The Power of the Customer Success Video
Why Customer Success Stories?
As a potential customer, we've all found ourselves in a situation where we like the concept of a product or a service, but we need more assurance that it's the real deal. After all, a business can say whatever it wants about itself, but genuine credibility comes from customers.
That’s why we look at online reviews, and perhaps wonder how many of them are genuinely written by customers. Which is why a case study video – also known as a client testimonial video or a customer success story video – is so powerful. It’s easy to tell if it’s genuine.
If someone is willing to endorse a product or service, put their face on screen, and put their name on the line, then it carries real weight.
Video is an outstanding format for case studies. Not only because a case study video is a persuasive form of a customer review, but because it offers up the chance to create a truly engaging piece of audio visual content. This combination of building genuine trust and credibility and using a medium that sparks interest and emotional connection INSPIRES ACTION.
What’s in a Customer Success Video?
To produce an effective case study video that reassures your audience about your products or services and gets them ready to take action, there are several key components. The foundation of any case study video is an interview with a happy client. A voiceover just doesn't generate the same reassurance as a real testimony, A main goal with any client success story video is to show that there are real people working for real businesses who endorse your product or service.
The most important part of the video is allowing your clients to describe their positive sentiments of using your products or services and their experience of working with your company. It may be that more than one person from your client’s business is interviewed, providing different perspectives on their dealings with your company.
When creating your customer success video, incorporating supplementary footage known as b-roll can greatly enhance the final product. This footage supports or illustrates the points raised in the interview material. Determining what b-roll to include will depend on the nature of the client's business and your own product or service. Ideally, you would film the interviews and b-roll in the same location on the same day, but sometimes a second location or separate filming day may be necessary.
If the case study involves technology and software, footage of people actively using the tech on desktops and mobile devices will likely be needed. Planning for this in advance is crucial to be able to display the functionality of the product without revealing sensitive information.
To sum up: including well-shot, relevant b-roll is a crucial component in creating a dynamic customer success story video that fosters engagement with the viewer, making them more likely to interact with your offering.
Another great way to make your customer success story video more engaging is to include graphics. Graphical representations can help communicate complex ideas in an easy-to-understand manner. For example, a chart, map, or infographic can be used to illustrate a company's structure or the breadth of its reach. Lower thirds are used to reference the names and job titles of interviewees, while the front and end cards contain text and calls to action. Stock footage or pre-existing b-roll can be added, along with carefully selected music to create a dynamic and engaging case study video.
The Story Arc of a Customer Success Video
The customer success video tells a story of a real customer who overcomes a set of challenges using your products or services. From beginning to end, the video should feature a protagonist who achieves their goal. The audience should see themselves as the protagonist of their story and relate to the challenges of your featured customer while picturing themselves achieving their own goals with your product or services.
• Introducing the Problem
In this first part of the narrative, it’s less to do with your company and more to do with the nature of your client’s business and the challenges your client has faced. This needs to be expressed with as little excess information as possible. Let’s not dwell on the past. Suffice to say it wasn’t a great situation. The old solution – no names mentioned – was expensive and morale was low. The question that would be asked of the client in the interview would be along the lines of ‘What were the challenges you faced before you used the X solution? And what impact was that having on the business/ profitability/ staff morale?’
In the beginning of the narrative, focus on your client's business and the challenges they faced. Keep it concise and factual, with minimal back story. The interview question would be similar to: ‘What were the challenges you faced before you used the X solution? And what impact was that having on the business/ profitability/ staff morale?’
• Introduction of the Solution
In this part of the story, your client begins to describe how your company offered something that addressed their problems, revealing the nature of your product or service and how it supported them in overcoming their challenges.
• The Outcome
What effect did your solution have? In this section, you can effectively drive home how your client benefited from what you had to offer. Your company can back this up with facts and figures, but it's crucial for the client to have a significant input. It's not just about efficiency and profitability, but ultimately about making someone's life less stressful and creating more time for the things that matter.
Ok, time for an example:
As a potential customer, we've all found ourselves in a situation where we like the concept of a product or a service, but we need more assurance that it's the real deal. After all, a business can say whatever it wants about itself, but genuine credibility comes from customers.
That’s why we look at online reviews, and perhaps wonder how many of them are genuinely written by customers. Which is why a case study video – also known as a client testimonial video or a customer success story video – is so powerful. It’s easy to tell if it’s genuine.
If someone is willing to endorse a product or service, put their face on screen, and put their name on the line, then it carries real weight.
Video is an outstanding format for case studies. Not only because a case study video is a persuasive form of a customer review, but because it offers up the chance to create a truly engaging piece of audio visual content. This combination of building genuine trust and credibility and using a medium that sparks interest and emotional connection INSPIRES ACTION.
What’s in a Customer Success Video?
To produce an effective case study video that reassures your audience about your products or services and gets them ready to take action, there are several key components. The foundation of any case study video is an interview with a happy client. A voiceover just doesn't generate the same reassurance as a real testimony, A main goal with any client success story video is to show that there are real people working for real businesses who endorse your product or service.
The most important part of the video is allowing your clients to describe their positive sentiments of using your products or services and their experience of working with your company. It may be that more than one person from your client’s business is interviewed, providing different perspectives on their dealings with your company.
When creating your customer success video, incorporating supplementary footage known as b-roll can greatly enhance the final product. This footage supports or illustrates the points raised in the interview material. Determining what b-roll to include will depend on the nature of the client's business and your own product or service. Ideally, you would film the interviews and b-roll in the same location on the same day, but sometimes a second location or separate filming day may be necessary.
