impact in your business.
Do you have some questions about marketing your business online but don’t know who to ask? Why not ask me? I can help you with both strategy and implementation to make your business more profitable and more popular. We can do this together in 75 minutes; though my whiteboard session. Learn more about it!
