You walk into a store, and instead of the company advertising its products, it's the customers proudly displaying what they've created with them. This is the power of showcasing your customers' work.

Even in SaaS companies, highlighting your product's value to your customers is key to building trust and driving sales. In this blog, we'll explore why showcasing your customers' work is essential and provide examples of SaaS companies that are doing it right.

The Power of Social Proof

Social proof is the concept that people are more likely to follow the actions of others if they believe that those actions lead to successful outcomes. By showcasing your customers and the content they create using your product, you create social proof to influence potential customers to buy it.

According to a recent study, 92% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase. Additionally, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations from friends and family.

You can tap into the power of social proof by showcasing your customers and their success stories. When potential customers see others succeeding with your product, they're more likely to trust that your product can help them achieve similar success.

Why Showcase Your Customers?

Showcasing what your customers create using your product is a powerful way to create social proof and build credibility with potential customers. By highlighting the success stories of your users, you can inspire and motivate other users to see the possibilities of your product.

According to a survey conducted by BrightLocal, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Moreover, 72% of consumers will only take action after reading a positive review. This means showcasing your customers and their achievements can significantly impact your bottom line.

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Builds trust: Seeing real-life examples of your product in action can help potential customers trust that it will work for them too.
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Provides inspiration: By showcasing the amazing things your users have created, you can inspire others to try your product and achieve similar results.
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Rewards loyal customers: Highlighting your customers' work is a great way to reward them for their loyalty and show them that you appreciate their business.

How to Showcase Your Customers?

Success Story Type Description
Case Studies In-depth analysis of how a customer achieved success using your product
User-Generated Content Content created by customers, such as reviews, testimonials, and social media posts
Tutorials and How-To Guides Step-by-step instructions on how customers can use your product to achieve a specific goal
Expert Interviews Interviews with industry experts who have achieved success using your product
Milestone Celebrations Celebrate customer milestones, such as reaching a certain revenue or customer goal, to showcase the impact of your product

Types of Customer Success Stories to Share

Here are a few ways you can showcase your customers' creations and build social proof:

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User-generated Content (UGC): UGC is a powerful way to showcase what your customers create using your product. Encourage your customers to share their creations on social media using a branded hashtag. You can then curate and showcase the best content on your website or social media channels.
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Case Studies: Create case studies highlighting your customers' successes. These case studies should be in-depth and showcase the before and after of using your product. Include quotes from the customer, metrics, and results.
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Testimonials: Encourage your customers to leave testimonials on your website or social media channels. These testimonials should be short and sweet and highlight the customer's success with your product.
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Success Stories: Feature your customers' success stories on your website or blog. These stories should showcase the journey of using your product and the impact it had on the customer's life or business.
Best Practice Description
Highlight Diverse Customers Showcase a diverse range of customers to appeal to a wider audience and show that your product can work for anyone
Use Clear and Compelling Headlines Use headlines that clearly communicate what the customer achieved and why it's impressive
Make it Easy to Share Make it easy for customers to share their work by providing clear instructions and social sharing buttons
Provide Context Provide context for the customer work, such as the customer's industry or business size, to help readers understand how it applies to them
Include Multimedia Use multimedia, such as images, videos, or infographics, to help showcase the customer's work in an engaging way

Examples:

  1. Wistia: Wistia features a "Customer Showcase" section on its website where they showcase videos created by its customers. These videos range from promotional content for small businesses to training videos for large corporations.
  2. Shopify: Shopify has a dedicated section of their website called "Shopify Success Stories," where they showcase their customers' work. These stories feature a diverse range of businesses, from fashion retailers to pet stores, all of whom have used Shopify to grow their online sales.
  3. Salesforce: Salesforce has a section on its website called "Customer Success Stories," where it shares the success stories of its customers across different industries. The stories feature real-life examples of how businesses have used Salesforce to increase sales, improve customer satisfaction, and streamline their operations. By showcasing these success stories, Salesforce demonstrates the value of its product and provides social proof that can help drive new business.
Showcasing what your customers create using your product is a powerful way to create social proof and build credibility with potential customers.

By highlighting the success stories of your users, you can inspire and motivate other users to see the possibilities of your product. Use UGC, case studies, testimonials, and success stories to showcase your customers' creations and build social proof.