Customer Evidence is any marketing or communication asset that uses a customer story as evidence of your product’s value in the marketplace. By having the customer themselves testify to the value of your product, you are creating a persuasive form of marketing content that far trumps anything your company can possibly claim about yourself. Let’s face it: claims we make about our own company are trusted less, especially in B2B marketing, compared to what someone else says about your product. By having your customer tell your story, you are demonstrating value & credibility, and delivering a consultative story that documents how a customer was able to solve a problem with your product.

The best customer evidence assets tell an interesting story about the customer. Viewstream’s story-based approach starts with the customer. We look at who the customer is, what motivates them, why they get up in the morning to do what they do. In doing their work, they are faced with a variety of challenges in their business. We uncover the reasons why the customer reached out to your solution. We then tell the customer’s story in a way that illustrates how your product or solution has been the best way for them to reach their goals.

In terms of content mapping, customer evidence can be used at any stage of the sales cycle. In early stages, customer evidence can help prospects imagine a world where there problems are solved, and how a new solution has benefited them. At the mid to later stages of the sales cycle, where comparative content is critical, customer evidence serves to reinforce peer opinion, as well as provide answers to implementation concerns.

Typically, customer evidence takes the form of a case study, video testimonial or micro-documentary. Reach out to us if you are interested in finding out more about using Customer Evidence for your marketing programs.

Here are a few recent Customer Evidence projects that Viewstream created:

Intel
Blackboard
Autodesk