A great product isn’t enough; a carefully crafted marketing strategy is critical to the success of any SaaS company. Whether you use an in-house team or an outside agency to get the job done, a successful marketing strategy for SaaS will highlight your product’s value proposition, unique features, and benefits. One of the most effective ways to communicate that message is with a customer success story. You build trust, inspire confidence, and ultimately drive new business by sharing a real-life example of how your platform has helped others. In this post, we’ll explore three ways customer SaaS success stories provide social proof and drive new business at a SaaS company.
What is Social Proof?
First popularized by Psychologist Robert Cialdini in his 1984 book, Influence: Science and Practice, Social Proof Theory puts forth the idea that individuals unsure of the proper behavior in a particular situation will look to others to imitate their actions and provide guidance. This “social proof” serves as a means of concluding the best or most appropriate course of action by referencing the beliefs of others, especially in situations of urgency that require quick decisions. Social proof is the idea that if others are doing something, it must be the right thing to do.
What is Customer Success in SaaS?
Your customers are successful when they derive maximum value from your product, leading to desired outcomes. That might mean more sales or higher customer lifetime value (CLV) for some customers. Others might correlate success to internal processes such as reduced waste or improved efficiency. Regardless of which KPIs they measure, your customer has only one goal when investing in your platform – quick ROI leading to increased profits.
Leverage Social Proof to Drive SaaS Marketing Success
Social proof greatly influences purchasing decisions. When people are unsure about a product or service, they often turn to the experiences and opinions of others to guide their decision-making. This takes many forms, including online reviews, customer testimonials, or even the popularity of a product. Positive social proof increases trust in a brand and encourages people to take action. Social proof is particularly relevant to SaaS marketing because it builds credibility and trust in a brand.
Few marketing weapons pack the power of great SaaS success stories. By communicating how your product has helped others achieve their goals, these firsthand experiences inspire confidence in your brand and encourage potential customers to take action. You can use a customer success story in many ways – on your website, in a video, and on social media. These tools are incredibly effective. 79% of consumers report having watched a video before making a purchase decision.
When asked about the value of customer SaaS success stories in marketing, Abhi Jadhav, Bay Leaf Digital Founder and CEO, says, “At Bay Leaf Digital, we know the value of social proof. As an experienced SaaS marketing agency, we promote customer testimonials through video, case studies, and even syndicated articles.
It’s part of our social media strategy for SaaS as well. We are often able to generate success for our clients by showcasing these stories in front of the right audience and coupling the content with calls to action for demo requests.”
A great customer success story is effective consideration stage content. It can be used to move a prospect from the middle of the funnel to the bottom of the funnel in their buyer’s journey.
– Abhi Jadhav, Bay Leaf Digital Founder and CEO
Use Customer SaaS Success Stories to Increase Brand Credibility and Trustworthiness
B2B SaaS companies face tremendous competition. You’ve got to do everything you can to gain the confidence of potential customers. By providing the social proof you need to succeed, customer SaaS success stories increase brand credibility. Trust in your company, your product, and your staff drives leads, creates relationships, and generates the kind of reputation that makes it possible to scale.
The stories of how your software has helped businesses achieve their goals demonstrate the value of your product. When prospective customers see that others have used your product successfully, they are more likely to believe that it will help them too, creating trust and leading to more conversions and increased revenue for your company. Sharing customer success stories on your website and social media channels also establishes the authority of your brand and your company leadership.
Helping Prospects Understand the Value of Your Product with a Customer Success Story
A customer success story helps prospects understand the value of your product in a way that data cannot. By sharing specific use cases and results, you show how your software solves real problems and helps businesses achieve their goals. This is especially effective if you provide a complex product or service that is difficult to explain through traditional marketing channels.
For example, if you offer a project management tool, you could use a story about a customer who used your product to streamline their workflow and increase productivity. By sharing details such as how much time was saved and how many more projects were completed by the deadline, you help prospects understand the tangible benefits of your product. This is much more effective than simply listing features or benefits on your website.
Turn a Customer SaaS Success Story into an Emotional Connection
Customer SaaS success stories create emotional connections between your company and your prospects. When you share stories of how your software has helped businesses overcome challenges and achieve their goals, you tap into your audience’s emotions.
B2B Campaigns that create an emotional connection are 7x more successful than those that do not. Think of a customer who used your product to overcome a significant challenge or achieve a major milestone. You create an emotional connection with your audience by sharing that story in the customer’s own words. You allow prospects to envision themselves in that same situation, and to imagine experiencing the same positive feelings of success. They want that same joy and pride. Fostering emotional connection will lead to increased engagement, sales, and loyalty.
Conclusion
Talk to your customers regularly to leverage the power of customer SaaS success stories. Gather feedback and share stories through various channels, including your website, social media, and email marketing campaigns. Showcasing how your product has helped others achieve their goals, will inspire confidence in your brand and drive new business for your company.
Do you need help selecting, crafting, and sharing your SaaS customer success stories to generate sales? The experts at Bay Leaf Digital are ready to lend a hand.
