Tag: credibility

4 Ways to Build Content Through Customer Interviews

Woman interviewing customerBefore conducting customer interviews know how you can build better content and basic interviewing techniques. Interviews are a great way to obtain information for creating personas, customer-centric content, case studies and testimonials. A recent research report from Marketing Sherpa shows that 41% of B2B companies are using interviews with customers to build personas (profiles of your buyer). The report identifies customer interviews as the most effective tactic for developing personas. These usually include demographics, environment and buyer behaviors.

1. Know the End Goal

When conducting customer interviews know what the end goal is before you begin. Are you creating customer-centric content for newsletters, blogs, case studies or websites? In each case, having the customer’s perspective is important. You can learn what customers value most and least from your company and what they want more of. The information can also be used to segment your audience by particular attributes. Adding customer testimonials and case studies builds your credibility. From interviews you can create interesting content rather than a cursory one-liner.

Who should conduct the interview? An employee with an existing relationship with the customer has built trust but is unlikely to get objective answers. A content writer skilled at building rapport quickly and asking targeted questions can be a good resource.

Where to conduct the interview? One-on-one in person interviews are great but when logistics and budgets make that impossible, the telephone or computer are good alternatives.

2. Be Prepared for the Interview

Ask yourself: What do I want to know? Target your questions to get the answers you need. What does your audience want to know? Content is created for consumption. It needs to be relevant. Ask questions your audience wants answered.

Who should you talk with to get the information you need? For example, don’t talk with a purchasing agent if you want to know how your product is being used in manufacturing. Find the person who is closest to the action.

Make an appointment ahead of time to talk with the customer. Be transparent about the reason why you want to talk. The interview needn’t be long. You can get the information you need in five minutes when the person is very busy. Most people like being interviewed if it doesn’t take too long.

3. Listen During the Interview

After asking a question, listen. Do not interrupt during a response. When customers know you are really listening to them, you will get better information. Listen for key phrases and metaphors used by the customer. Gauge levels of emotional involvement. You can tell when someone is excited or disappointed by the tone of voice they use. Make note of what is causing these reactions.

Get the back story. What is your position in the company? How long have you been doing it? What challenges were you facing before purchasing our product/working with our company?

Position the product or service. How does our product or service fit in your work process? What problem does it solve for you? (Look for action in the response.)

What kind of results have you found since using the product?

What do you like best about the product/service? Least?

Have you discovered other benefits from using the product? Or, working with our company?

Add a Thought. I like to end interviews with a question that allows the person to add their own thoughts. “Is there anything you would like to add?” Or, “Did I forget to ask something that is important to you?”

Always thank your customer for taking the time to talk with you. Allow them to review any information that is attributed to them before it is published.

4. Structure Information Gathered

When using customer interview information to create a persona, customer-centric content, case study or testimonial use a consistent format to record the information after each interview.  This saves time and makes it available for future use. A content writer can put the pieces together creating valuable content that differentiates you from your competitors. These are some ways we build better content through customer interviews. Do you think customers enjoy being interviewed?

How to Find Credible Sources for Articles, Blog Posts and Whitepapers

One way to keep your B-to-B content fresh is to inject the information and opinions from experts related to your product, service or industry.  Writers call these their “sources,” and developing these relationships can inject new life into your website, blog, e-newsletter and articles.

Look for sources who are regular users of the product or service.

If you are a manufacturer, an expert doesn’t always have to be a CEO, engineer or marketing executive. A source can also be a customer or dealer who has experience with the product in the field.  If your company is in the business of renting machinery, the opinions of a machine operator or a construction project manager would be very valuable to a potential customer.  Each source will have a different perspective on the experience of renting a machine. Varied experiences will add credibility to your message. Customers love reviews from regular people. Salespeople can help identify potential candidates.

Look for sources in a business related to yours.

Your topics don’t always have to revolve directly around your business. A moving company might ask a professional organizer for moving tips that could form the basis of a blog post, checklist or whitepaper. A commercial real estate advisor might ask a lawyer to provide information about lease transactions.

You can find sources for a wide variety of topics using a free service like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to identify experts in particular fields willing to answer questions for an article. PR Newswire has a similar service for journalists.  You can also identify like-minded bloggers using tools like Technorati or Twitter. Consider asking an expert to write a guest post on your blog.

Look for sources through industry associations and publications.

Industry associations and b-to-b publications are typically tremendous sources of information.  If you see an article you like, ask the editor for permission to republish it in your e-newsletter, on your website or in a blog post. (There may be a fee.)   Search the news sections of an association website for press releases highlighting industry research and to identify potential interview sources.

Look for sources among your strategic partners.

Your strategic business partners may provide content that your customers find interesting.  In fact, they may already be creating that information for their own customers. Explore content sharing ideas with other businesses and industry trade groups. For example, a website developer might provide information on the latest updates to Google for any number of firms with small business clients. I know I often share my marketing articles, blog posts and presentations with a local printer.

Finding credible and intelligent sources for your online content can go a long way toward building your company’s online reputation.  If you have a large audience, sources may be happy to provide information for its publicity value. If not, you may have to work harder to get what you need.  Start by building relationships with industry movers and shakers.  One way to do this is to comment on their blogs, “like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. And of course, make every effort to meet in person. However, be realistic in your expectations and let them know how their business might benefit from the relationship.