If the case study involves technology and software, footage of people actively using the tech on desktops and mobile devices will likely be needed. Planning for this in advance is crucial to be able to display the functionality of the product without revealing sensitive information.
To sum up: including well-shot, relevant b-roll is a crucial component in creating a dynamic customer success story video that fosters engagement with the viewer, making them more likely to interact with your offering.
Another great way to make your customer success story video more engaging is to include graphics. Graphical representations can help communicate complex ideas in an easy-to-understand manner. For example, a chart, map, or infographic can be used to illustrate a company's structure or the breadth of its reach. Lower thirds are used to reference the names and job titles of interviewees, while the front and end cards contain text and calls to action. Stock footage or pre-existing b-roll can be added, along with carefully selected music to create a dynamic and engaging case study video.
The Story Arc of a Customer Success Video
The customer success video tells a story of a real customer who overcomes a set of challenges using your products or services. From beginning to end, the video should feature a protagonist who achieves their goal. The audience should see themselves as the protagonist of their story and relate to the challenges of your featured customer while picturing themselves achieving their own goals with your product or services.
• Introducing the Problem
In this first part of the narrative, it’s less to do with your company and more to do with the nature of your client’s business and the challenges your client has faced. This needs to be expressed with as little excess information as possible. Let’s not dwell on the past. Suffice to say it wasn’t a great situation. The old solution – no names mentioned – was expensive and morale was low. The question that would be asked of the client in the interview would be along the lines of ‘What were the challenges you faced before you used the X solution? And what impact was that having on the business/ profitability/ staff morale?’
In the beginning of the narrative, focus on your client's business and the challenges they faced. Keep it concise and factual, with minimal back story. The interview question would be similar to: ‘What were the challenges you faced before you used the X solution? And what impact was that having on the business/ profitability/ staff morale?’
• Introduction of the Solution
In this part of the story, your client begins to describe how your company offered something that addressed their problems, revealing the nature of your product or service and how it supported them in overcoming their challenges.
• The Outcome
What effect did your solution have? In this section, you can effectively drive home how your client benefited from what you had to offer. Your company can back this up with facts and figures, but it's crucial for the client to have a significant input. It's not just about efficiency and profitability, but ultimately about making someone's life less stressful and creating more time for the things that matter.
Ok, time for an example:
Making the most of your Customer Success Video
Subtitles
Once your case study video is ready, consider adding subtitles. Studies show that 92% of viewers watch videos without sound, and subtitles make it easy for them to understand what's happening. Plus, translating subtitles into widely-spoken languages makes your case study more accessible across borders.
The Montage Video
If you’ve created a series of case studies with a variety of clients, it’s likely that you have moments from each of them which contain rock-solid info that delivers a strong impression for potential clients. You can make these moments shine by combining them into a highlights reel. This sort of montage video fires interest in new visitors, increasing the likelihood that they will look to engage with your business.
If you've worked on multiple case studies, chances are there’s great content in each of them. Use this to your advantage by creating a highlights reel that showcases your best moments. This kind of montage video can attract more visitors and increase engagement with your business.
Transcriptions
Even with the value of video, traditional printed materials or online text are still being used. Transcribing the audio from your case study interviews would be useful in building quotes for various media. The transcription process can be handled by us.
TL, DR:
Case study videos, also called client testimonial or customer success story videos, are powerful because they offer genuine endorsements of a product or service. They build trust for your brand because real customers put their names and faces on the line.
To create a successful case study video, an interview with a satisfied customer is the foundation. Ideally, more than one client representative should be interviewed. B-roll footage that supports the points raised in the interview is also important. Such footage may include footage of people using technology and software.
If you would like help with your customer success videos, please get in touch with us, Thank you for your interest.
Best Regards
Gerrit Haaland
Creative Producer
NAUTIC.FILM
Subtitles
Once your case study video is ready, consider adding subtitles. Studies show that 92% of viewers watch videos without sound, and subtitles make it easy for them to understand what's happening. Plus, translating subtitles into widely-spoken languages makes your case study more accessible across borders.
The Montage Video
If you’ve created a series of case studies with a variety of clients, it’s likely that you have moments from each of them which contain rock-solid info that delivers a strong impression for potential clients. You can make these moments shine by combining them into a highlights reel. This sort of montage video fires interest in new visitors, increasing the likelihood that they will look to engage with your business.
If you've worked on multiple case studies, chances are there’s great content in each of them. Use this to your advantage by creating a highlights reel that showcases your best moments. This kind of montage video can attract more visitors and increase engagement with your business.
Transcriptions
Even with the value of video, traditional printed materials or online text are still being used. Transcribing the audio from your case study interviews would be useful in building quotes for various media. The transcription process can be handled by us.
TL, DR:
Case study videos, also called client testimonial or customer success story videos, are powerful because they offer genuine endorsements of a product or service. They build trust for your brand because real customers put their names and faces on the line.
To create a successful case study video, an interview with a satisfied customer is the foundation. Ideally, more than one client representative should be interviewed. B-roll footage that supports the points raised in the interview is also important. Such footage may include footage of people using technology and software.
If you would like help with your customer success videos, please get in touch with us, Thank you for your interest.
Best Regards
Gerrit Haaland
Creative Producer
NAUTIC.FILM