This article first appeared in O’Dwyer’s.
Few stories are more compelling than customer case histories.
If your client has a happy customer who is willing to say nice things, it’s not only a win-win for both companies, but it makes your job as a PR professional much easier. Customer case histories bring clients to life and showcase the amazing B2B technologies helping businesses run more efficiently—and they have a built-in credibility that reporters love.
Yet, customer case histories are one of the most underutilized pitching tools in PR, often sequestered in a dusty back corner of the client’s website.
Here are a few handy tips to get the most mileage out of your clients’ customer case histories.
First things first
Before conducting outreach for a client’s customer case history, it’s imperative to receive written permission from the customer executives and internal communications team to share the story with the media. Assure the customers that it won’t take much of their time and frame the opportunity as a success story that will benefit both companies.
Get your collateral in order
Once approval is obtained, develop a press release based on the case study content; this will help a reporter turn the case study into a news article. Particularly necessary details include:
- Any metrics, numbers or data that show how your client has made a positive impact on the customer’s business
- Quotes from C-level executives explaining how the results impacted business
If the customer is interested, short videos can be developed to highlight the success the two companies have had working together. Video testimonials are especially powerful additions to a corporate web site and can also be successfully leveraged on social media.
Get your spokespeople in order
Before you take the story to the press, make sure the customer is willing to speak with the media either over the phone or via email. Ask your clients and their customer which outlets they’re willing—or not willing—to speak with and set expectations around which outlets will be most interested in covering the story.
Recycle and reuse
As stories begin publishing and the press release is distributed, there are always opportunities to continue the momentum by repurposing content for company blog posts and executive bylines.
