As customer marketing professionals, we know that case studies and customer stories are powerful tools in our arsenal. But are we truly extracting maximum value from these resources?
I'm Cristina Errico, a Cybersecurity Customer Evangelist at Cisco, and I recently had the pleasure of speaking at the Customer Marketing Summit in London, where I shared my insights on how to extract maximum value from customer stories and transform them into powerful advocacy tools.
Today, I'm excited to share these strategies with you.
Finding your 'why': The foundation of effective case studies
When it comes to creating impactful case studies, the first and most crucial step is to find your 'why.' This isn't just about understanding your company's goals or your customer's needs – it's about discovering the common ground where your purpose aligns with both your company's values and your customer's aspirations.
Find your ‘why’ - why you're doing this. And, why this reason has something in common with your company value and your customer value. When you identify this shared purpose, you're no longer asking customers to create a cold case study. Instead, you're inviting them to join a common cause.
For instance, my purpose is to make the digital world safer and more inclusive. At Cisco, our overarching goal is to "securely connect everything to make everything possible." This aligns perfectly with Cisco's vision and resonates with our customers who are passionate about cybersecurity. By focusing on this shared goal, we create case studies that are not just informative but inspirational.
Humanizing your promotion: Putting customers at the center
Once you've established your 'why', the next step is to humanize your promotion. Remember, your customer stories are assets, but the real treasure is the human being behind that story – the person who's on this journey with you.
To achieve this, I recommend following what I call the 70-20-5-5 content ratio rule:
This approach ensures that your case study remains centred on the customer's experience and perspective. It's not about creating a pitch-perfect narrative where your company swoops in to save the day. Instead, it's about showcasing the customer's journey, complete with challenges, "aha" moments, and the path that led them to partner with you.
As I often remind my team:
"If you don't have authenticity in your story, if you're not using the words of your customer, if you're not letting your customer tell why they are doing what they are doing... you are not different from your competitors."
From case study to customer advocacy: A real-world example
Let me share a success story that illustrates these principles in action. Meet Blair Anderson, formerly the IT manager of Shawnee High School. Our journey with Blair began not with a request for a case study, but with an offer to help amplify his existing LinkedIn activity.
Instead of approaching Blair with a typical case study proposal, I reached out with a simple question: "Can I help you reach a broader audience?" This approach immediately aligned our goals – Blair wanted to make an impact in the cybersecurity community, and we wanted to showcase how our solutions enable such an impact.
We crafted a plan that included various activities, starting with a video case study. Here's where the magic happened – we started the promotion from day one of shooting the video. I suggested Blair post about our activities on his LinkedIn profile, sharing why he was proud of what he was doing and how it could inspire others.
This strategy paid off tremendously. Even before we officially published the case study, Blair was already sharing his story authentically. When he changed jobs two weeks before the case study went live, our established relationship allowed us to adjust our promotional plan seamlessly.
The result? The webpage featuring Blair's case study saw over 300% more return visitors compared to the average performance of Cisco web pages after just three months.
The key takeaway here is that when you engage customers the right way, focusing on shared goals and authentic storytelling, you build relationships that transcend job changes or company moves. You gain their trust and their heart, turning them into true advocates for your brand.
Measuring success: Key metrics for case study ROI
Of course, as marketers, we need to demonstrate the value of our efforts. When it comes to measuring the success of case studies, I focus on a few key metrics that provide meaningful insights without consuming too much time.
For web analytics, I use Google Analytics with a filter to exclude Cisco employees (an important step to ensure we're measuring external impact). The three primary metrics I track are:
I compare these metrics to the average performance of other Cisco customer pages to gauge relative success.
Additionally, I track how the case study nurtures the customer journey. For instance, if the case study page links to a product homepage, I measure how many unique visitors click through to learn more or request a demo.
For social media impact, I use Sprout Social to measure the number of mentions of key product hashtags associated with the customer's company or identifying hashtags. This gives us a sense of the social buzz generated by the case study.
These metrics provide a clear narrative of how our content is performing and the value it's bringing to our marketing efforts.
Balancing authenticity and security in cybersecurity case studies
Working in the cybersecurity sector presents unique challenges when it comes to creating case studies. How do we balance the need for authenticity with the imperative of security? The key, I've found, is to focus on empowering customers to share what they're most proud of.
In my experience, when you give someone a reason to share their proudest achievements, they do so authentically and enthusiastically. This is particularly important in the cybersecurity field, where professionals rarely receive recognition for their critical work.
I often start conversations with customers by asking about their passions outside of work. This not only helps them relax but often reveals interesting connections between their personal interests and professional expertise.
For example, I once wrote a blog post about a customer who was passionate about boxing. He drew a fascinating parallel between boxing and cybersecurity:
"When you have an opponent in front of you, you don't have to think about what this person is going to do; you don't have to feel the fear. You have to stay in the moment and be prepared for whatever happens."
This attitude, he explained, was exactly how he approached cybersecurity threats.
By focusing on these human elements and personal insights, we create case studies that are not only informative and secure but also deeply engaging and relatable.
Conclusion: The power of human-centric case studies
As we've explored throughout this article, the key to extracting maximum value from your case studies lies in putting the human element at the center of your approach.
By finding your shared 'why', humanizing your promotion, fostering long-term relationships, measuring meaningful metrics, and balancing authenticity with security concerns, you can create case studies that not only showcase your products but also turn customers into passionate advocates.
Valeria Gomez
Remember, as customer marketing professionals, we have the power to change the world, one story at a time. By giving the right people the opportunity to share what they're doing, we create magic. We're not just promoting products; we're celebrating the unsung heroes who make our digital world safer and more inclusive.
So, the next time you approach a case study, remember to look beyond the product features and business outcomes. Focus on the human being behind the story, their passions, their challenges, and their triumphs. That's where the real value lies – in the authentic, human connections that drive not just business success but also meaningful change in our world.
By embracing these principles, you'll find that your case studies become more than just marketing assets. They become powerful tools for building relationships, fostering advocacy, and driving real business impact. And isn't that what great customer marketing is all about?
Drive success with storytelling
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By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
- Construct an actionable storytelling framework.
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- Communicate to your audience with confidence and passion
- Use your purpose to ensure your story remains consistent.
- Have an impactful change on your approach to story and success.
